rikke_leonhart: Owl (Default)
rikke_leonhart ([personal profile] rikke_leonhart) wrote2011-11-14 10:36 pm

Fic: It's tonight your city sleeps

*

It’s been a couple of eventful months, hasn’t it?
Ninomiya: That’s definitely one way of saying it!
Aiba: Leader is pretty determined to give us all grey hair before time.
Ohno: I’m very sorry!
All: (laughs)
Matsumoto: It’s been rough on us all, not just Leader, though arguably he’s been fighting the hardest. We’re doing our best to put out the best concerts we can this fall to thank everyone for their thoughts and concern. We’re very sorry.
Ninomiya: Did you hear that, Leader? You have to put out an amazing concert!
Sakurai: All on your own!
Ohno: (looks panicked)
All: (laughs)
Matsumoto: We’re all working on it, we promise! Right?
Ninomiya: I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about, Jun-kun. Do you, Aiba-chan?
Aiba: Absolutely not.
Sakurai: (laughs) That’s too severe! That’s too severe!
Matsumoto: And I severely dislike you all.
Ohno: Not me, right? I didn’t do anything!
Matsumoto: Right (laughs) Leader is the only one in this room that I like.
Ninomiya: That’s not fair, everyone likes Leader.
Ohno: I’m likeable.
Sakurai: So modest!
All: (laughs)

So besides concerts in the autumn, what can the fans look forward to this summer?
Matsumoto: Our new album is out next month.
Aiba: Right.
Matsumoto: It was really quick, the recordings. I feel like it didn’t take any time at all.
Ohno: I spent a lot of time in the studio.
Ninomiya: You couldn’t walk!
Ohno: I’m very sorry!
All: (laughs)
Ohno: Right, I couldn’t walk. But I’m better now!
Sakurai: The fans can look forward to Ohno-kun’s spectacular interpretive dance.
Aiba: What’s it about, Leader?
Ohno: It’s about Arashi’s best features.
Ninomiya: He’s being evasive!
Ohno: I’m not! I’m really not! (laughs)
Ninomiya: Then tell us.
Ohno: Matsujun’s eyebrows!
All: (explosive laughter)
Matsumoto: Leader!
Ohno: I’m sorry!
Matsumoto: That’s why you’ve been staring at me!
Ohno: I’m very sorry!

Can you tell us more about the dance?
Aiba: Yes, Leader, tell us more!
Ohno: Why are you all picking on me?!
Sakurai: (laughs) I saw parts of it the other day, it looked really interesting!
Ohno: The truth is…
Ninomiya: The truth is…?
Ohno: That I’ve been fishing.
All: (explosive laughter)
Aiba: Leader! Is fishing part of the dance?!
Ohno: That would be really cool, wouldn’t it?
Ninomiya: No! That would be really bad! Please stop doing that! Your skin has been so light lately, don’t ruin it!
Matsumoto: And when he couldn’t fish, he was recording the new album. What did you think of it?
Sakurai: I feel like we move forward and evolve with each album we’re fortunate enough to release. Like “This is Arashi!”
Ninomiya: Ah, I understand. “This is us, now”, right.
All: Right.
Aiba: I really like Matsujun’s solo, it’s so upbeat.
Matsumoto: Only the music! The lyrics are really not as happy as the music. It was very difficult to record.
Sakurai: I really like Satoshi-kun’s solo –
Ninomiya: I guess all the time in the studio paid off!
Ohno: Thank you!
Sakurai: – it’s very emotional. I really like the chorus.
Aiba: Will we get the interpretive dance for the solo?
Matsumoto: About my eyebrows?
Ohno: I’m not singing an emotional ballad about Matsujun’s eyebrows!
All: (Explosive laughter)

But Ohno-san, has it been difficult getting back to everything and up to full speed?
Ohno: It’s been painful at times, but it’s so worth it now, being here with everyone again, and I’m very sorry for making everyone worry.
Matsumoto: It’s honestly no trouble to us, it’s what we do, we help each other. Leader continually said he was sorry and that he didn’t want to trouble us, but it wasn’t a problem for us. That’s how it is.
All: True.
Ninomiya: Even if we forced him inside a recording booth and locked the door (laughs)
Sakurai: We got our revenge, right.
Ohno: I knew it! (laughs) But more importantly, I’ve been really happy about dancing again.
Matsumoto: I watched you the other day. It’s looking really good now, Leader.
Ohno: I suppose. There’s still time.
Matsumoto: But you haven’t drawn anything lately, have you?
Ohno: They had to reset my fingers, right. They hadn’t grown correctly so they had to break them again and reset them. (Bitter laugh) I think I’ve forgotten what my fingers look like beneath the tape.
Ninomiya: Poor Leader.
Sakurai: So patronising! (laughs)
Matsumoto: What is up with this mood? Stop being depressing!
Aiba: But you haven’t been fishing, right, with your fingers all broken?
Ohno: No. Yes, I have. A little bit.
Aiba: Leader, your health!
Matsumoto: Please take care of yourself!
Ohno: I’m very sorry!
All: (laughs)

And finally, anything else up for the rest of the year?
Matsumoto: In between concerts, we’ll be doing our regular shows and work hard.
Sakurai: Please watch it!
Aiba: And shall we have Leader close?
Nino: Leader, if you please!
Ohno: Let’s all stay healthy this year, too.
All: (laughs)
Matsumoto: There it is!
Aiba: It arrived!
Ninomiya: Why are you saying that when you’re the one worrying us?
Ohno: I‘m very sorry!
All: (explosive laughter)

*

When the interview ends, Ohno stands and smiles at the interviewer, and he tickles at Nino’s waist as they leave the room, prompting Nino to bat at his hands and grumble. Behind them, Aiba is talking to no one in particular, something about a flamingo and a rhinoceros, and Ohno wants to pay attention, to listen and absorb Aiba’s enthusiasm, but he’s mostly concentrating on Jun and Sho in front of them. Jun casually says something about rehearsals later and tomorrow and Sho mutters something in the affirmative, and Ohno hides his smile in Nino’s shoulder when Jun accepts a single touch on his shoulder from Sho.

“What are you so smug about?” Nino murmurs and pokes at Ohno’s side.

Ohno tries to squirm away. “Nothing,” he says and he knows he’s sporting a shit-eating grin. Nino clearly doesn’t believe him if the contemplative narrowing of his eyes is any indication, but Ohno can’t possibly bring himself to care. He tries to catch Nino’s hands to stop his poking, but Nino is cleverly evasive.

“Nino,” he whines, dragging out the syllables in that way he knows Nino loathes, and Nino wiggles his fingers in warning. “Aiba-chan, Nino is being mean. Again.”

“Nino, behave,” Jun warns from further ahead and then they all turn right and start down the stairs.

“Oh-chan, do you need me to carry your fragile, old body down the stairs?” Nino smiles sweetly.

Ohno doesn’t buy it for one second. He falls a step behind Nino and Nino evidently feels paranoid enough to send glances backwards over his shoulder every two steps, and Ohno grins. Aiba’s hand slips into his right one, ever mindful of the damn newly broken fingers, and squeezes carefully.

“Leader, do you want me to tackle Nino for you?”

“Yes please,” Ohno says just as Nino exclaims, “I heard that!”.

From further down the stairs, Jun and Sho chorus: “Not on the stairs!”

Ohno grins. Let’s all stay healthy this year, too, he thinks and instead of poking at Nino’s back like his left hand is itching for, he grabs his shoulder and just holds on. Nino sends a knowing look back at him and Ohno doesn’t mind at all. He feels closer to them all, each of them in different ways, and he owes them all so much.

He can’t wait to make it up to them all, he’ll spend the rest of his life doing his very best.

He wants to remember them all.

*
The end.

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[identity profile] rikke-leonhart.livejournal.com 2011-11-17 11:21 am (UTC)(link)
LOL darling, you know I love it whne you write me essays 8D

In a way that differs from youy, missing time and memories is something important to me, because my memory is very bad. I forget a lot of things, not because I don't want to remember, but because I seriously can't. Gati is my lifeline a lot of the time because she remembers things I don't, and she told me that this fic is very self-indulgent in an unconscious way, also with the knee thing, because I have bad knees. I didn't choose this consciously, it's just how it turned out in the end. The point is that I get how aggravating it is to want to remember something where the memories just won't come. It's frustrating beyond relief, and I don't think anyone without this particular problem truly gets it.

Jun's was the piece I was looking forward to the most, which is also why it was the last one to be written, besides the epilogue. Ironically, he also gave me the most trouble, as in it was really difficult for me to be so angry for such a long stretch of time, but it was necessary to be able to get the right things out in the way I wanted it. However, my favourite piece to write was Nino's, for all the reasons you just listed - I wanted to wrap him up and hold him close, which is really weird because I don't normally get those feelings about Nino.

And you know how much I love writing Ohno. I always feel most comfortable with being creative when I'm writing him, and it's so so so satisfying for me to see him so well-received when I try something new. So.

Thank you so much, your comments always make my day, seriously, and this is no exception ♥