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Seto handed a similar piece to Honda, grabbed two other models and led the pair to the back where he a had a training room of sorts set up. Mannequins, targets and other assorted props to practice range and technique filled the space, several mechanized items allowed a more realistic practice session. However, Seto just wanted to take the time to make sure Jounouchi and Honda could hit a target right in front of them so he just set the up in front of stationary mannequins for now.

Honda stepped up first and completely missed, something Seto could tell in an instant that he would do. He didn't even try to hide his smirk. 'You want to aim for anywhere on the fairly large torso,' Seto chided, which only earned him a glare from the other man as he reloaded the gun to try again. To be completely honest he had set them up pretty far from the target for a first practice shot, but again, their time was limited.

Jounouchi hesitated as he took aim and Seto gently placed a hand on his elbow to direct it slightly, 'you're too far to the right, again you don't want to hit the limb as it'll numb that body part, but with that model it won't even be painful and they'll probably not be distracted enough to stop an assault. It might be a good disarming strategy but it'd just be better to aim for the surer target as we only have so much time to practice,' he instructed without the same sarcastic bite he'd directed toward Honda moments before.

((Well if it's not even a comic story they'd have to do way more to develop that. We'll see if it annoys me when I give it a re-watch (probably won't be until it's out of cinema) or if I can just pretend that revenge is the motive and that Ronan just happens to incoherently babble the rest of the time. xd

See I'm the opposite, I am very pro Tamaki/Haruhi and very anti Hikaru/Haruhi (though if she ends up with neither or someone else I'd be absolutely okay with that). I guess I feel Tamaki is stupid but he's a good person but Hikaru is too much of a brat and a*****e and maybe he'll 'get better' further along the line but he's yet to fall into a place where I can root for him. So I don't want it to still be triangle drama and I don't want it to be Hikaru/Haruhi love love on Noah's Arc (if you remember that line from the anime in the ball episode with the guy whose family was in tableware and his fiance,. if not I'm spouting nonsense sorry). But I guess if it ends well, even if it's sad and serious I'll be okay. It's just really one of I think the best handled animes so I'd hate to feel the manga just collapsed (as I kind of did with Fruits Basket which killed most love I had for any of the series - anime or manga - after that). I did think Yuugiou ended well (even if the anime had maybe a bit too much filler, though I did enjoy quite a lot of it) although I still don't know if I ever finished the manga, I don't think I did. I remember Sara got mad when I finished the anime and I was borrowing the manga from her so I might have stopped to not push that.

I was trying to figure out what those extra pdfs were and what I was supposed to read first, maybe I'll read those first and so it can only get 'better' when I get to the main series. Unless it's kind of a follow up that really won't make sense without the main series? Though if the main series is still in progress that'd be odd. I guess it'll come down with Okane ga Nai to whether I feel the reactions to be at all believable (I mean unhealthy, screwed up is okay, but not at all realistic to any sort of human suffering/coping might be irritating). We'll see. Only into volume 6 of Host Club now, stupid PhD getting in my way. Still in the anime parts of the series.))

'Perfect,' Seto complimented genuinely, advising him to 'reload, and try again, and then try from a closer distance which will be easier and honestly the more likely distance in which you'll use the stun gun statistically.' He wasn't sure what prompted him to be so uncharacteristically helpful, to have actually touched Jounouchi when he usually shied away from human contact. He noticed Jounouchi flush and it immediately made him feel embarrassed, though hopefully his own face hadn't coloured. Why was he blushing? What did he think of Seto's unlikely actions? He tried to shove the thoughts from his mind but it was difficult when he turned to find Honda glaring at him suspiciously.

- - -

What the hell was that? Honda thought to himself as Kaiba helped Jounouchi. Why was Kaiba touching Jounouchi? Why was Jounouchi blushing? Just what the hell had been going on between these two lately? He glared when Seto turned to him, focusing his ire on the mannequin and firing. Perfect shot, dead center of the chest.

((Kaoru and Kyouya are my favourite characters and I feel like Kaoru does too much for Hikaru that I just can't stand to see him all off and happy with a girlfriend while Kaoru who actually genuinely makes more effort to grow and be a good person is left behind. That is the main reason the Hikaru/Haruhi thing bothers me. Too many characters want her and she's kind of this prize (which yes is way problematic in itself but I do generally have no problem just letting that go) and I feel Hikaru is probably the most undeserving especially because he's attached to Karou. It just feels like some sort of betrayal to me and it's why I can't stand it, though outside of that I still like Hikaru as a character. I actually rather like all the host club members although Huni is easily in last.

I agree that I hated the Fruits Basket anime ending as well, although I wouldn't say the entire last third was ugh it was probably really the last few episodes that really just turned me off the whole anime, but that's why I read the manga. The manga ended up being good a lot longer, provided a lot more depth to several characters (and introduced new ones that I generally rather liked) - particularly I never thought I'd really like Momiji but he is so well done in the manga, he's just got this great depth and intelligence that I never really was expecting to get out of him. But the end, in my opinion, is just awful. I won't say more than that or why I think it's awful in case you want to read it but I think it went downhill more than the anime. The anime ending was terrible but not exactly 'the end', the manga feels much more final so it's also much more irritating how 'terrible' I think it is. I'm torn in whether I'd recommend it as there is a lot of good in there, beyond what the anime gives, but I don't know if the bad in some ways outweighs that if you aren't even that interested. I was in love with the series when I read the manga but without that passion I don't know if I would recommend it. Thinking about Fruits Basket makes me think about how I kind of wanted to read Ranma as I wasn't satisfied with the anime end (a friend that I talked about Fruits Basket with at work a lot back during undergrad lent me the anime and got me into that). Mostly in that it was just too open ended (though I still haven't gotten around to watching the OVAs, though 2 of them take place during the anime so I doubt they will give me the conclusive I want). However it's such a long series, I don't know if I could go through 38 volumes to possibly still feel disappointed. xd

Yea she didn't want it to be 'over' so I still don't know if she ever finished either the anime or manga. At this point I wouldn't ask. While it was very much the thing we became friends over it's not been at all a relevant part of our friendship since we started talking again. I think falling out with Sara is a lot of why I wasn't as into anime/manga for awhile and I think for awhile she kind of lost interest too. I got back into it a bit when I started dating Tom and he watched one of my anime series and so lately I've been showing him stuff I've been thinking about watching (like Attack on Titan) and stuff I used to love and I've kind of gotten back into anime and it's only with Host Club that I've finally hit something that really made me want to go back to manga. Tom surprisingly really loved Host Club, probably more than any of the more shonen series I tried first like Yugioh. Which has been fun. I started him on Yami no Matsuei yesterday and he keeps glancing at me anytime anything suggestive happens and says 'is this your lady porn' but he did enjoy the first 3 episodes enough and it is pretty short (sadly). Hmm, I do want to read that manga but I really am afraid I'll get invested and it'll never actually end, I have a hard time with that.

I have written 'spoiler' in the file next to chapter 11 and will think about whether I want to read prequels first (I probably do, I like sequence).))

At least Jounouchi is as oblivious as always Seto thought with relief. After a few more practice shots with these guns, and then a few with the alternative model - which Jounouchi handled better than Honda, but decided against as it was a much higher voltage with the potential to do permanent damage, or potentially kill, the target even if it had a faster shot, was faster to reload and would keep the target down longer (which would be effective if they really found themselves up against more than one person). Honda and Jounouchi each packed a couple of the simpler model, Seto packed one of the guns but also took one of the higher impact tasers, just in case. They each also strapped a couple of knives to their persons, again as a precaution. As they left the room, after a moment's hesitation, Seto grabbed a pistol and a few cases of ammo, quickly hiding them within his coat. They'd be a last resort.

'Alright, well, we are armed but we still don't know where we are going,' Seto said as they entered his home office, 'I can tap into a few personal information sites, but it'd be helpful if you had any idea about where he might be Jounouchi, just as a starting point.'

((Unless I'm blind Hirutani isn't on the character list already, will you be him? I can't say I remember him well enough and would think you might have a few more ideas of how to handle him. I'm still working on how Kaiba's family history will tie in at some point. Given that, is there anywhere you had in mind for where Hirutani has been lurking all this time please feel free to direct that.

Definitely had the opposite effect for me, but again it was the manga and not the anime that turned me more and more off HIkaru/Haruhi (and the manga is also where I started to like Tamaki more and more) rather than the anime. Though my favourite characters are pretty much set as Kyouya/Kaoru (don't think I like one more than the other there), Haruhi, Tamaki, Mori (but Tamaki only just slightly beats Mori but they aren't tied), Hikaru, Huni. Although based on the anime alone Hikaru came ahead of Tamaki despite me never shipping the H/H pair.

Unless I'm completely forgetting things I'd say Fruits Basket is definitely a good journey that just had a disappointing ending, but that is most series. I won't even say I wouldn't want to re-read it again (not in the near future as I've got plenty else to read around a PhD) but I have no argument for why you should prioritize it over other series. I'd come to the same assessment on the Ranma anime that you did on the magna, although I watched the first 5 series during my undergrad when I was 21 and only watched the last two (minus the OVAs) earlier this year. The manga is 38 volumes though in total and I don't think I'm up for that long of a series atm.

A friend had posted about watching it on a plane, prior to that I'd never heard of it but when I mentioned it to Tom he had so we decided to watch it. There are only 20 something episodes at the moment but I would highly recommend it. I will say, it is ridiculously intense, especially the first season (the second season happily calms down because I don't think I could handle anymore of that intensity for much longer) but it is amazing and really well done and I would very highly recommend it.

I had someone else recommend Madoka Magica and it didn't really sound like my kind of thing but maybe. I remembered the anime for Yami no Matsuei wouldn't directly go anywhere in regards to yaoi elements and Tom isn't sensitive so figured it'd be okay. I might just read to issue eight then, I think you recommended that before. Will wait and see if it picks up before going further.))

'Alright,' Seto said, running a search on the information Jounouchi had given him. It came back with a result pretty quick. 'Well, looks like the family still owns the house, but he seems to be living there alone. His father died when he was a child, and his mother died recently under mysterious circumstances,' he finished, wondering if this was coincidental or if matricide was just another check on this guy's list of evil deeds.

((Excellent, because I have no ideas for him whatsoever. I was going to say you were him in the first post as well, but I also realise you were kinda the shikigami in the first post as well which I kind of took over so I guess I couldn't sell that argument. xd

Nah, although I did at the time (in undergrad) think that Ranma was 'short' in comparison to Inuyasha which is 56 volumes. Part of why I watched Ranma was because my friend literally handed me the DVDs, but knowing it was the same author as probably my first favourite anime (that I thought about as anime, otherwise YuYu Hakusho or Dragon Ball Z would go there) upped my interest. I still never finished Inuyasha, I didn't even get anywhere near where I left off, it's just so long and not hearing positive things about the end (I know no details or anything spoiler filled just that it's 'not good') has not been motivating. I do like that Tom honestly likes Host Club better than Inuyasha. smile

Well the training camp is probably only a small portion of the anime and it's not really at all like that other than a few frustrating moments but it is a pretty frustrating reality. Although I can't comment on the weird eyes, I don't recall thinking anyone had eyes but as I don't have a visual imagination without the eyes in front of me I can't say. But yea I'd definitely say give it a shot and see what you think sometime, it is very well done and I wouldn't say it's just hype (considering I found the hype after the fact). I'm not sure how to sell it without being too spoiler heavy though so I'm going to be vague and just say that I would recommend it.

I've never been into magical girl but as it's short I'll put it in the queue, and I guess if Tom can take yaoi hints in Yami no Matsuei (he asked me kind of annoyed last night while we didn't watch more - heh, but I'd just watch a movie that was crushingly disappointing to me so just wanted to read - it's Virtuality and it was not originally movie but a TV pilot that was never picked up which means super open ended forever and ever!) then I can also make him watch Madoka as yuri hints he definitely won't mind.))

Seto nodded and made a quick phone call to arrange for several members of his personal and company security team to station themselves in the area. They were well trained as not a single question was asked. He then led Jounouchi and Honda back to the garage where he climbed into a less flashy Honda. The vehicle was probably still too pristine for where they were headed, but it was better than something that probably cost ten times more than the house they were about to visit. 'Anything final plans before we go?' Seto asked before starting the car.

((Sounds like a good plan.

I never got to the point where I hated it, and I only stopped watching because Adult Swim had stopped playing it (and this was before I started watching things online), but I definitely haven't been able to motivate myself to get back into it. Even when I started it again with Tom it felt a bit tedious trying to get through somethings, but I didn't remember it well enough to try and skip seasons. It was something I really loved at 15-18, but it might be something I've grown out of but just don't want to let go.

Well, a lot of the characters are definitely unstable. The training camp might also be the easiest thing to not completely spoil if the abridged version didn't want to go for that? Idk, but I think with the intensity of the show everything kind of flies by, particularly in that first season. I will admit the training camp is my least favourite part though, though I suppose it's also a bit of a breather.

I kind of wish the movie had been terrible. Then I wouldn't care if it was actually a TV pilot that never got picked up. As it progressed though it got pretty good, and by the end I was really into it and then bam, over forever. Ah well.))

'Alright, then I guess we are off,' Seto said, entering the address into his GPS he steered the car out of the garage, down the long drive and off in the direction of the unknown. Seto hated the unknown. His security force had the address they were meant to flank as well, and would likely get there before him. Still, he felt uneasy.

- - -

This was not the plan, Jounouchi and Kaiba just bursting in on Hirutani. Especially Kaiba, how suspicious would it look to have him tagging along as well, unless Hirutani came to the same conclusion about Jounouchi and Kaiba that Domon had. That might be fun. Still, he didn't dare directly stop them, they weren't walking into a cakewalk that's for sure. A tiny bit of meddling couldn't hurt. Kaiba would regret conveying important details, such as an address, via a text message. One could easily make a mistake with a text message, wires could get crossed. At the very least the three were now going in alone. Much more fair, much more fun.

((Yea I watched it with Tom and I'm glad I did.

It does indeed, but I'm slowly making use of free Netflix and finding other things to watch - things that I'm making sure are really movies and not TV pilots (especially not TV pilots that were never picked up) this time.))

Seto was a bit uncomfortable parking in the eerily deserted neighborhood. He wasn't sure where his guards were, but obviously on a street this empty they couldn't have reasonably parked in sight, hopefully they were hidden close by though. He stayed close to the other two as they approached the house. Hesitating at the door he asked, 'so do we knock or just barge on in?'

((No I haven't, generally have been dropping TV shows rather than picking them up - mostly why when I felt like a series (like Host Club) I wanted completed rather than in progress (though yes Attack on Titan did not hit that mark, though that was earlier this year that I watched it). I think The Big Bang Theory and Special Victims Unit are the only shows that I've still been following of shows I watch. Main exception is I would watch Psych but that one actually ended the series and I've been putting it off as I haven't been in the mood and if it's the end I want to appreciate it. I guess even if Virtuality had been a picked up TV programme I'd still be slightly annoyed as I didn't want a TV programme (though I'd be less annoyed then I am now). I know a few people who like it but not really many who watch it so idk. It looks interesting, but yea, probably going to avoid non-anime TV atm.))