[FIC] Prompt: kiddie shows
"I REFUSE--!"
"Sensei, but Sensei~" Fuura lilted, mostly hidden behind the huge pastel-blue suit she was holding gathered in her arms. She hefted it a moment, revealing the censor bars across the eyes and stomach. "It's the perfect chance! You're always talking about needing more viewers and coverage!"
"Absolutely not! Absolutely and unequivocally not!" the response shot back as Itoshiki began to pace from side to side. "The image of myself being on a children's show is hardly one that can be reconciled! Furthermore, regardless of how appropriate it may or may not seem, I will not lower myself so just in order to pander to a greater demographic! That is the way of sharks, and the jumping of them!"
"Why?" asked Fuura, eyes wide in genuine confusion.
"First! It is unlikely they would even be able to understand my diction, let alone my speech!" the points were marked off one by one, on slim and bony fingers. "Second! Even were I to attempt it, the sheer ridiculousness of the suit is not something I would ever subject myself to, regardless of how much I feel I should suffer for my lesson plan in the pursuit of despair! Third! The very act of being involved in such a widespread series instantly destroys any such independant credentials that ensure a rich and personal message of the banality of life! Pandering in such a fashion is unacceptable! And fourth--!"
Finally taking a breath, the teacher rallied. "Fourth! There. Is. A. Baby. In the damned sun! That makes not even the slightest iota of scientific or mythological sense! It is frankly absurd that they should even--"
"Silly Sensei!" chirped the student, cutting him off, "They're just children, they don't know better yet!"
"That is exactly the point! Blank slates! Bereft of the ability to reason or even think of the consequences of their mindless acceptance! Their minds are simply empty enough to accept such banality without question, and will remain so until taught to question by the rote teaching of-- of society! ... that is to say, blank slates that have not had the opportunity to learn of despair and such things yet, willing to accept whatever is presented... to them."
Nozomu stood there, sufficiently derailed into thought.
Fuura smiled.
==================
Itoshiki's TV set was, much like his home, slightly in disrepair and possibly bought in the 1970s, but it did it's job well enough, displaying a set of four bright and colourful children's characters and one rather dour one standing just behind them and yelling through the mouthpiece.
Bereft of sound, the video shifted into slow-motion as the news announcer spoke over it. "--to repeat, a child stalker was arrested today after sneaking his way onto the stage of a popular children's show and causing repeated disruption and chaos, severely ruining filming and pushing the schedule back several days. The man was charged with assault of one of the actors, several accounts of public indecency and noise, three counts of resisting arrest, and one attempted suicide."
Fuura smiled.
"Sensei, but Sensei~" Fuura lilted, mostly hidden behind the huge pastel-blue suit she was holding gathered in her arms. She hefted it a moment, revealing the censor bars across the eyes and stomach. "It's the perfect chance! You're always talking about needing more viewers and coverage!"
"Absolutely not! Absolutely and unequivocally not!" the response shot back as Itoshiki began to pace from side to side. "The image of myself being on a children's show is hardly one that can be reconciled! Furthermore, regardless of how appropriate it may or may not seem, I will not lower myself so just in order to pander to a greater demographic! That is the way of sharks, and the jumping of them!"
"Why?" asked Fuura, eyes wide in genuine confusion.
"First! It is unlikely they would even be able to understand my diction, let alone my speech!" the points were marked off one by one, on slim and bony fingers. "Second! Even were I to attempt it, the sheer ridiculousness of the suit is not something I would ever subject myself to, regardless of how much I feel I should suffer for my lesson plan in the pursuit of despair! Third! The very act of being involved in such a widespread series instantly destroys any such independant credentials that ensure a rich and personal message of the banality of life! Pandering in such a fashion is unacceptable! And fourth--!"
Finally taking a breath, the teacher rallied. "Fourth! There. Is. A. Baby. In the damned sun! That makes not even the slightest iota of scientific or mythological sense! It is frankly absurd that they should even--"
"Silly Sensei!" chirped the student, cutting him off, "They're just children, they don't know better yet!"
"That is exactly the point! Blank slates! Bereft of the ability to reason or even think of the consequences of their mindless acceptance! Their minds are simply empty enough to accept such banality without question, and will remain so until taught to question by the rote teaching of-- of society! ... that is to say, blank slates that have not had the opportunity to learn of despair and such things yet, willing to accept whatever is presented... to them."
Nozomu stood there, sufficiently derailed into thought.
Fuura smiled.
==================
Itoshiki's TV set was, much like his home, slightly in disrepair and possibly bought in the 1970s, but it did it's job well enough, displaying a set of four bright and colourful children's characters and one rather dour one standing just behind them and yelling through the mouthpiece.
Bereft of sound, the video shifted into slow-motion as the news announcer spoke over it. "--to repeat, a child stalker was arrested today after sneaking his way onto the stage of a popular children's show and causing repeated disruption and chaos, severely ruining filming and pushing the schedule back several days. The man was charged with assault of one of the actors, several accounts of public indecency and noise, three counts of resisting arrest, and one attempted suicide."
Fuura smiled.