89. Trying To Save A Doomed Industry. (II) (R-18)
Disclaimer: The story takes place in an Alternate Earth with a slightly different timeline of events. So people may be born early, some may be born a few years later or maybe not at all.
This gives me more freedom to write characters as I want, also the characters in my story are obviously not an accurate portrayal of their characters.
Please remember that this story is a wish fulfillment story set in Urban Hollywood with some Fantasy elements because of the system's shenanigans so please don't take it too seriously.
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Author's Note: In my last chapter I hadn't really set up any polls or suggestions as I was still taking in and noting down the suggestions from the previous chapter but I must say you guys are the best.
In the honorable mentions section, you guys gave ideas on the already accepted ideas and made them even better. I feel blessed truly to have you guys as my readers. The Japan Tour from Mark has only begun but worry not as I have already figured out what Mark has to get from Japan.
After that it's back to America where we will see a small time skip to the time where Knives Out will stop its theatrical release. There will be a big party so look forward to seeing some known faces in the crowd.
Anyways I have another suggestion/poll at the end of the chapter. It's important if you guys want to influence Mark's action for the Year of 1991, that's almost here so (only 3 more months) please don't forget to comment. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
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Recap of the Previous Chapter –
The chapter started off with the POV of Mark reminiscing about the 5 days he spent in Japan, trying to establish his base and make connections. He then had a flashback of the events of the Visit to Japan.
And we get to see the first day of his visit to Japan. Mark arrives in the evening, meets up with their Japanese guide and translator. She leads them to a hotel to freshen up, where the round table discussion/meeting was being held.
After taking a bath Mark is surprised by Salma who visits him and gives him another surprise *wink*. After that they head down to the conference hall, where he speaks with some Japanese directors and media personalities trying to form connections.
He arranges for a meeting with the legendary director and animator Mr. Hayao Miyazaki before he heads back to rock Salma's world.
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– Quotes of the Chapter –
"No matter how hard or impossible it is, never lose sight of your goal."
– Monkey D. Luffy.
"Hard work is worthless for those that don't believe in themselves."
– Uzumaki Naruto.
"The world isn't perfect. But it's there for us, trying the best it can. That's what makes it so damn beautiful."
– Roy Mustang.
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~ Mark's POV ~
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Date: Tuesday, 25th September, 1990.
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Time: 07:25 pm.
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Mark was on his way up to his room when Johnny slipped in beside him. He looked kinda serious; his eyes darted around as if checking to see if the coast was clear.
"Mark." He drew attention to himself and came to a stop around a vacant corner.
"What up, Johnny? You seem like you have something on your mind; what's the matter?" He asked after studying Johnny's expressions.
"Yeah. Look. Keanu called me; I talked with River, as well; he said you found out about the people who might be behind it." He had a hopeful look in his eyes.
"I did," was his curt reply as he raised his senses to check for people around them.
"Then why aren't you taking them to court?! This was an attack on our friend; we can't let this slide, man." Johnny frantically made his case, but still kept his voice down.
"There are many reasons for it, Johnny," he replied in a hushed tone.
"I know, I am the new guy and have only been friends with you all for a few months. But I really do care for you all; please trust me." Mark sincerely made his case; he didn't want to expose his involvement with the Watch.
So he didn't want Johnny to pursue the "how"; he found the evidence or the information about who attacked River.
"Can you tell me who was behind it?" he asked imploringly.
Mark grimaced, not wanting to hurt Johnny's feelings, but he knew he couldn't deflect this question. It would also allow him to make progress on a certain goal he was trying to achieve.
"I am sorry, Johnny. But I can't, it isn't because of something like trust. I know you would never betray River like that; it's just.."
"We both know your history around alcohol and the company you keep around when you are at these clubs."
"Even if, by mistake, this information slips from your mouth, and reaches the people behind the incident. Then it will lead to more problems for you and River in the future." Mark said in a grim tone.
"It's for this reason, John. I am sorry, but I can't tell you."
Mark could see that his words had really hurt Johnny deeply, but he knew they needed to be said. Drinking moderately while understanding one's limit and drinking until one passes out is a very different thing.
It was one of the reasons why Johnny and Winona broke up in his past life. He knew that the woman thought the world of this talented man who had become his friend in this life.
But his bout with alcoholism, the lack of privacy actors faced in Hollywood, and immaturity on his friends' part had ended whatever chance he had with Winona in his past life.
After befriending Johnny, he had made a solemn promise to himself that he would see that they ended up together this time. Unlike the one from his past life, where he had gotten his reputation dragged through the mud and later on even renounced by his fans until he proved his innocence in the court of law.
"What if I stop?" he asked in a desperate yet hopeful tone.
"John-" Mark made an attempt to stop him, wanting to see just how serious he was about the matter.
"I know I can't stop completely, but what if I keep myself in moderation.. even when I am at a club." he finished after thinking about it for a while.
"If I can do that.. will you then tell me?" he asked again after putting in the condition.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Mark asked in a hesitant voice, pretending to feel unsure.
But actually, he was feeling happy on the inside, thinking that maybe this would be the thing that would help his friend turn a new leaf in his life.
"Yes, I just want you to give me a good reason to stop. Noni has been asking me to hold back on the alcohol for some time now, but I just can't seem to bring myself to stop."
He looked at Mark imploringly, wanting to give him an excuse, to give him an out. His relationship with Winona had never been better than it is currently, and quite a lot of it could be attributed to Mark.
He made him realize just how precious what he had going on with Noni was and made him think with a more calm mind. He had listened to his problems and had recommended that he get a house in a gated community in Beverly Hills.
He even went with him to buy a new car, recommending him to go for the ones with tinted windows and a less eye-catching model. He knew Mark did all this to help out his relationship with Noni.
But his problem with alcohol is something that stayed, so he hoped that maybe this would give him an excuse to stop himself from becoming even more of a hopeless drunk that he already was.
"Okay," Mark nodded, "promise me that you'll only drink in moderation from now on, and I'll tell you who was behind the incident."
"I promise," he replied solemnly.
"Good," he leaned forward and whispered, "it was Disney."
"What?!" He was startled; he knew the people behind it must have some power. But to think one of the Big Five studios targeted his friend almost made him feel helpless, unable to do anything.
"Don't look so down, I already got a plan to get back at them. But it's gonna take some time and maximum effort, so are you in?" he asked with a confident grin.
"Wait! Really? Of course, I am. Anything I can do to help, just let me know," his tension eased off as he knew just how seriously Mark took his words. If he said he had a plan in place, then it was as good as done.
"Well, all you gotta do is do what you do best — be a star and wow the audiences." He gave a nod and left, saying that he didn't want to keep his girlfriend waiting any longer.
Johnny just gave him a sly smirk and nodded as he also made way to his room, feeling a lot better after that talk. He now had the responsibility of both his and River's career in his hands.
He couldn't afford to get wasted and slip up this time. The idea of selling his stake in the Viper Room looked really appealing right now. It's not like it was earning him much money, as it was mired in legal battles and infamy before it even took off.
He realized that it definitely was not worth the notoriety that he got for being associated with it, now that he was thinking with a cooler head. He thought back on how Mark carried himself, the guy was super successful, yet he stayed humble and respectful to everyone he met.
The guy almost never drank alcohol unless it was a celebration or a special occasion. To some, it would seem like he was too stiff or didn't like having a "good time," but he said that he just didn't see the point in partaking in it.
He would just brush him off and say, "Alcohol is just a toxin that temporarily shuts down your ability to properly think, it builds up fatigue, reduces the benefits of your sleep so overtime you feel even more tired.."
"You won't feel it now, but slowly it will poison your body and wear you down. It's why I only drink very rarely, and even if I do, it's mostly a fruity wine."
There might be some truth to it, he was a fan of Mark's books, and the recent deluge of books had been a really pleasant surprise. He even got into reading comics because of Mark, it just went to show how hard Mark had worked this year.
And now these songs, a unique one for every country they performed in, it was a really innovative marketing gimmick. He even had the pleasure to play the guitar besides him on some performances as well.
He felt humbled when he faced Mark, the versatility of his talent, his drive to improve and always try out new things, even made him want to try to avenue's of work. Before his friendship with Mark, he had only wanted to be a movie star, to be popular.
That hadn't changed yet; it's just that he wanted more now; he wanted to see what kind of roles he could play and just how much more he could challenge himself.
Playing Blanc was quite an experience. Blanc was almost a decade older than him and had a completely different accent, speech pattern and body language.
Yet Mark had said that he almost flawlessly performed that role, he actually felt himself getting a better understanding of Blanc as the shooting progressed. It was a novel experience.
Though this was just the beginning, in his talks with Mark, he got to hear about an eccentric and witty pirate called Captain Jack Sparrow.
A role that Mark, for some reason, thought would push him to not just stardom, but also the Oscars. It might have been a tall claim for any other man, but Mark just had this intrinsic ability to make people believe in his vision.
But to get there, he needed to improve his habits and take care of himself, his body and his relationships. He had already ruined a few relationships in the past, and he didn't want the same to happen with Noni.
He knew that he could never completely stop drinking, but he knew that with his and River's careers on the line, he could definitely get it under control.
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Mark got back to his room to see Salma standing on a chair wearing a red translucent négligée as she examined the ceiling fan.
"I already checked them for cameras when I got in." He said, as he made an entrance and headed to the wardrobe to change into his sleepwear as well.
But mid-stride, he stopped to take in her form; she was a vision, wearing a wine-red baby doll, sheer, spectacularly showcasing the bra underneath, which was an ornate pattern of roses and lace, and presented her huge teardrop breasts for his enjoyment.
'Was it the bra or were her breasts getting bigger?' The baby doll was longer than most, the translucent gauzy fabric stretching down past her hips, but because it had side slits from well above her hips, it actually seemed more naughty, revealing more flashes of her skin.
Deliciously hiding some parts, while revealing some, not that it left much to the imagination. The side slits revealed matching thong straps; the thong itself was easily visible through the gauze of the baby doll.
"You did? Great!" She got down from the chair with a smile, hearing that.
"So, what are your plans for tomorrow?" she asked, heading for the bathroom alongside him to wash her hands.
"Hmm, except for the meeting with Mr. Hayao in the morning. I only need to do a small inauguration for Eidolon Animation Japan. I hope to ask Mr. Hayao to be there for it, but I am not sure if he has the time."
He took off his shirt and pants and changed into PJs. "After that, he got an hour-long press release, with you, me and Johnny. Hmm, I don't think there's anything else."
She looked a little down after hearing that. Mark saw that look on her face and knew what she was thinking.
He held up her chin and looked into her eyes; her beautiful hazel irises gazed back at him, full of love and care.
"Don't worry, mi amor. I already have plans for us two. All these events will be done by 6 pm, after which we are free to go on date. Explore this city, its food and a bit of the nightlife."
"So.. are you up for a little date tomorrow?" He wrapped his arms around her and drew her into a hug.
"Always." She blushed with a happy smile.
"I love you." He kissed her forehead gently.
His eyes drank in the cascading raven hair of his beautiful girlfriend as she chuckled and smiled as she stood up on her toes and kissed him as she said with all the love in her heart, "Te amo más." – "I love you more."
She only grew more stunning as the days went by, and he felt so blessed that she chose him to be the only one who could enjoy that in full.
He was the only one who had the privilege to hear the breathy gasps as he nipped at her perky breasts.
The startled moans that escaped her full painted red lips when her tight ass was smacked red.
The way her hazel eyes begged for release when he brought her to the edge, and most importantly, just how much of a playful slut she was for him when they got into one of their "role-plays."
"What are you thinking, Mark?" She kissed his neck and nudged him to get his attention.
Though internally, she shivered as she got goosebumps as her legs shook at the look Mark gave her. She recognized it because she always ended up as a cum-filled mess after her man was done with her.
"Just thinking how many people I must have saved in my past life, to have you by my side." He cupped her as he replied.
She chuckled and leaned in for another kiss. Mark's left arm snaked down and grabbed her butt and lifted her entire body with a single arm effortlessly as she wrapped her legs around his waist.
Mark's strength was always great, but now it seemed to have reached an even more absurd level, not that she ever felt scared. She knew Mark would never hurt, even while making love, unless she asked for it.
Instead, it made her feel safe, like there was nothing in the world that could hurt her, not with Mark by her side.
She still remembered how he had lifted her up in full Nelson and almost choked the life out of her as he drove his fat cock into her dripping cunt. It was a little too much for her, as all she remembered was blacking out because of the pleasure overload.
"What are you thinking about that has already gotten you so wet?" He asked with a sly smirk as he moved towards the bed.
She failed to answer, her excitement pushing her breathing out of control and leaving her panting and gasping in an uncontrolled manner. Her instincts were trained during their numerous sessions, readying her body for a sweaty, extended embrace.
Her nipples, hard rock with arousal, pushed against the white fabric of her dress, begging for me to take them into my warm hold, to tease them, twist them and bring her to release with just her big soft tits.
"Shall I?" He teasingly asked instead as he laid her on the bed and rested his thick shaft on her slit. Dragging it back and forth, he teased her clit, drawing out whimpers from tight lips.
Taking her immediately was fun, but he wanted to see her begging, trying to reign in her arousal. Pinning her arms above her as he continuously teased her should do the trick.
"Mar–Ahnn" she tried to call him out, but she couldn't finish her words as she let out a lustful moan.
"Please-" she begged, trying to ask for a reprieve, but once again, he didn't let her finish her sentence, this time by pressing his lips against her neck, leaving behind a hickey, and delightfully forcing her to change her words into another moan.
"Please, what?" He asked, as his fingers slid into her wetness, her walls squeezing them like her life depended on their presence. He stayed motionless inside her, his eyes on hers, waiting for her words to continue.
Her shining hazel eyes stayed in contact with him for a few seconds as she tried to maintain the last scraps of her frayed self-control, but her instincts, which were trained to perfection during their many escapades, dominated her rationality.
She nodded demurely, her expression telling a tale of surrender, and she leaned forward to capture his lips. A soft moan escaped from his lips, mixing with hers, as their lips locked into a tender kiss.
He positioned his thick shaft right at the entrance of her slit, rubbing it in but not penetrating. His cock slowly got covered in her drool, and his pre-cum made it slick, feeling ready to finally slide inside her. He scooped up her butt slightly and slammed his cock deep inside in one go.
His attention split between the amazing sensation he was experiencing as his cock was wrapped in the walls of her sex, extremely tight despite her wetness, and her expression, turning into an erotic bundle of shock, relief, happiness and arousal, all wrapped in a layer of carnal pleasure.
"Do you want it hard and fast or low and slow?" The haze of pleasure, invading her mind, made her unable to articulate properly, and she wasn't able to do anything other than nodding helplessly.
He smirked. "Ready yourself for it, then," he said, and a second later, she realized what he meant and what he was about to do, but it was too late for her to react, not that she wanted to anyway.
He wrapped his arms around her thighs and put them up on his shoulders, switching from a missionary position to a mating press. Taking in a deep breath, he lined up his cockhead with her entrance again and pushed forward.
His eyes feasted on her high-strung expressions, her perky breasts with nipples that were rock-hard, and her face that was radiating pure bliss. Her eyes were glazed and staring up into space, as a stream of drool slowly ran down from her open mouth.
She seemed to be screaming, but all he heard was a soft, high-pitched moan as he drove his cock deeper and deeper inside her wet pussy. Her gaping vagina was squirting almost continuously, and jets of transparent fluid ejected forcibly almost three feet into the air before they landed on his abs or the bedsheets.
It would take one hell of a cleaning crew to clean the steadily growing puddle of juices underneath her. Her back was arched as she unconsciously presented her breasts for his eyes to feast on as she jerked spasmodically under the grip of a pleasure he felt proud to be the cause of.
"Fuck, Sal." He couldn't help but exclaim in awe that she had never looked more beautiful in his eyes than she did now. "You look like a work of art!"
He kept pumping his hips and pistoning back and forth, rotating mid-thrust to ensure that he hit all her pleasure spots.
"Mark, *ahnn* I'm about *ahnn* cum. HARDER! FUCK ME HARDER!" She shouted, as she pushed her hip back, matching his pace, tightening her inner walls, and massaging his cock to enhance Mark's pleasure, so they would cum at the same time.
"Aurgh, I'm gonna cum soon as well, mi amor." He groaned and kept moving his hips, as he leaned in to bite her nipples, causing her to finally go past her peak, experiencing a mind-blowing orgasm after which he soon followed by dumping his seed inside her as usual.
"That felt amazing," she said, trying to catch her breath. She didn't know why, but sex with Mark never got "old." It always feels just good, and mind-blowing it did the first time they made love.
"I hope you're up for a second round. Cause I still have a lot left in the tank." Mark replied with a sly smirk as he went in for a kiss.
Not waiting for a reply, he grabbed her arm and picked her up before pushing her against the headboard, wanting to take her from behind this time. A second later, he was behind her, his shaft aligned with her slit once again.
"The night has just begun," he said before sliding inside her. Those words launched a long night, where they christened all possible surfaces of their bedroom - the floor, sofa, bath, dining table..
"And that's the fifth," he groaned as he filled her with his seed once again.
"Please, stop. I can't keep up," she begged, barely able to hang on after the rollercoaster of pleasure she experienced. Mark had filled all her holes, cumming once in her mouth, three times in her vagina, and once in her ass.
She was sore all over and completely spent. Mark kissed her neck and apologized for going too hard on her.
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He lifted her up and gently carried her to the bath, where he washed off all the sweat and bodily fluids that spilled on her in their intense lovemaking.
He sat her on his lap, relaxing in a warm bath tub, as he gently massaged her scalp while shampooing her hair. She moaned as she relaxed under his caring touch, feeling blessed to have such a caring lover.
"Mark, let me do it for you now," she said as she got up and sat on the edge of the tub.
Mark just nodded and leaned back on her warm, soft body. He rested his head on her tits, as she gently massaged his head, drawing circles around his temples.
She could feel the tension, draining from tense muscles as she massaged the back of his neck and upper back.
"Mark, what's on your mind?" she asked, and she felt him flinch slightly at her question.
"I can tell you're stressed about something, Mark. What's bothering you?" she asked again when he didn't answer.
"Okay, I'll tell you.. but before that, answer me this."
He turned around and looked her in the eye, dead serious.
"What do you think I am trying to do with Eidolon in Hollywood?"
"Huh?" She was a bit startled at his question.
"Don't act innocent with me, love; I know the conversations you have with Eva. I know, behind that gorgeous face is a brilliant mind." He gently caressed her face as he turned forward and leaned against her.
"So, what do you think are my intentions with Eidolon in Hollywood?" he asked again.
"Hmm. At first, I just thought you wanted to make the films you wanted to make your way, with no interference from the studio. So you started your own studio, but now I think you want to change Hollywood, or at least a part of it."
"Eva had told me, how different the hiring and selection process at your company is, how you try to teach your employees financial literacy, give proper recognition and bonuses for exceptional work, and try your best to create a more positive work environment."
"I talked with Kevin as well; he told me that you didn't mind if his directors used the "couch," but only that they can't ask for it themselves and the actress being selected must be good enough to play her role."
"He said, that your words were – "I won't hesitate to fire your casting director in a second if he allows a third-rate actress to pass just cause she had a pretty face and agreed to suck his cock."
He chuckled hearing, remembering the meeting he had with Kevin and Wendell. The two looked like they were sitting on cushions as he let them know about his policy on casting couches.
He won't tolerate working with someone who forces others to sleep with them. Harvey Weinstein didn't know what was coming for him, when Mark got around to dealing with the fat whale.
"You went all out spending over 60 million dollars to get the movie adaptation rights of so many works. But you're still trying to train the next generation of writers and artists with the Workshop."
"And why's that?" He leaned head back and kissed her neck as he asked.
"You're training the next generation of writers and artists that will take over after your list of acquired IPs runs out." Mark laughed when he heard that, but he couldn't deny that it was absolutely true.
"A good script, a good story is the most basic requirement to make a good movie." He couldn't help but nod at her words.
"After all, if there's no interesting story to tell, then why would someone waste their time watching it?"
"Exactly. Now you're thinking like me." She had a proud smile on her face when he praised her for her correct deduction.
"Do you know that currently around 81% of the movies being made in Hollywood are original, that is; they are not adapted or derived from any existing work."
"I expect in the next two decades for this percentage to fall by more than half, this inevitable collapse of creativity and originality is what I am trying to prepare Eidolon for."
"Hmm, so about the thing that's stressing me.. as you said. It's not exactly stress, as much as it is uncertainty and doubt." Hearing that Salma focused intently on his words.
"I am trying to save a doomed industry." Mark could feel her confusion at his statement so he didn't dally and began explaining.
"It's actually two industries but they are so interconnected that you might as well call them one. It's the Manga & Anime Industry, in American terms it's the Japanese comic book and animation industry."
"How are they doomed exactly?" she asked puzzled, she didn't ask why Mark wanted to save them as after months with him and intimately knowing his character she could already guess why he was trying to do this.
"It's a long story," he said, looking away.
"We have all the time in the world." she said, as she began massaging his shoulders. Looking at his back profile, she had to admit that Mark had a body that women would simply swoon over.
He had the sculpted physique of a greek god, including a broad back and chiseled chest, powerful shoulders, a narrow waist ending in a tapered V and prominent biceps and triceps.
"Well, it started in the 1960s, unknowingly by a man considered by many as the "Godfather of Manga" – Osamu Tezuka. He was a comic book author or "mangaka", who was fed up with the animation studio eating up most of the profits for his hard work."
"So he decided to split paths and using the small fortune he had saved up, he created his own studio and created an anime adapted from his own manga called Astro Boy. After he had an anime on his hands all he needed was to bid for a slot in the air."
"The funny thing is the involvement of Disney." Mark chuckled as he said that part.
"Wait so he had to outbid Disney just to air his anime to the public?!" Salma was shocked, she knew the kind of financial power the company like Disney possessed even back in the 1960s when they weren't part of the Big Five yet.
"Yup." Mark replied, popping the P.
"But don't you worry, Tezuka might not have been as rich as Disney, but you got to give it to him because he definitely had bigger balls."
"What did he do?" she asked as she chuckled at Mark's childish joke.
"Well, he followed the age old tradition of – if you can't buy something, then go into debt for it, a lot of debt."
"Wait?! So, he won the bid against Disney?!" She asked in disbelief.
"Yup. But he paid a hefty sum for it." Mark replied nonchalantly and moved on.
"Thankfully, since Astro Boy was already popular in Japan due to its manga and also because of Tezuka deciding to push for an unheard of rate of releasing an episode a week."
"He managed to turn his "smart," financial decision into hundreds of millions of dollars in profit for him through the power of marketing and merchandise."
"Basically he did the same thing Hollywood studios do to earn money even on movies that don't do too well at the box office. It's just that he did it with a great IP and a decent show for its time, so it paid off even better, the man was truly ahead of his time."
"Now what do you think the other animation studios will do after watching him earn so much money?" he asked, trying to see if Salma had a mind for business.
"Hmm. They will obviously try to copy him." she replied with the answer that made the most sense to her.
"They did.. but how do you think they did that?" he asked back, wanting for her to elaborate.
She thought back on what he said and answered, "you said that astro boy was already popular in Japan and that Tezuka released 1 episode of his anime a week, which might have been a reason for his success."
"So maybe the other studios bought the rights of other popular mangas and tried to release their own anime at the rate of 1 episode a week as well."
"Bingo! well done, Sal. You're correct." he said like a game show host.
"Wanting to copy Tezuka's success they quickly conformed to this weekly schedule. Using Tezuka's "refined" techniques to kind of cheat the animation process. Making it easier for them to upload every week and achieve a similar level of success."
"This success and his pioneering methods ascended Tezuka as the God of Anime as well as Manga. Nice title right?" He asked, turning around, to which Salma just nodded.
He got up as he said, "There was one problem though."
"What's that?" She was now completely engrossed in the story wanting to know what happened next, it was one of Mark's many talents.
He was great at telling stories and captivating his audiences. The only explanation he gave on how he got so good at it was that he had been a DM for years while playing DnD.
"Well, it would be easier to just show." he said, as he hopped inside the shower stall and gestured for her to join in as well.
She took up the offer as they cleaned each other in companionable silence, Mark took out a pair of brush and toothpaste from his travel bag and gave her one. The sink was big enough for them to brush their teeth while standing side by side.
They looked just like a couple with how comfortable they were with each other. But she guessed that was to be expected with a few months already into their relationship.
She felt very comfortable, spending time with Mark, talking about his goals, telling him about her day, about her own goals. When she told him about her wanting to shift into the role of a producer later on in life when she was done with her acting career.
Mark showed complete support, advising her to learn skills of the trade, before diving into something she had no knowledge of.
She took that advice to heart, currently she was working on her acting skills but when she felt like she had reached her peak, she would immediately switch over to learning the "how and what," about all the things a producer had to do.
"Take your time, I will go set up the tapes and change the sheets."
"Thanks, Mark. I will be out in just a minute."
"It's okay, babe, take your time. I think you will always look beautiful to me, but I love that you take care of your skin. It is very important, especially for an actress." he told her as he drew her in a warm hug and he kissed her on the side of her head.
After that he went to take care of the things he mentioned. But she just stood there for a few moments, basking in the happiness she felt at his genuine admissal of his love and care.
By the time she arrived, the TV was on but paused with a video on it, the sheets were changed and despite their recent marathon sex session, the room smelt of flowers and citrus fruits like oranges and pineapples.
"Mark, what's this smell?"
"Oh, this? It's a prototype, it's an aerosol room freshener spray. It's something one of my business partners are currently working on."
"It doesn't just smell good, but masks the bad smell in a room to instantly make it smell better than it actually should."
"Wow, that sounds like a game changer."
"Yeah. Come sit down. I got something for you to watch."
She nodded and headed over but instead of taking a seat beside him, she sat down on his lap and pulled the comforter over them to keep herself warm.
Mark didn't say anything and circled his arm around her waist brought her closer so she was leaning on his chest. Despite her sitting in front of him their difference in height made it so he could just as easily see the TV.
He leaned his on her shoulder and kissed her ear gently as he introduced the paused show on screen.
"So, this is a video tape of Astro Boy from 1963, with a production time of 7 days." After saying that he hit resume, as the opening track came on.
They watched it for a bit and then he fast-forwarded to show her the actual anime.
"As you can see, it's not bad, there are many glaring mistakes, but for a work from 27 years ago it's okay." he said, as gently lifted her and placed her to the side.
"Now let me show you something which you might have already seen. I can proudly say it's the peak of what can be achieved in animation today. Mixing both hand-drawn and CGI, to give you the best of both worlds." He spoke as he moved to the VCR and ejected the tape and put in another one.
After being done with that he came back and lifted her up and placed her right back on his lap, continuing the screening. The moment he hit resume, the clip of Halo started playing.
She immediately recognised it, as the opening track of Halo: Master Chief's Sign off. The short film Mark had created to celebrate the release of the first book in the Halo series, in the comic con.
Even though she had seen it before, it didn't take away anything from the beautiful piece of art that short film was. It was amazing and when compared to the Astro Boy she saw earlier, she could easily tell just how far animation had come.
After the Halo film ended Mark asked her this, "Do you know the difference between the two?"
She thought for a second and guessed, "yours is colored and has more details, it feels almost real and lifelike for some reason."
"It's the magic of higher FPS or frames per second. You see, my short film was made on 24 fps, so per second there are 24 different frames on screen. This allows for more movement and expressions from the characters on screen making them feel "almost" real."
"Now, my short film is 4 minutes 47 seconds long, so that's around 6,888 individual frames that need to be drawn. By the way this is actually the shorter one of the two with less movement and details, because the interrogation room panels were reused."
"But the Doomslayer short film made me really question if I wanted to make animation on this level so early." He chuckled as he remembered his stress at that time.
"Astro Boy is probably done at around 8 FPS and their quality is super cheap so maintaining that insane 7 day release rate is possible."
"But it's just not me that's improving the animation quality and style. Japan has been doing the same. This raises the cost and time needed to produce an anime."
"But they still maintain the absurd 7 day release rate?" she asked, puzzled. She found herself enjoying this talk about a different part of the entertainment industry.
"Yup."
"Why." It was all she could muster to express her confusion.
"Well, it's because of where anime comes from - Manga. In Japan, the author's "Mangakas" adhere to a strict 1 chapter per week release rate. So the people are kind of ingrained in that weekly release mentality."
"Obviously Tezuka releasing Astro Boy weekly only poured gasoline on the fire."
"Hmm, wait, why don't they just make the anime in advance and then just release it weekly when they are ready to air it."
"Hey don't copy my answer!" Mark exclaimed jokingly and gave a kiss on the cheek.
"That would definitely be the smart way to do it. But there's a small hiccup, as I have mentioned before the rise in animation quality has caused the cost of production to increase."
"So people don't want to spend their money on creating an entire season of an anime that might not get much views and would get axed, causing them to suffer huge losses."
"Because of this they create a pilot episode, run it on the air and if it does well only then do they give the green light to start animating the series. This puts a lot of pressure on everyone involved in the animation process, leading them to work dozens of hours of overtime that usually goes unpaid."
"There's moreto to it but it gets into more on the technical side of things and I don't want you to be bored with that."
She turned around, looked him in the eye and said, "I didn't find it boring, instead I loved listening to you talk about the Japanese comic book and animation industry. I learnt so much, thanks."
"So.. how are you going to solve it?" she asked her eyes shining with interest, seeing her man be so competent and capable that he was trying to fix and an entire industry just made her want to tale him on bed again.
"Well, I will have hit right at the root cause. Mangas. There are currently two major Manga publishing houses in japan, if I can get a majority stake in one of the two or even better two of them."
"It will allow me to give a better working environment to the Mangakas and the people working on animations in turn."
"Shueisha and Kadokawa shoten."
"Kadokawa shoten is less prestigious than Shueisha; it's also more involved in adapting manga into anime. So its my primary target but Shueisha is a big name in the industry and if I get it for myself or even get a majority stake with their backing."
"It will open a lot of doors for me, Shueisha is owned by the Hitotsubashi group that's owned and run by the Oga family."
"Monetarily they aren't that powerful, but they are an old family with a lot of political ties and connections. So if I can use my money to turn them over to my side, Japan's anime and manga industry will become my own playground."
She didn't know why, but whenever she hears Mark talk about his plans to take over a business or in this case an entire industry. It just unleashed something primal in her mind, the panties in which she had just changed into were already soaked through.
She needed a distraction. "So you're meeting with Mr. Hayao regarding this?"
"Yeah, he is an old name in the industry and if I can get his approval and make him a point of contact for me in this industry it will be huge."
"Also, I respect the man a lot and so do a lot of people working in animation. So, I can use him to raise the prestige of «Eidolon Animation Japan» and even get him to help train my animators."
"And why would he do all that?"
"Well, I plan on funding all his future works." Mark said, with a smile like he knew some kind of secret.
"So basically you're trying to win him over with money." she crossed her arms over her chest and asked with a bemused smile.
"Well, I will obviously try to befriend him and tell him about my request for help and collaboration. If he turns me down then I will bring in the money and respectfully try again."
"He might still turn me down, who knows." He shrugged saying, "I don't know if the people here will discriminate against me because of my background or race."
"But I have to try, because if I win over the animation and manga industry then I have almost won over half of the Japanese entertainment industry."
"This will give me a backup if my operations in Hollywood are ever stopped by something as stupid as strikes or scandals. Japan is just one of the back-ups I plan on creating for now."
"Always remember, honey. Never put all of your eggs in the same basket."
"Wiseass."
— To be continued…
In the next chapter of Blue Lo–
*Cough* *Cough*
I meant in the next chapter of Hollywood: Head-Hunting System.
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Suggestions/Polls:
♦ 1. The year 1991 is fast approaching, with only 3 months left which I will most likely cover in a flashback. The movies that will be made by Mark's Eidolon have already been decided, with a total of 3. But the books that will be published have not been decided, so please suggest the books you would like to see Mark write for the year 1991.
Please put down suggestions in this comment or in the chapter comments. After making a list of all your suggestions, a poll will be done in the chapter after this and the top 8 winners with the most votes will be selected to be written by Mark in the year 1991.
Sorry for the delay in uploading this chapter, I am actually travelling to a different state. So I couldn't upload on time. Thank you very much for all the comments and I hope you all have a beautiful day.