#:re chapter 63

[oh-dameron]

-The Hands of the Emperor, chapter 63

Congrats to Kip for getting his Take That smack down directly after this and all, but several things occurred to me on a re-read:

1. Cousin Louya was right about the fish farm,

2. Cousin Louya was right about the sea turtles,

3. Cousin Louya might have a genuine gift of prophecy,

4. There is a faction in the Palace of Stars who do indeed hide behind cunning masks,

5. Said faction set themselves up to seize power after The Fall by positioning HR as a God, and then again after HR's heart attack by attempting to execute Omo and destabilise the guards, and then when HR went on his quest they called Kip into a super shady meeting and just coincidentally shortly thereafter he got hit with [AtFotS spoilers].

6. Kip's second-in-command, Kiri Kalikiri, is precisely placed to do everything that Louya warned about, and

7. Kiri Kalikiri's parents are priests of the Imperial cult.

Is that a separate thing from the Ouranatha? I don't know. I do think it's extremely unlikely that the Ouranatha are planning to sit back, let HR retire, and dissolve the whole edifice of the Imperial cult that they rest the bulk of their authority on. There's going to be at least one more mad grab for power in their death throes.

The other reading, of course, is that Cousin Louya is once again right on the money but what she's seeing is Kip's complete takeover and restructure of the government. But that doesn't jibe with her warning of destroying everyone who is not like them and the erasure of culture. Unless you count Kip's desire to verbally smack down bigoted fools he never seeks to destroy. The sort of language Louya uses to describe the threat is imperialist.

[ipsen]

ch63 and re63

These images side by side are great at capturing how the original series and its sequel are different using the same line.

Tokyo Ghoul is bloody and gross and tragic, because ultimately Kaneki's plight here is pointless, as Aogiri, as we know, is not the real enemy, and yet, starting with this line, he begins his attempt to destroy them. He seizes control of the narrative-- we'll use a boat metaphor here (trust me)-- and he steers it toward Tragedy. Because tragedy is just 'doing a pointless thing' but like, if it was interesting.

Tokyo Ghoul: re is hopeful and about breaking cycles of tragedy, and Eto here, as a constant boat rocker, is now attempting to divert the boat's direction away from Tragedy and toward actual change and Hope. Because from chapter 63 onward (except for the things post-143, which is a whole other bag of worms), the relevant information about V and the Washuu is revealed, and the true villains of the narrative are finally placed on the board.

But there's another thing to talk about: the purpose of the characters saying the line. This line signifies Change. It denotes that the story has shifted in a different direction from where it used to be going. And that change is being driven by the character saying it in both instances. And, though that change is different for both of them, there is one commonality:

They are throwing away their human half. Their 'safe' half. They throw all of their cards into their identity as a ghoul in the hopes of pursuing their ideals.

They're the same.

[dudadragneel]

I'm just updating this

So, here's the list I said I'd share.

This is a mess, there's manga, webtoon, kdrama, jdrama, animes, tv series...

Not all of them are whump, some might be just my favorite episodes (probably because the animation was good.

ChaoS Child - 10 (vomit)

Tales of Zestiria - 4 (nausea)

Argevollen - 15 (vomit)

M3 - 3 (vomit)

Mob psycho 2 - 6 (vomit)

Persona 5 - 2,4,5, 15 (pain, injury)

Dororo - 5, 12 (faint, fever)

Fukigen na mononokean tsuzuki - 6 (faint)

Donten ni warau - 3 (nausea)

Darling in the franxxx - 5,6,11,12, 13,15,17, 18,21 (fever, faint, pain)

Duel ep 8 (vomit)

Wolf's rain ep 5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,14

God's Quiz - season 2 ep 12 (vomit)

God eater - 5, 6❤, 9,10 (injury)

Re: zero - 5,8, 10 (vomit)

Sign language - 68 (fever)

Aldnoah zero - 5 (vomit)

Battery chapter 10 (vomit)

Forever mine - 43,44,45,46, 63, 64,65, 69 (collapse)

Kakao 79 - 113-115 (fever)

Plastic memories - 07, 12 ( faint)

Doukyonin - 08 (faint)

Miira - 3,07 (fever faint)

Goboutan - 12 (fever faint)

Plastic Memories - 07 (faint)

Hyouka - 07 (nausea)

Black Lagoon - 1 (vomit)

Full metal Panic Fumoffu - 2, 8 (fever faint)

Knights of sidonia - 2 (vomit, faint)

Fruits basket - 23

Ai yori aoshi - 4

Guardian - 8

My love from another star - 9, 16

Guardian - 8,9,10,12, 19, 20,21, 23, 28

Love shuttle - 2,3,4,5,6,9,10, 11,12 (fever, vomit)

Riverdale - 4season ep 1

GRAND HOTEL - 1Temp - 7 3 TEMP - 2,3, 19,20 (injury)

Tokyo ghoul movie (emeto)

TEEN WOLF- Season 6 ep 6, season 1 - 1,2,6,8,11, season 2 - 6,7,9,10, season 3 - 5,6,11, 13 season 5 - 6,9 , season 6 - 13

RIVERDALE- 1- 10,11,12

Love stage - 9 (fever)

Skip beat - 15 (fever)

Miira no kaikata - 07 (fever)

DETECTIVE CONAN -  49,188,191,193,522,927,928,219, 118,126 (pain - faint)

Bleach - 9

Code breaker - 6

Tada kun - 9 (fever)

Mayonaka no ocult komuin - 1

Omiai (hentai) - 5,6 (fever)

Naruto - 140

DIVE!!- 12 (faint)

Katsute - 09

Beelzebub Ojou - 04

Cagaster -3,4,5

Pinocchio - 5,12,13

Itaewon class - 10 (emeto)

Richard - 10

Kakafukaka - 5 (emeto)

Uzaki - chan - 3 (fever)

Titan's bride - 4

Grisaia - ep 1 & 3 (vomit)

The God of Highschool - ep 5 (vomit)

Run with the wind - 8 (fainting), 18 ,19,20 (fever)

Kanojo okarishimasu - 73 (emotional breakdown/vomit)

Inuyasha - 18, 19, 20, 21, 28, 32, 42,45, 46, 51, 57,58, 70, 78, 82, 87, 90, 89, 107, 113, 117, 122, 125, 126, 132, 137, 138, 140, 146, 155, 156, 161, 162, 163, 164, 167

Umibe no etranger - 7

Kkondae intern - 8

One piece 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83

Kekkai sensen - ep 4, 5, 8

Kekkao sensen and beyond - 9

Tensei shitara slime datta ken - 10,11,13

Persona 5 - 2,4,5, 15

Dororo - 5, 12

Fukigen na mononokean tsuzuki - 6

Donten ni warau - 3

Darling in the franxxx - 5,6,11,12, 13,15,17, 18,21

Naruto shippuden - 9,11,17,18,19,20,23,24,25,26,29,30,31, 39,40,41,42,43,44,45,49,50,52,56,68,70,71,73,74,75,79 ❤,80 😢,81,82😢, 84 ,85 🤯,86, 87 🤯🤯, 88🤯,89

Fruits bqsket ep 12j

13 reasons why - 4×02

WHUMP

ChaoS child - 10

Tales of Zestiria - 4

Argevollen - 15

Kimetsu no yaiba - 12

The K2 - 4

Healer - 6,12, 13,14

Train 2020 - ep 2 (emeto)

Pinocchio 4, 12, 18

One piece - 566, 567, 568, 569, 570, 597(Law) 598, 599,600,601,602

Jujutsu kaisen - 23 (megumi vomit)

Taishou otome - ep 2

One piece - nebulandia, 3d2y

True beauty - 5 (panic attack)

Casualty - series31 ep 34 (vomit)

Love and leashes - slight gag

Attack on titan - season 1 ep 3 (eren gags)

Tokyo ghoul movie - emeto

Hamatora (emeto)

Boruto - 234- 236 (emeto)

Anatomy of a scandal - 3 (emeto)

Slam dunk - 8,9,10,11,15,16(whump),23,24💜,25,28,29,30,33,38,39,40,42,43,44😭,45,46,48,49(whump),51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58(w),59😭,60,61,62,63,65,66,67,70,71(w),72(w)73,74,75,76,77,79,81,82,84😭

My strange friend (c-drama) - ep 14 (emeto)

Miss Hammurabi (K-drama) - ep 12 (emeto)

Lucky Romance (k-drama) - ep 9 (emeto/panick attack)

Goodbye Mr. Black (kdrama) - 18 (emeto)

Your honor - 19+20 (emeto)

Outlander - season 3 ep 9 (emeto)

2gether the series - 13 (emeto)

Kimi no tonari de yurarete (emeto?)

Stranger things - s1e4 - Jonathan gags

Kinnporsche - 2, 4 (emeto)

Time (drama) - 4 and 6 (emeto)

- my strange friend (c drama -youtube) - ep 16 (emeto)

- stranger things - s1ep8 (not really emeto but the scene gave me whumperflies)

- Kinnporsche - 02,04 (emeto)

- Banana Fish - 5 (nausea - I know but like, the scene gave me whumperflies)

- Chainsaw Man - 1 (blood), 6 (blood)

- Romantic Killer - 6 (slight panic attack) 11 (emeto)

- Aku No Hana - 8, 11 (emeto)

- Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train movie and season 2 episode 1

[sufferu]

Whats your favorite fan if other Then back to zero or the react fic

Of my own? — Honestly Back to Zero is my favorite, simply because I actually have a PLAN for it, but…hm. I think I’d go with Runaway IF (pain in the ass to actually plan anything out for it tho lol — I’d WANT that to be a long-form fic focused on Subaru running around + the manhunt that eventually culminates in Priestella but I don’t know how to fill that in, really), Crusch IF (though it’s been a while, and I still haven’t figured out a proper thematic resolution to the…predicament Subaru found himself in post-Arc 3 — the cost of not working backwards ig) — I actually really liked the Whale IF for a while but it seems like I was the only one who actually cared about that one lmaoo (though. It is still at the root of. Another fic I’ve been considering…) —

Of other people’s? I actually really like the Vampire IF made by @toon-topaz lol, I think it’s fun. But also, Re:63 by @spriteanon-re63 is really well done (I’m particularly a fan of the Chastity spinoff), and any of the one-shots by Silybum on Ao3 (or their multi-chapter fics, too) have the potential to be expanded SO much, and I’d gobble up all of them down to the bone. Oh — that goes for anything by Petalil, too (though I’m particularly a fan of Ruby Red.)

[bloopitynoot]

Reading SVSSS: Chapter 2

For those who don't know, I am reading SVSSS for the first time and sharing my thoughts!

If you have not read it, there will be spoilers! Consider this a warning.

Also- if you want to follow along, I am aiming to post updates daily. You can find all the posts in the tag bloopitynoot reads SVSSS. You can also check out the intro post for context on my read.

Chapter 2: Mission

Okay pre read thoughts here. This story is so good! I am totally loving the premise of this, the system mechanics are wonderful (so much sass) but also so unpredictable!

I'm not going to lie I am nervous for this mission that Shen Yuan/Shen Qingqiu and co are about to go on. I just feel like things are about to get completely fucked LOL

again (as a reader not as system in book) points to Shen Yuan for noting how nasty the relationships are in this OG canon (p 63 re: Die-er and Old Master Chen- barf)

Okay but like I get it Shen Yuan- I still cannot imagine attempting to fake being a martial master OMG p.64

MOOD "Shen Qingqiu didnt even want to pretend to meditate, so he lay on the bed, just pretending to be dead" p65

unrelated to this plot but also related to this plot: I fucking love how MXTX is as a writer. I love the constant comments about the writing of women and side characters in fantasy writing it's very meta right now p67 (Re: shen Yuan/Shen Qingqiu- i haven't decided what to call him at this point tbh- talking about how the "original author" wrote the shittiest female characters).

I am once again here to talk about how Shen Yuan talks about Luo Binghe (he is a child- another barf) but also Shen Yuan does have this future(?) omniscient (?) knowledge about about what he becomes as a fully realized adult character - it still makes me deeply uncomfortable RE: "Shen Qingqiu could only say that, as expected, the brilliant protagonist truly was overwhelmingly cool, awesome, insane, and badass, with a dick longer than the heavens" p68

RIP easy mode XD LOL p69

why is he naked tho??? p71

bless her heart- RE: everything about Ning Yingying p74

I can't. Re: Luo Binghe's crisis pp76-77

If shen Qingqiu fixes this entire story by accidentally making Luo Binghe fall in love with him I- *deep sigh * pp76-77

The way Shen Yuan keeps reading the filth out of these characters- SO MUCH shade! "Their IQ wasn't beyond saving!" p 81

thank fuck he finally unlocked the OOC feat p85

Okay but the Lin Xi Caves actually sound so stunning p88

Re stunning caves: well minus the blood and qi deviation LOL

When his headcanon for Liu Qingge is absolutely wrecked ahahahaha p93

Liu Qingge really hates Shen Qingqiu (I mean, I get it but like still, damn) pp 97-98

Unrelated but I adore the way this sect is organized. It is visually stunning with the various peaks, im fully picturing this gorgeous mountain range

The QUEEREST thought so far in this is Shen Yuan commenting on the demon woman's (now I know she is Sha Hualing- don't @ me) footware, I can't p102

wait what the heck! Shen Qingqiu's fighting is so elegant! pp 106-107

Luo Binghe: status- Broken p107

OMG he wants to protect this kid but the struggle of a protagonist (re: -1000 if Luo Binghe does not fight) p109

Hell yeah! I already love Liu Mingyan!!! p111

OMG he totally is accidentally causing Luo Binghe to fall for him. I can't-what a way to fix the plot. p112

The hate Shen Yuan has for Ning Yingying is too much XD I keep laughing, oh no. Him basically saying "omg thank you for running away I literally cannot handle you in this fight because you are a constant mess" p116

wait. WTF. Is Shen Qingqiu going to die?!?!?! p124

oh, thank fuck, Liu Qingge showed up pp129-130

bahahahah OFC he's "repaying for the cave" p131

oh damn well shit okay, that's one way to end the chapter.

I hope his cultivation is not fucked because of the poison!?!?!?

also jesus, that's a harsh way to get points. Does he level up in this?? I feel like he at least deserves a level up.

That's all for this chapter!

Tomorrow is date night for me and my partner so maybe no chapter- but we will see if I have time to read earlier or not.

[xxcrossroadsxx]

About Veronica and the Testament of Carnamagos:

Because I have many questions and few answers (omitted manga content below)

This one could be super obvious, but after re-reading a few parts, I have a hard time believing some things.

Are these two really the same person? There are a bunch of things that -now- complicate it to tie them together, in terms of timeline, power/abilities or writing:

Lizbeth was planning Adam's resurrection for years, when Philomela's memories were already wiped. During Lizbeth's breakdown, the mysterious person "appeared" and showed her that she had to get the spiders. The thing is, they already had the book in their hands. Lizbeth also showed the book to Philomela after being summoned to the Sargant state (ch. 87).

Veronica was sixteen years in the College arc and Philomela one year younger. Both meet on Veronica's 9th birthday (ch. 75-76).

The Websters' massacre happened 8 years ago within the main story (ch. 63). Both Lucy and Philomela were children, so Lucy's current age should be on the same range as her and Veronica.

Philomela also wasn't the one that first stole and replaced the book with a copy (ch. 93). It's also worth mentioning that the Testament in the College was already a copy with weaker influence, the original is in an american branch (ch. 39, ch. 63)

The switch of the books was recent, days prior the campament (ch. 63), which coincides with the first time we saw the book being used (ch. 59). Philomela went to the Sargant mansion in that same chapter and, like stated before, received the switched book (confirmed in ch. 87).

Later in chapter 80 (and confirmed in the anime) we discovered that the Testament of Carnamagos was being hidden in Alcyone.

If the person in Lizbeth's flashback is actually Veronica, then the ages (at least appearance wise, comparing the younger Veronica with the supposed woman) don't match. In various possibilities, it could imply that Veronica was either using a disguise or is actually older than she looks. While Chise asked her if they were really the same age (ch.75), she also thought in the following chapter that Veronica wasn't lying in telling her story with Philomela and her own family, after smelling her scent. Although her own internal question (So that was all true, then?) raises certain doubt. But if we think about it, did a child really instigate a whole clan massacre? While we don't know Veronica's true intentions, so far we have a small hint in the same chapter (ch. 76).

On the other hand, of three aspects of the Testament mentioned in chapter 63, two were attempted to be carried out. For now, there is no correlation between Veronica's wanting to be free and the last one.

So what's up with Veronica? While we will eventually know, the remaining questions makes this particular storyline more confusing:

If Veronica is the hooded figure, how did she do obtain the book before and make the switch?

What was the point of switching the books if the mysterious figure/Veronica? already had a book? Did Lizbeth actually imagine the whole meeting?

If the switch was recent in the storyline, how did they have the book when Philomela was a child?

I understand why the Websters could have been killed (and the reason the book crumbled) or the reason why Veronica was able to have a familiar despite being someone that wants submission (ch. 49 + other hypothesis) but there's something missing about this particular point that has been bothering since last year.

But then again, as Lizbeth said:

[meimi-haneoka]

Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card Chapter 78: Comments + JP-ENG translation differences

Hello hello!! End of the month, just witnessed Harvest Moon high in the sky (the last Supermoon of 2023!), and we're back like clockwork with another chapter of Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card!! I have to say the release of Clear Card chapters have often coincided with a Supermoon and I find that so funny, as well as fitting....the moon is such a big element in this arc!

And as we have seen in this arc, the moon is also a messenger of love, and there's so much of it in this chapter....feelings, conflicting emotions, but most importantly, talks of happiness. This chapter wrecked me with emotions even more than the previous one, as we finally got the Kaito/Akiho moment of "discussion" that we waited for so long....where the focal point of the entire arc is: how far can we push ourselves to make our loved ones happy? Is it right for us to arbitrarily decide for their happiness? Along the years, I've seen countless of complains for how the events of the story were unfolding, for how some characters did absolutely the hell they wanted and made decisions for others, but as I knew perfectly well, a story is something in constant development and the goal wasn't to show how helpless people are or how it was right for others to act in that way, quite the contrary. And we'll see with full force what that means in this chapter of the climax, which is surprisingly BIG (36 pages long).

I also have to (unfortunately) report a quite annoying translation mistake in the English version that can confuse people and trick them to believe that Sakura remembered about a certain someone. Along with the usual nuances and such.

BUT FIRST!!

Hehe, you know what's coming, right?

Akiho went THIS close to go full Greta Thunberg on a certain someone!!! 😂 Let's find out WHO it is under the cut!!

The Color Page

Our Sakura this month takes the color spread with one of the most beautiful portrayal of our little magician: dressed in a very elegant layered white dress with jewels, head covered by a white veil, immersed by half in a pond, she looks halfway between a bride and a priestess! And yes, I can already hear you screaming "Tsubasa!!1!1!!!!" because she vaguely reminds of little Sakura-hime at the reservoir....😆 But I think what really makes the atmosphere of this color page "magical" is the presence of countless spheres of light, which seem to be emerging from crystal water lilies and converge in a huge sphere, which really looks like the moon....just to go back to the incipit of this blog post, right? 😂 After observing this color page, I couldn't help but being reminded of the spheres of light that were featured in the color pages of chapter 52 and 63 (with respectively, Kaito and SyaoSaku). Back in my post of chapter 63 I had made an analysis about what the common thread between those two color pages could be, and especially the significance of those spheres of light. If they really are representing the feelings of love for your dearest person, then I'd like to think that here Sakura is being represented as a "fairy" fostering and releasing that love in the open, to help and save the people dear to her. Which is totally the image I'm getting not only from this chapter, but ever since we started to see what happened in the "re-written world". Sakura is literally a messenger of love. And I love that for her. ❤️

The editorial text in the JP version is referencing what Sakura told Akiho back in chapter 49, right after her "sister" shared with her the recount of her night walk with Kaito: "To me, you’re someone I want to see happy forever. Because you're my friend, and someone really precious to me"

"Blink To Say Yes"

The chapter starts with me making amends to Kaito for the nth time, asking for his forgiveness for doubting his intentions and emotional state way over what was due: as the dragon keeps flying away, Sakura grabs Akiho's hand and starts going after the creature, of course followed by Syaoran, Kero and Yue. Akiho (poor girl, still with a tear in her eye) notices with shock that the "portal" to the fake moon is completely disintegrating, revealing the real moon behind it. Flying side-by-side to the dragon, Sakura realizes that the creature got finally out of that place to avoid that Akiho would put herself in danger: in fact, with the portal disappearing like that, she might have been trapped inside that space forever! Sooo as usual, Kaito's actions are skillfully framed by CLAMP in a way that will make you misunderstand him and think he's being irrational or getting on everyone's nerves on purpose, but no, he was actually just putting Akiho's safety first, as usual. ❤️ I know there were some interpretations of him precisely doing this, but I thought it wasn't the case because Sakura broke the spell inside the fake moon, removing the pressure and all, so I couldn't see what danger he needed to protect her from: in fact, the looming danger was a different one, and it was well symbolized by those "bzzz" sounds and effects near the entrance when Akiho was getting in. I had noticed them but dismissed them as the instability of Touya's time magic. I should've known better! 😆 Sorry, Kaito. I know that the only one who can make you do anything at all is only Akiho! Therefore I'm still laughing at how Sakura tried to convince him to get out for half an hour, when all Akiho needed was to move an inch forward 😆😆😆 I also think that what she told him, the fact that she was sure to be in front of "her most important person", changed things for Kaito. His reaction was tangible, despite being hidden behind the eyes of a dragon. And therefore I'm still partially peeved and heartbroken at him, because before hearing that from her (and seeing her putting herself in danger), he was fully planning on staying inside that space forever. He was refusing to come out, knowing very well that the portal would've disappeared at any minute, eliminating any chance of saving him. How dare you.

Well. We were saying that Sakura realized the dragon's intentions right away, and we see her shouting, with a face halfway between shocked and fired-up, "This means she's important to you, too!" (good job ENG translation for not messing this up, I guess. I was worried). Damn right, Sakura. She must be so confused by this person dragon's behavior. It is all so crystal clear to her. It's not only in her head, all the signs keep confirming to her that he really does consider Akiho very important, even now, immutably. The time he spent in that cage didn't change anything for him (and that, if anything, makes everything even more heartbreaking because of how agonizing that must have been). Sakura just can't understand why this person is acting like this, since he truly does care about Akiho. Refusing to go back to her. None of the people around her behave in this way and for her it must be something very new to deal with - and this reminds me of what a blessing we had to get these new characters in this arc, so different from what she's used to, who sometimes pushed her beyond her comfort zone, hence expanding her experience and making her grow up.

Akiho seems encouraged by Sakura's firm statement, so she takes the matter in her hands and shouts to the dragon to please have a talk with her. She shuts her eyes tight, as if being desperate for him to listen to her.

And that's it. That's all it takes for Kaito to be ol' good Kaito and stop immediately at Akiho's request, looking intently at her. As if he's saying "I'm at your service". I've said it countless times in my blog posts, how Kaito is someone who really would do whatever he wants and listens to no reason, but when it comes to Akiho, he really cannot deny anything to her. Akiho sighs in relief at seeing him stopping, and she starts talking to him, so tiny in front of such a giant (is he supposed to look scary? To me he really isn't, he's quite cute) creature. Akiho is well aware, from the countless books she's read till now, that the ones who can have conversations with dragons are almost entirely people with marvelous capabilities (the ENG went for "strange powers" for this, I don't think it fits). She's got no magical powers, but she quickly comes up with a clever way of "communicating": blink your eyes to say 'yes', do nothing and stay like that to say 'no'. And so she immediately starts, because she needs to know, she needs to understand. It's her goddam*ed right to do so, and Kaito knows this very well, hence why he's not denying her the opportunity. Akiho fires the first question: "Are you the one who re-wrote the world?" Kaito blinks, admitting it. I can see a streak of sadness in his eyes as he opens them again. This doesn't make any good to Akiho, who looks pretty sad as well, at hearing that. It's like having one fear, and seeing it confirmed. But she goes on, explaining how the world she's living in right now is warm and caring, full of people who support her and dote on her as if she were one of their family. While she states this, we can see Tomoyo following the events from the tablet with a concerned face, and Touya looking more and more worn out by the time magic he's being keeping up, sustained by Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun.

Akiho is very intuitive, so it's easy to guess where the question is leading: "Did you rewrite it because I never had this, before? And for that, were you the one who erased any trace of you from inside of me?" The ENG version here adds a "Did you do it to bring me happiness?" which is not incorrect, of course, but it doesn't exist in the JP text, and as usual it's used to spoon-feed the readers as if they couldn't get there on their own (and to probably fill a bubble with something).

Kaito cannot lie to the burning question, and he blinks his eyes. We see appearing a "crease" next to his eye, a clever way from Mokona to show us that he's growing more and more distressed. The pain of remembering how her clan abused her, how they got there because of something he said, the pain that resulted from the decision he made when he was just a kid. And the next question is even more burning.

"Did I wish for it?"

Kaito does nothing, confirming he now understands that in fact, Akiho never asked for this. Never. And the girl herself confirms: "I don't remember (you), but I know. I would never wish for a happiness that did not include you". Kaito listens intently to her. I just can't imagine how it must feel to not remember a single thing about someone, and yet feeling all that love pouring out of you. Simply out of instincts.

I Want My Most Important Person Back

Then, with a very (very) resolute face, Akiho turns to her dear Sakura, and affirms: (JP) "Sakura-san. I want to bring my most important person back". Here it is again, the famous term that we CCS fans all know well, the code for "the person I love", that keeps being changed in the ENG translation to a less recognizable "favorite person", which I'm still not sure conveys the same meaning. Sakura agrees with a pleased smile, she's totally ready to do anything to give her true happiness back to her "sister". Then, she turns to Dragon Kaito, and here we start with the "parallels" that will enrich this chapter of many many additional emotions.

Yes❤️ it's a parallel with Lilie, from chapter 72. Same expression and all. Precisely from when she was telling her the words that Sakura is going to relay to Kaito now: "What is happiness, to you?".

And here I have to introduce probably the worst mess of a translation mistake of this chapter, that will surely confuse people and make them believe things that actually arent' true:

ENG: "Someone asked me that once, too. In a dream. But, try as I might...I couldn't remember who it was. Not until she crossed time and dreams to see me. I think she did that for this moment. And...I think that's why she left me this card in the end, too"

JP: "These are words I've heard in a dream. I can't really remember who said them, no matter how hard I try, but...that person crossed time and dreams in order to come to see me. It was surely for this moment. And...this last Card remained, too...was for this very moment, right?"

I sincerely have no idea how they could mess up and make Sakura say that she actually remembers about Lilie, after she came to see her. Lilie had been so clear about it, in chapter 72, that the Forbidden Magic would've made Sakura forget as soon as she exited the dream, and so it happened, indeed. Why making her basically say that she remembered, afterwards? This is against the script! Moreover, not happy with messing that up, they even made Sakura say that the last Clear Card remained was left by Lilie herself! That's nonsense, that's not what the JP text says! Momo told her that there were some Clear Cards that were protected by her with a spell and they were waiting for Sakura to call them up, that's HOW the Clear Card that we're going to see now is able to be here. Not because Lilie gave it to Sakura. And before anyone points out "yes, but the one who paid for that spell with her ring was Lilie", I have to remind you that Sakura is not supposed to know that. Momo never told her WHO paid that price. So basically this is a mess-up on all fronts. But let's go back to our story because the emotional moments are just escalating. Before Sakura mentions the Card, we can see for a moment Lilie's reflection in the Dragon's eyes. A clear sign that Kaito understood perfectly who Sakura was talking about! And I think it's so beautiful that Sakura, always listening to her intuition (remember how she wasn't very good at this, before? That she dismissed her intuition, and Syaoran told her that his mother taught him not to?), understands that THIS is the moment to get this question out, because here she basically posed this question to Kaito. And this will help him decide in a few pages.

Proceeding forward, we can finally meet the big absentee ever since Sakura secured it back in chapter 33: the Rewind Card!!! One of the most beloved Cards, obviously for its appearance that was based on Syaoran and its cuteness! This card is the last one that still had to appear and that never showed up in Clockland, a sign that Kaito wasn't able to put his hands on it and "drag it" into the fictional world created with Momo's magic. It's the last Card that was waiting to be called by Sakura. And so she does! Syaoran is quite surprised and provides a "Spiderman meme" moment when he realizes that the Card looks just like him! 😂 Sakura explains to him that Record was able to record this Card as well, so that's how she knew of its existence (and not because Lilie gave it to her, once again!!!).

It's time. Sakura announces to the Dragon that she's going to bring him back to "himself". Our girl does so because she wants to implicitly give him the chance to have a say in this. She doesn't really "ask", but it's like she's implicitly doing it, because she wants to make sure that this is something he wants too.

In fact, in a very emotional moment, he and Akiho exchange again a long stare. It's like a silent conversation is going on between them. The dragon is depicted with a painful expression, while Akiho is staring at him firmly and determined. He's still, to the very end, thinking he does not deserve to go back to his human real form and go back to her. But she's unwavering, and uncompromising. She wants him back, and she's going to have him back. Because, after all, under a pile of self-loathing and pain, this is what he wants too. This is his happiness. So, with a very suffering expression, he blinks his eyes one more time to say "go ahead". In his condition, this must have costed him a lot of effort. You know who they reminded me of, in this scene?

Yeah, them. I've been saying it for long time, agreeing with other friends affirming the same in their own posts, how I could see a clear parallel between Clone SyaoSaku from TRC and YunaAki in Clear Card. They didn't exactly go through the same things, but their experiences often overlapped. And this in particular is overlapping really well. As I wrote already in my Twitter thread, he's given a chance to go back, but he's crushed by guilt. He doesn't think he deserves it. But she stares FIRMLY at him, pulling him towards life, a life with her. And he closes his eyes, and caves in. Because in the end, this is what he wants too. To be with her.

So Sakura proceeds. She says that she doesn't know who the Dragon is, but the pocket watch does. And as said pocket watch levitates in the air from Akiho's hands towards the Rewind Card, Sakura explains that it does know him because it used to "weave time" together with him. And so, combining the Card with the watch, Sakura activates Rewind on Kaito, exactly as I expected!

And the moment is absolutely emotional, as we finally see again after 8 long chapters (and relative months), our dear Kaito's face!!! The way the Rewind Card "works" on him is also quite spectacular, from a visual POV, since the pocket watch seemingly "enters" the dragon and frees Kaito from within. The fact is, we don't see the pocket watch after he changed back, so now I'm wondering: did it stay inside of him???

But, whoops, something didn't quite go alright. The black wings of the dragon stick to Kaito's back. Kero observes him and wonders with Yue if he's been a creature like them this whole time, but fear not, Yue dissolves the doubt right away: he thinks he's a regular human magician (the kanji says 魔術師, magician, while the furigana reads ひと, person), it's just that the spell that was active on him (the "Seal of D", as we know) was probably so damn powerful that even borrowing the pocket watch's power (as said in the JP version) wasn't enough for Rewind to bring him completely back to his appearance. Well, you want my opinion? Those wings look FANTASTIC on him and I absolutely want him to keep them!!! (maybe with a little spell he can conceal them when it's not convenient?) 😂❤️ He looks like a dark angel and it's amazing.

Don't Decide My Happiness On My Behalf

But the real, heartwrenching emotional moment starts here. This is also the moment when I started emitting all kinds of inhuman sounds, so I'm grateful I'm not one of those people doing a live reaction on youtube or something because this would be the end of my reputation on the internet 😂😂😂😂

Akiho and Kaito, finally in his original human form, exchange a long stare, again. His face is showing perfectly how he's absolutely heartbroken at what he realized he caused to her. It's guilt adding over guilt. And as she finally looks at the face of the person her heart knows is the one she loves, she can't stop the tears from forming again in her eyes, while she poses the only REAL question that she probably wanted to ask all along:

"Why?"

And as I always do with pivotal moments, I'm going to continue with the direct translation from the JP text, because the ENG added something ("why did you leave me?", which contributes to convey Akiho's feelings and possibly makes this even more romantic) that wasn't there in the original, and I have to be impartial.

Akiho, JP: "Why did you choose to disappear....from the rewritten world?"

I wanted to put the JP version here also because an important verb is missing from the ENG version: choose. Akiho is questioning Kaito about his choice. Because yes, this wasn't a result of a whim, Kaito chose to disappear from her life. And now he has to answer for that. Akiho's face is twisted in pain, as if she's trying to control the tears that now profusely fall from her eyes, and contain an immesurable grief in realizing that her most beloved person chose to remove himself quite definitively from her life.

His reply, though, proceeded to shatter my heart even further, cause it's exactly what I expected and have been saying this whole time.

Kaito, JP: "Because I thought I wasn't necessary to your happiness"

This is the only line we'll hear from Kaito in this chapter. For the rest of it, he'll listen in silence, giving space to Akiho and trying to elaborate. Besides, I want to point out that for the first time ever, he uses "ore" as a personal pronoun while talking to Akiho, and he's also seemingly dropped the use of keigo, the polite speech that he used with basically everyone before. Signifying that he's finally being honest and open, he's being his true self.

In his reply, there's all the self-loathing and hurt and pain he's been experiencing till now. Not recently, but ever since he was a baby. Remember that this boy grew up completely devoid of love in his life, completely abandoned to himself, exploited for his powers by a congregation of criminals. Kaito is, himself, a victim of abuse too, and I would want the CCS readers to acknowledge that more. Because if we have to wonder how we came to this situation, well, this is how. This is the damage that growing up in that kind of environment can cause to people. And we don't have to go that far because, if we remove the "magic" factor from the Association, we can find environments of that kind even in our daily real life. Growing up in that environment didn't stop Kaito from developing attachment to a person. From developing love for them. But, as he grew up not knowing what his self-worth was, being used as a commodity by other people, he's been convinced this whole time that he was nothing to her. That when he managed to accomplish his goal, he wouldn't need to be there because she didn't need him anymore. And I know, I can hear you, "How is it possible that he didn't notice how Akiho looked at him and how she loved him?" That's precisely because of his mental condition that prevented him from seeing or even believing what he was seeing. Kaito thought that he was born alone, and he'd die alone. That no one would ever be able to love him. That's why. And it's heartbreaking that someone would live their life like that.

With such a condition, Kaito's intentions were good but he went down a twisted path to make them true, completely missing the right way to go about it. Akiho doesn't know anything about this, but the heartwrenching scene that follows is something that's absolutely in her right to say. It is something I anticipated so so much.

Akiho, JP (lit.): "Please don't decide my happiness for me! Even if it's you! Please don't tear up and throw away my most important person!!"

Sadness and anger are mixed with Akiho's tears while she pours out all of her pain. I wanted to feature the literal translation of the JP text because I think the verb used, 破り捨ててしまう, depicts a very heartwrenching scene in my head. It is a verb that it's akin to when you tear up a piece of paper and discard it in the trash.

This is literally what Kaito did with his existence, when he went through with his plan.

So Akiho here is not only scolding him because he dared depriving her life of her most important person (and she doesn't care if it's he himself, he's not allowed to do that), but also BECAUSE HE DISREGARDED HIS OWN LIFE IN DOING SO. He's treated himself as a disposable object. And Akiho can't stand that. She loves him so much, despite not remembering a single thing about him, that she can't stand the thought of him hating himself to that point. I think, the way the ENG translation portrayed it, focuses too much on Akiho scolding Kaito for not having the right to remove himself from her life, and completely misses the other, implied, darker part of her line.

Akiho is understandably wrecked and she would want to scold Kaito more, but as she says herself, she doesn't even know what name to call him with. He erased so much from her that she isn't even allowed the luxury to remember his name. But I think this scene here might actually be a foreshadowing for him to reveal his true name to her later, so I'm waiting in anticipation for this (I've been actually waiting ever since chapter 51!). In the meantime, to break a little the drama with a funny moment, I think she wanted to call him baka, but as she doesn't even know his name, she can't do that! 😂what do you think???

And as I always say, Eriol suddenly opens the communication with Sakura to bring bad news! 😂Kaho is exhausted and can't hold the time stopped much longer (furthermore, it seems even Eriol is participating to keep the spell up), so he informs Sakura of that and she thanks him with a worried face. Syaoran looks up and notices that a hole is appearing in the stopped environment, signifying that the time magic is wearing off. So Sakura turns to Akiho and asks her what she wants to do from now. Notice that "from now" well, cause it's very symbolic: it's as if Sakura is saying "other people chose for you till now, but now you're given the chance to finally decide by yourself". With a painful face, eyes drowned in tears, Akiho ponders for a moment and then says that she's been really, really happy to be part of Sakura's family, but if that's not real, then she wants to go back, no matter how much hardships and pain is awaiting ahead. Please register how difficult it must have been for Akiho to wish that. Because right now, she's got all she wanted, love, a warm family, friends and even her most important person is here with her. But the fact is, this arrangement was created by someone with magic, it's not real, it's not how things naturally came to be. Moreover, no matter how strong her love can be, she still doesn't remember anything about her most important person and all she experienced with him, and that is something that is eating her soul away, because she recognizes that she lost something invaluable. So she's willing to let go of all this comfort to go back to the life she had before, WELL KNOWING (because Kaito confirmed it to her earlier) that in her previous life there will also be a lot of pain awaiting her. Moreover, she adds that if there's anything she'll be able to change, then she wants to do that with her own strength (again, a detail that's missing from the ENG translation). And then, turning to Kaito with a very assertive face: "Together with my most important person".

Kaito at this point can only stare in shock at her. Because I'm sure that he thought that after making her cry and suffer this much, she wouldn't have wanted anything to do with him anymore. But, as Kaito hopefully will have all the time to find out, this girl's feelings are no joke. It's no flimsy crush. This is the type of love that binds you to your soulmate forever, and gives you the strength to forgive them when they make you suffer, if you can recognize that their heart was in the right place. Akiho wants to grasp control of her life, wants to be the one to completely make decisions from now on, but she also wants Kaito with her, not only by her side but also participating to those life decisions. She doesn't want to cut him off.

Sakura, with the sweetest smile ever, tells her (JP)"If you two will be together....everything will surely be alright". And here I have to point out two things in the ENG translation: that single "together" that sounds a bit overcautious, not specifying who's together, when in the JP text it's clear she's referring to those two (because the context comes from the panel right before), and then the choice to translate Sakura's iconic invincible spell with "I'm sure it'll work out". That's not how the English speaking fandom knows Sakura's invincible spell as, and from what I've been told, it's not even how it's been translated previously! So this makes pretty difficult for the English speaking fans to recognize that she's uttering her invincible spell here!

Especially cause, look what a wonderful and touching parallel they have done...

The one you can see above is coming from Volume 5 of the old manga, and it's the very first time Sakura uttered the invincible spell, releasing the Light and Dark Cards from inside herself. This parallel, where you can see that Mokona sensei strived to redraw the spread exactly as she did back then, really gives off a feeling of "coming full circle", especially cause when you put them one beside the other it's so easy to see how much Sakura grew since then. Back then, Sakura told those words to herself to comfort herself in a moment of panic. Now, Sakura is telling these same words to a beloved person in a critical situation, to encourage her that if she'll be with her most important person, everything is going to be alright, no matter what awaits ahead. It also reminded me of the comforting words that Yukito told Sakura back in volume 12 of the old manga, the night before Sakura ran to the bus stop to give Syaoran her teddy bear. Yukito told her that as long as both she and her most important person wished to see one another again, it would be fine. I can kinda sense that Sakura wanted to comfort Akiho in the same way, that as long as she and Kaito stay together, they can overcome anything ahead. And I found that absolutely wonderful.

Unfortunately, the awesome moment full of courage and love is interrupted because Syaoran notices the time magic has given up and the arrows start attacking them again, as expected. We see a very worrisome panel with Eriol crouching to the ground next to a passed out Kaho (poor Kaho!!!!), while he hold his staff and sends a remote protective spell to shield the kids from the oncoming attack.

Without wasting time, Kaito grabs Akiho and holds her tight in a protective embrace, curling his beautiful black wings on her to shield her, while she's still shocked (and with tears in her eyes). I have no shame in admitting that THIS panel turned my screams in ultrasounds and it's become my favorite one of the chapter!! Especially cause here we have that magician who couldn't even bring himself to touch his beloved Akiho's head to comfort her, now finally not hesitating anymore and holding her in a very tight embrace to protect her (still giving all of himself for her, I guess it's just his way to love her). The situation is dire: Syaoran activates his Fuuka Shourai to fight the arrows off, while Kero and Yue shoot their own attacks, because the arrows just keep coming at them non-stop. Kero tells Sakura that they're going to take care of the attacks, and Yue says that she's the only one at this point who can change radically the situation. Then, Syaoran, our brave hero, says that he will absolutely protect what Sakura wants to protect (I didn't like the ENG phrasing, at all!! "Whatever it is that you want to protect" sounds so dismissing towards Akiho and Kaito?? Is it only me having a bias at this point?), so he urges her to focus on what she can do (to change this situation)!! I found this moment very exciting....everyone is placing their hope in Sakura and they're gonna do what they can to protect everyone, Akiho and Kaito included (and Kaito took personally care of protecting Akiho by himself).

Sakura is left wondering what to do. "To turn things back to normal, then I should use Rewind one more time" but she expresses doubt at it being enough to complete the task, so she wonders what else she needs to do, while the final page shows in her hands both the Time Card and the Rewind Card!

Aaaaaaand this is how the chapter ends, we finally reached the bottom oh my gosh!! 😂 This chapter was so long but also so full of emotions, I really wanted to touch all the important topics and parallels that have been portrayed in these 36 pages. I know the post became infinite, but I wouldn't feel right to know that I left something interesting out.

I am so damn proud of my Akiho girl. Her assertive discussion with Kaito, tinted with a touch of anger, was exactly what I wanted and expected from her. Because she's sweet, yes, but also got a strong personality. And once you get her fired-up, she's not going to stop. She's a bulldozer. I mean, haven't you seen what she did in chapter 52/53 and 58 with Kaito?? She's definitely not afraid to confront people thanks to her strong nature. This finally elevates her character development in this arc. I'm also grateful to Sakura and her empathy, once again, because it's so beautiful to witness what she's doing for these people. And she's so wonderful that even her loved ones are helping her in this quest, because they all trust her and recognize that this is a way to make her happy too. I'm absolutely thrilled to have Kaito back, finally. And my heart bled for him when he gave that single answer to Akiho.

Despite seeming like we're almost at the end of the run, there are still some important matters to fix and explain, especially in regard to the magical artifacts, and how things will be once Sakura effectively manages to "go back". Will they remember, first of all? And will the situation be exactly like before? Because then, Akiho will have the artifact inside herself once again and they'll have to do something about that too. Also, Kaito's lifespan was pretty bad by the start of the Alice in Clockland play, so of course one has to wonder what they'll do about that too. I also expect one more YunaAki moment because we haven't really heard Kaito's version of the facts, the origin of his quest to save Akiho and how that turned into a "I'm going to give her a happy life too", which absolutely seems beyond what he would need to do if what moved him was only guilt for what he caused to her. Of course it's not only that. And I also expect to hear his apologies to Akiho, of course! ❤️ But gradually, because he must be a confused, hurting mess right now. Whatever else CLAMP sensei will decide to give us regarding those two, I'll take it as a blessed present. We're slowly but inexorably going towards the finale. I really can't wait to read the next chapter, which is expected by Halloween on October 31st! And as a YunaAki fan I can't avoid remembering that even chapter 48, when Akiho confessed covertly to Kaito, came on the day of Halloween of 2020! Will we get a real, spelled out confession exactly 3 years later???

As usual, I await your comments here or in my inbox, see you at the end of this month!!

[pure-garbage]

Sandbox Adventures Chapter Masterpost

I didn't realize quite how long this monstrosity was until I started typing it out. Have a handy, neatly ordered chapter list with links. Chapters containing smut are marked (S), so they're easy to avoid(Or not avoid...). Now in two parts because apparently even the chapter list became too long :p

First Chapter - Escape

2 - Stowaway

3 - Wisdom Of The Runaway

4 - Corrin Strikes!

5 - Oppressive Power

6 - Chilly Invitation

7 - Grueling Heat

8 - Devotion

9 - Unsolicited Truths

10 - Cursed Blade

11 - Quest To Find God

12 - Resolve Over Skill

13 - Guile Within G-8

14 - Assessment

15 - Straw Game

16 - Tashigi's Trap

17 - Bubbles And Iron

18 - Perplexing Heart

19 - Preoccupation Over Discipline

20 - Oil And Water

21 - Saucy Speculation

22 - Matchmaker

23 - Assume Too Much

24 - Silent Cues

25 - Wordless Proposal

26 - Stolen Treasure

27 - Muscle Memory

28 - One Calm Moment

29 - Nosy Friends

30 - Patient Mentorship

31 - Intense Practice

32 - Pleasure Cove (S)

33 - Quick Learner (S)

34 - Forbidden Fantasy (S)

35 - Consummation (S)

36 - Legendary Hands

37 - Careful What You Wish For

38 - Limes And Revenge (S)

39 - Culmination (S)

40 - Insatiable Demon (S)

41 - Tale Of The Scar

42 - Downtime

43 - Race Between Lovers (S)

44 - Torture And Torment

45 - Hefty Price

46 - Fury Of Asura

47 - Goddess Of Death

48 - Soap And Blood (S)

49 - Ten Seconds

50 - Broken Ribs (S)

51 - Ice And The Admiral

52 - Experience

53 - Kitten Claws

54 - Lullaby

55 - Menace

56 - Turmoil

57 - Harbinger

58 - Grey Clover

59 - Cling To The Truth

60 - Scorn

61 - Deadly Test

62 - Prevail

63 - Grit And Spunk

64 - Clean Getaway

65 - Revelry (S)

66 - Ill-phrased Proposal

67 - Buried Past

68 - Breakdown

69 - Weight Of A Promise

70 - Chasm

71 - Final Swim

72 - Re-Emergence

73 - Overcome The Shadows

74 - Time out!

75 - Versatility

76 - Faith

77 - Counter Tactics

78 - Total Satisfaction (S)

79 - Secret Arsenal

80 - Two-Faced Archipelago

81 - Back Half

82 - Valkyries' Wrath

83 - Familiar Tactics

84 - Down With The Gods

85 - Unlucky Thirteen

86 - Paw-Palm Express

87 - Unhampered Departure?

88 - Demand To Be Spoken

89 - Stargazers And Thieves

90 - Beset

91 - Redemption

92 - Worms And Maggots

93 - The Warrior's Path

94 - Curiosity

95 - Tokens

96 - One Year Later

97 - Earring Hunt

98 - Convenient Proposition

99 - Interrupted Rituals

== Click Here For Part Two ==

[antaxzantax]

Umbrella Pharmaceuticals - Chapter 63 (End Chapter)

Summary:

Spencer mansion Incident. Raccoon City Incident.

1

John opened the lab door. The card slipped from his sweaty hand. With his other hand, he wiped his forehead, pearly with tiny droplets that fell in abundance from the line of his forehead.

I was on the verge of a panic attack.

John ran to the lab's central terminal and entered the password.

“Ada”.

The remembrance of that name comforted him, but he had no time to think of his girlfriend. In that instant, a single word had congested his brain: Tyrant.

John checked the readings that were being displayed on the cathode-ray monitor. One of these readings stood out as anomalous.

He feared the worst.

John, trembling, approached the compartment where the last of the T-virus samples were kept.

I didn't want to see inside. I didn't want to.

But he had to do it. As chief of the Arklay laboratory, he had that responsibility.

John slowly raised the lid of the compartment.

First: joy. All the glass containers were intact. Then: horror.

One of the containers had broken in half and the liquid it once contained had leaked out of the drain used to clean the containers.

The same drain that connected directly to the Spencer Manor's closed circuit sewage system.

John walked away from the compartment and sat back in his chair with a blank mind.

He didn't know what to do.

2

The Arklay lab director looked down on John as if he had committed the crime.

John pondered the possibility that the container had broken during transport to the lab, and that there must have been someone supervising the transport.

The director of the Arklay laboratory reproached him for his alleged negligence and scoffed at John's excuses, as the fault had been John's alone.

John defended himself: understaffing and the disgraceful quality of the material were to blame.

The director of the Arklay laboratory invited him to resign if he was so dissatisfied.

John insisted that an urgent inspection of the pipes should be carried out to see how far the virus had reached. The situation was critical.

The Arklay lab director shrugged and said, “Write up a report and send it to Chicago headquarters, and they will notify the owner of the facility of your negligence.”

3

John picked up the phone in his office and dialled the number of the underground laboratory in Raccoon City.

“Come on. Come on, let's go. Come on, let's go.”

“Underground laboratory. Who's calling?”

“John... John. Chief of the Arklay lab. This is an emergency! I need you to put me through to Dr. Alexia Ashford and Dr. William Birkin immediately!”

Pause.

“I'm sorry, but both doctors are not available at the moment. What do you want?”

“A T-virus leak at Spencer Mansion! There is a potential T-virus leak at Arklay!”

Pause.

“Are you sure about what you are saying?”

“Of course I'm sure, for God's sake! One of the containers is broken and its contents have spilled down the drain! I urgently need to speak to the chief researchers at the underground laboratory to organise a contingency plan! Where are they?!”

“Have you spoken to the laboratory director?”

“God... Of course I've spoken to him!”

“And what did he order you to do?”

“Have him send a report to Chicago. But, damn it, it's an emergency!”

“Follow the director's instructions.”

“Look, I don't underestimate anyone, but the situation is critical!”

“Act in accordance with the orders given.”

“But... Fuck!”

The underground laboratory hung up.

John punched the table.

4

Oswell was called at midnight, when he was entertaining himself by re-watching film classics such as Zulu. This time, however, he was watching the film with his daughter Alexandra in an attempt to pass on some of the indomitable English spirit.

Oswell paused the tape. Alex stood up and answered the call but then turned and handed the receiver to Oswell.

“Who is it?” Oswell asked.

“Alexia. It is urgent.”

Oswell put the earpiece to his ear.

“What is it, Lexia?”

Alex approached Oswell to try to listen to what Alexia was saying.

“Oswell, there's been a T-virus leak at Spencer mansion,” said Alexia.

Oswell raised his eyebrows. Alex tried to put a hand on her father's knee, but he slapped it away. Oswell slouched back in his seat, visibly disturbed.

“What do you mean there's been a leakage of the T-virus? I hope you're not playing a joke on me, princess, because you know I've been in very poor health lately.”

“The last shipment of samples to the laboratory. One of the containers must have been damaged during transport, and broke when it was deposited in the compartment. The T-virus spilled down the drain. It is not known how far it got, but it is very likely that in transit through the pipes it leaked into the mansion's drinking water tank.”

A shared warehouse, by the way, from the laboratory to the mansion. A depot, Oswell reminded himself, that had not been renovated since the opening of the country house. A depot that was working in fits and starts, and thanks to the power of God manifested in the many repairs and alterations that had been made to it, instead of simply replacing it. A tank that, despite being clearly inadequate for the laboratory that was later annexed, Oswell did not feel like changing because it still worked, and that was enough.

Oswell blanched. Alex leaned back on the opposite end of the sofa to stare at her father. Oswell was strangling the dressing gown with his free hand and clenching his newly whitened teeth tightly. Alex had learned the hard way that her father hated out of control and things done wrong.

“Who is responsible?” Spencer asked.

“John. He tried to contact us, but we were busy with your favour,” Alexia replied.

“Yes, that is more important.”

“Do you want me to settle this matter?” proposed Alexia.

“No. No. Don't waste your time. I'll take care of this.”

“Avise my father?”

“I'll do it. Any other questions?”

“No, that's all.”

“OK, thanks for the heads up. Call me for anything you need. Bye.”

Oswell handed the phone back to Alex. Alex accepted it with surprise.

“Aren't you going to call Alexander?”

“No. Tomorrow I will speak to the director of Arklay. I take no responsibility for anyone's incompetence. I know how those pipes work. The virus, if it still exists as a virus, won't have got very far.”

Alex was surprised by Oswell's exaggerated indifference.

“You don't even want me to leave a message on Sasha's answering machine...”

“Alexandra, stop it. Arklay is my property. I decide what goes on in that place.” Oswell smoothed his dressing gown calmly. “Put the tape back on,” he ordered.

“The command is at your fingertips.”

Oswell looked at Alex angrily.

“Play the film, my child.” Oswell insisted with commanding diction.

Sometimes Alex hated it, but she got up and pressed the button on the player. She hated it more than she would ever be able to admit, but she needed it.

She needed it as a safeguard against the possibility of a miserable life.

5

Alexia knocked on the door.

“Go ahead.”

Alexia accessed the office of the psychologist assigned to the underground lab. William and Alexia came to her to cope with the stress of their latest project and other minor unfinished business.

“How are you? Have you finished work for the day?” The psychologist asked Alexia to sit in an armchair opposite her.

Alexia hung the lab coat on the coat rack. The psychologist put her cup of tea and a glass of water on the coffee table for Alexia. Alexia sat down in the armchair opposite the psychologist. The unusual pallor of her skin contrasted with the dark dark circles that had appeared under her watery eyes.

“How are you feeling, Alexia?”

“I don't know,” Alexia replied quietly.

“Are you resting as I recommended?”

“I don't. I don't rest.”

“Why not, Alexia? What's stopping you from resting?”

“Myself.”

“Self-demanding?”

“No... To remember.”

The psychologist drank from her cup.

“What do you remember?” continued the psychologist.

“Myself.” Alexia settled back in the armchair. “Finally, I've remembered what I couldn't remember.”

“The two years you spent in Antarctica?”

“Yes.”

“And what do you remember?”

Alexia sank into the armchair.

“Pain, but also ambition. What I felt was real ambition.” Alexia's voice grew louder. The psychologist shifted uneasily in her chair. “That's what I lost with the T-Veronica. Ambition.”

The psychologist finished her tea.

“It took me fifteen years to regain my ambition,” Alexia concluded.

“It's about this new project, isn't it?”

Alexia nodded.

“You will honour the favour, won't you?”

Alexia did not respond. The psychologist shuddered.

6

John asked for the day off. With the chief researcher out of the way, the Arklay lab director removed the damaged container.

Facility technicians discovered that the T-virus had infected the mansion's tap water.

The director ordered silence and informed Spencer.

7

Alexander and Alfred drank their tenth round of beer while Derek busied himself manning the radio. The tent smelled of ash, petrol and artillery fire. The military campaign in Edonia had been a success, and Alexander had been keen for Alfred to accompany him during the completion of the operation.

The biological weapons did their job: total annihilation. While the Cerbers and Hunters broke through the enemy ranks, Alexander, Alfred and Derek enjoyed finishing off the remaining targets in the rear. Alfred had not lost his touch and showed his father a couple of knife tricks that the Bolshevik commanding Rockfort had taught him. Derek, for his part, accompanied them on the hunt.

Alexander, drunk, shouted an expletive. Alfred, also drunk, cheered him on, laughing at the joke and adding more insults. The two of them banged on the table, smashed glasses on the floor, and generally said some nonsense that embarrassed Derek.

“You know what the best thing about fucking a man is?” said Alexander.

“I know, I fucked one,” Alfred replied.

“And you didn't like it. You only like pussy.” Alexander uncorked a third of a beer with his teeth. “You're just like your grandfather. He tasted cock at school, too, but he only cared about pussy.”

“The pussies are pretty.”

“You're a pussy expert, son.”

“I have a PhD in pussy.”

Alexander and Alfred laughed in unison. Derek found himself unable to handle the embarrassment.

“We all come out of pussy,” Alexander reflected. “Have you ever seen your sister's pussy?”

“I was born seeing my sister's pussy, dad.”

“It's true. You were born to be straight. You can't be gay having been born at the same time as a hottie like your sister.”

“You're a fucking faggot pig, dad.”

“I like cocks and pussies alike. You were born to perpetuate our bloodline, son. I was born to enjoy sex.”

“To suckle.”

Derek came out of the tent to get some fresh air.

“Couple of assholes,” he whispered.

As he was smoking a cigarette in the vicinity, the radio officer approached him.

“Mr Simmons, Oswell Ernest Spencer would like to speak to Mr Ashford. He says it is urgent.”

“Put me through.”

8

“Osweeel…” Alexander slurred the last syllable.

“Sasha? What's wrong with you? Are you drunk or what?”

“Perhaps.”

“What do you mean by perhaps, you bastard. How many have you got on you?”

“Ten.”

“Fair. We have a problem.”

“Probleeem…”

“A T-virus infection has broken out in Spencer mansion. Some moron named John broke one of the T-virus containers in the compartment and it has leaked into the running water. Arklay's director has alerted me that they have already located a potential first infectee. I need you at my manor house in Essex right now.”

“Now?”

“Now.”

“Dam...”

“And bring your son. We're going to need reinforcements.”

They hung up.

“I'll stay in Edonia," said Derek.”

9

May 9th, 1998

Last night I played poker with Scott, the guard, Alias and Steve, the investigator.

Steve was very lucky, but I think he was cheating.

You sack of shit!

May 10th, 1998

Today a senior investigator asked me to take care of the new monster. It's like a gorilla but without skin.

I have been told to give them live meat.

I threw a pig at them and they played with it... tearing off its legs and gutting it before eating.

May 11th, 1998

At about 5 a.m. Scott woke me up.

He was wearing a protective suit that looked like a space suit.

He told me to put one on too. I think something has happened in the basement lab. I'm not surprised, researchers never rest, even at night.

May 12th, 1998

I've been wearing this uncomfortable suit since yesterday. It's wet and my skin is very itchy.

As revenge, I didn't feed the dogs today. Now I feel better.

May 13th, 1998

I've been to the infirmary; my back is swollen and itchy.

They put a very big bandage on me, and the doctor told me that I don't have to wear the space suit anymore.

I guess I'll be able to sleep well tonight.

May 14th, 1998

When I woke up in the morning, I realised that I had another blister on my foot. I dragged it when I went to the dogs' cage.

They have been quiet since morning, which is very strange. It turns out that some of them have escaped.

If the big bosses find out, I'll be in trouble.

May 15th, 1998

Even though I wasn't feeling well, I decided to go and see Nancy. It's my first day off in a long time. But the guard at the gate stopped me.

They say the company has given orders that no one is to go out. I can't even make a phone call.

What kind of a joke is this?!

May 16th, 1998

I heard that an investigator who tried to flee last night was killed. My whole body burns and itches at night.

While I was scratching my arm, a piece of flesh fell off. What the hell is happening to me?

May 19th, 1998

Fever gone but itchy. Hungry and eat doggy food. Itchy itchy Scott came. Ugly face so killed him. Tasty.

4

Itchy.

Tasty.

10

Raccoon Times – May 27th, 1998

Animal attack?

Mutilated woman.

20 May. At 10 p.m., a passer-by discovered the body of a 20-year-old woman on the west bank of the Marble River in the Cider District of Raccoon City.

The amputation of one leg and both arms has led police to theorise that it was a bear or another very strong animal.

Police believe she was attacked while in the Arklay Mountains. So far there are no clues as to the woman's identity.

11

May 21th, 1998

Four days have passed since the accident and Plant 42 is growing in an unprecedented way. The Tyrant virus has infected it differently from the others, so that it shows a unique shape in addition to its size.

Seeing how it behaves, it is difficult to determine what kind of plant it was originally.

Plant 42 collects food in two ways.

The first is through the roots that reach down to the basement.

Right after the accident, a scientist went mad and broke the water tank in the basement. Now it is full of water.

It is evident that certain chemicals were mixed with the water and possibly caused the incredible growth of Plant 42.

Another part of the 42nd floor has grown through the ventilation ducts and hangs from the ceiling of the first floor.

This part of the plant has tendrils and bulbs which it uses as a secondary method of obtaining the necessary nutrients.

When it senses movement, Plant 42 throws its tendrils over its prey and immobilises it. It then sucks the blood out of its victim using the suction cups on the back of the tendrils.

It also appears to have some intelligence.

It has been seen using tendrils to close doors when capturing prey or when it enters a resting state, to prevent attacks from the outside.

Several staff members have already fallen victim to it.

Henry Sarton

12

A welter of papers lay concentrated on the long dining room table. The papers had been ripped from the shelves and dumped in the pile like corpses in a mass grave.

Spencer was rereading a file, while Alexander was rereading a memo. Alfred had ventilated the first pack of cigarettes at, and Alex was nodding in his chair from exhaustion and boredom.

To the joy and dismay of both presidents, the T-virus had wiped out a third of the Spencer mansion staff in just two weeks.

The infected had become zombies, as they were nicknamed; those infected from the infected had also become zombies; and those who were definitely dead were decomposing at the same rate as their infected comrades.

Spencer mansion had fallen.

The homonymous owner immediately ordered the closure of the cottage and the establishment of a security perimeter around the premises to prevent intruders from entering and leaving.

As soon as Alexander and Alfred landed in England, Oswell led them to the Umbrella archive he kept at his manor house to find out whether the infection was intentional or accidental. On the other hand, the Arklay lab director informed them about the mutilated bodies that had been found in the mountains. Spencer ruled out attributing responsibility to a biological weapon because he was confident in the effectiveness of the manor's security measures.

The files revealed that the transport of the crashed sample was carried out from Sheena Island by a company owned by a hippie cousin of Alexander's that Alexander subcontracted in 1988. Alexander called his hippie cousin at Edinburgh, but he justified himself by saying that he was merely following the instructions given by the director and chief researcher at the Arklay laboratory, who had been hired by Oswell.

Oswell was angry with Edinburgh's cousin, but he was not to blame.

And then Alex made a comment that infuriated Oswell: it was his fault because he knew something like this would happen and allowed it to happen.

Oswell restrained himself, but the looks of disgust and hatred he gave his daughter made Alexander and Alfred uncomfortable, and they were merely ironing out the friction between their hosts as best they could.

Ultimately, Oswell settled the issue of culpability with a final solution: exploiting the incident for financial gain and a wealth of invaluable knowledge about the effectiveness of biological weapons in combat.

Edonia had tested them on a small scale and in an open field; Spencer mansion would test them on a larger scale and in an enclosed area.

“Edonia's success would be replicated at Spencer mansion, wouldn't it, Alexander,” said Oswell.

Alexander, who exchanged a brief conversation with his son, nodded.

“I will accompany you,” said Alexander.

“Alexandra, you come with me too,” said Oswell.

Alexandra shrugged her shoulders. Alfred wiped his wedding ring on the sleeve of his jacket.

13

June 3rd, 1998

Dear Alma:

The fact that you are receiving this letter fills me with joy and also sadness. I couldn't even talk to you because of that idiot.

Alma, stay calm and read this.

I think I told you that I was transferred to a pharmaceutical laboratory. I was selected through a headhunter.

Last month there was an accident and the virus we were studying escaped. All my infected colleagues are dead. Well, to be precise, they have become the living dead.

They are still moving. Right now, a few are knocking on my door. But there is no trace of intelligence in their eyes.

That damned virus wipes out the victim's humanity. Love, joy, sadness, fear... All erased.

And, Alma, also the memories of the days I spent by your side...

Yes, I am infected.

I have done my best but I have only been able to delay it for a few days.

What scares me the most is that every day I forget something more about you.

So I have chosen a quiet death and not to become the living dead.

In one hour I will sleep forever. I hope you understand my decision...

Farewell and always yours,

Martin Crackhorn

14

June 8th, 1998

My dearest Ada:

By the time you read this letter, I will no longer be the person you knew. Today I checked my test result and, as I suspected, I have tested positive.

I feel on the verge of madness at the thought of my imminent end. I would give anything not to have to become one of them.

As far as I know, you are not infected.

I sincerely hope you are not the last person alive in here, but if you are, collect the material from the AV room.

Then activate the self-destruct system in the generator room and flee from here. Do your best to make the whole incident public.

If things are working normally, you should be able to open the locks with the security system. I have set up the terminal in the small security room so that you can access the system with my name and your name as the password.

You will need one more key to open the lock on the door on level two of the basement where the AV room is located.

As a security measure, I have encoded it in an X-ray. I know you well and I am sure you will be able to decipher it without any problems.

There is only one thing left for me... the last thing I ask of you. I hope you never have to see me in this state, but if you do, I beg you to put an end to my suffering.

I hope you understand.

Thank you, Ada.

Always yours,

John

15

Raccoon Times - June 16th, 1998

Monsters in the Arklay Mountains?

There are many witnesses who claim to have seen monsters in the Arklay Mountains. These ‘monsters’ are the size of large dogs and are usually in packs, like wolves. They could be wild dogs, but the ‘monsters’ are very fierce and resistant to attack.

It is said that they do not bother humans unless provoked, so it is advisable to stay away from the Arklay Mountains while this matter is being resolved.

But for all you thrill seekers out there, this is your chance for some adventure!

16

The Marble River flowed serenely under the bridge. Passers-by moved like rows of ants behind him. He had leaned on the railing to watch the twilight horizon.

“William.”

Wesker called out to him a few steps away.

“Albert.”

William nodded and then they shook hands. Albert imitated William's posture, both leaning on the railing.

“I was afraid I wouldn't be able to recognise you,” said William.

“I haven't changed much, and I trusted your good memory.”

William smiled and coughed. Albert put on a pair of aviator sunglasses. William, dazzled by the low position of the sun, regretted not having brought his own.

“I don't know where to start. It's been like living in a nightmare. A bloody nightmare,” said William after a long moment of silence.

“You haven't done too badly. You're still alive,” Albert commented.

“The living dead, precisely.”

“I admit I underestimated you. You've come further than anyone else.”

“Far away... She destroyed my life!” William was upset, but Albert grabbed his arm to reassure him.

“But I see you retain your naivety. You're still a mama's boy.”

“Have you come to humiliate me? It won't be the worst thing that has happened to me in the last few years.”

“Relax. I'm just curious to know what happened to you.”

“Well... Alexia set me up. She destroyed my precious G-virus. It caused me to attack her. She set me up again. Alexander appeared and smashed my face against a metal table. Then the two of them set a third trap. Alexia started talking to me, while her father spied on me with eavesdroppers in my house. Then Alexia invited me to Ashford Hall. I ended up meeting her fantastic family” William emphasised ‘fantastic’. “I escaped from the mansion. Alexander kidnapped me and locked me up in a mental institution. He tortured me a bit and subdued me. Then I escaped with Alexia from the asylum and ended up in a monastery in Quebec. From the monastery we went to a small town called Silent Hill. In that small town, the two of us locked ourselves in the same flat to say... to talk about things... After the confinement, a cultist kidnapped me to make drugs for him. Then Alexia had a revelation and showed up with an assault rifle at the church where I was being held. Over 30 casualties in one sitting. We fled Silent Hill and drove non-stop to Raccoon City. Back in the city, we first lived in an abandoned building, then in a house Alexia bought with what was left over from the million dollars she stole from Alexander's safe. In the house, I dedicated myself to surviving. Alexia assembled a nuclear bomb casing. After assembling the nuclear bomb, Alexia had a second release and dragged me into the city's underground scene. I drank in dive bars with punks, goths and other indescribable people. Alexia sang at a concert of what did she call it? Black Metal or whatever. I got depressed... Well, yes, I got depressed, and Alexia convinced me to...”

“Blow up the city?” said Albert.

“I turned up at home and forced Annette to leave. I haven't seen her since... And I never will again.”

“What happened next?”

“We blew up the city... His father picked us up by helicopter. Alexander apologised and made me his protégé. I spent a year in therapy in Scotland. Then I went back to the States. I left Umbrella. I locked myself in a shitty flat. I cried. Alexia reappeared. And now... I've just finished developing a new virus...”

Albert put his glasses back on.

“What virus...” he whispered.

“The best virus ever developed... An unpublished variant of the Progenitor. We've dubbed it G-Veronica, but the name is crap and we're using it on a provisional basis. It's a favor Spencer asked of Alexia.”

“Strange favour.”

“The old fucker wants to be immortal or some bullshit like that. He's probably gone insane, I don't know, but he wants to be our first experimental subject.”

“Are you going to let that old man steal your shiny new virus?”

Albert scrutinised William through his sunglasses.

“Stealing...”

“Do you think Spencer deserves the power of your new virus?”

William bit his lip.

“No...”

“I worked for Spencer and with his daughter Alexandra. He entrusted me with the position of security chief at the Arklay lab. I've met with him several times. I know what it's like, and it's disappointing.”

“There's a T-virus leak on Arklay, how come you're here?”

“Spencer reinstated me as captain of the STARS.”

“And what are you doing there? You're better than that!” William raised his voice above what was tolerable for both of them.

“I'm in the STARS because Spencer is a... disappointing being.”

“What are you going to do?” William asked.

“You've been lucky with Alexia. Don't waste it.”

“I don't understand what you're getting at.”

“Do you really want Spencer to be the one to enjoy the power of your new virus?”

“Why? Who else?”

Albert sat up.

“Myself.”

17

“Alexia.”

William sat next to Alexia in the lab.

“Yes?” said Alexia.

“I met Albert yesterday afternoon... He's been working for Spencer.”

“Yes, I know. He's in STARS.”

“I told him about our virus...”

Alexia waited expectantly for William to continue.

“Uhm... He told me... Phew... that he wants to be the first to test our virus.”

Alexia looked at William.

“Give it to him,” said Alexia.

“But the favour with Spencer?”

“Better him than Spencer.”

“Well... I don't know... I thought favours were very important for your family.”

“One condition: you are alone in this. I'll pretend I've never seen you.”

“Seriously...”

“Spencer is not worthy of his power.”

There was no doubt in Alexia's eyes.

“All right,” said William, and rose from his chair. “It's fine,” he repeated.

“Alfred is going to be a father.”

William turned to look at Alexia.

“Congratulations. You are going to be an aunt.”

18

William received in his mailbox the invoice for the last transaction with his law firm.

He had officially divorced Annette.

At William's request, there would be no joint custody. The best thing for Sherry is that she would never hear from her biological father again.

That was his revelation.

19

June 22th, 1998. 21:30.

I had to do it. We've been running away from these things, helping each other to stay alive, but Robert has started to show symptoms. He had to.

Those damn things are evil. I have no choice. He would have done the same if he had been in my place. After I put him out of his misery, I had to leave him in the service. I'm probably the last one left alive...

How on earth did this happen? I will never forgive myself for taking part in this project. I guess I've dug my own grave. There is no escape from this insane house. It's only a matter of time.

Everything is ready. I just need a bit of courage to do what needs to be done.

I don't even want to think about all the things I've left half done, but better this way than waiting to become one of them. Understand me and let me finish my days as a human being.

Linda, please forgive me...

20

Raccoon Times - July 9th, 1998

Mystery in the Arklay Mountains!

Roads closed.

Due to the disasters in the Arklay Mountains, the authorities have decided to close the roads leading to the foothills of the Arklay Mountains.

In addition, the Raccoon police have begun searching for missing persons with the help of STARS.

They expect difficulties due to the extent of the Arklay Mountains and the dense forests in the area.

Reports also continue to come in of sightings of grotesque monsters in the mountains.

21

“I trust you, son. You're my best man,” Oswell said through the phone. “Do it and I'll be forever in your debt.”

“I will.”

“I trust you, son.”

22

July 22nd, 1998. 2:13.

X-Day is approaching. Implement the following procedures diligently in less than a week:

Attract the attention of the STARS corps to the farm and change the combat data of the bio-weapon so that it kills them.

Collect two embryos from each of the mutant samples, with the exception of Tyrant. Discard Tyrant.

Ensure that the entire Arklay laboratory is dismantled and destroyed, including staff and experimental animals. Make their deaths look like an accident.

When you have complied with these lines of action, inform the central office, which will provide you with further instructions.

If, for any reason, you are unable to carry out the instructions by the deadline, please report it immediately. In case of an emergency situation, please contact extension 5691.

Good luck.

Umbrella Head Office,

Umbrella, Inc.

23

A message on the answering machine in his flat.

“At two o'clock in the evening at the lookout point.”

William.

24

The lookout was situated on the top of a gentle hill from which the jagged line of the Arklay Mountains could be seen.

He felt his heart throbbing in his eardrums.

He had done so.

Finally, he had done it.

He didn't think twice. As soon as he opened the compartment with the only existing test tube of the virus, Alexia turned off the security camera monitors.

William fled the underground laboratory like an exhalation without looking back.

Even in that supposedly safe place, he couldn't figure out why he had done it.

Maybe Alexia and Albert were right. Maybe he owed it to Albert. Maybe he had done it of his own free will. In any case: he had done it.

He hoped Albert would turn up before long, because he had to.

A car parked outside the lookout point.

Albert ran to meet him. William pulled a metal box out of his backpack.

Albert recognised that type of box.

William held it out to him.

“Try it,” said William with an affectionate half-smile.

Albert took the box and put it in his trousers.

“Thank you. Go home.”

Albert turned to leave.

“Albert,” William called.

Albert paused.

“Thank you too.”

Albert resumed his march.

25

The contents of the flask glittered in the darkness like a vein of gold.

Albert sat in the only armchair in his flat to contemplate this marvel. He held his unloaded, regulation pistol to his head in thought.

His last chance. He could die, disappear, but he preferred it to being nothing.

He did not want to be nothing.

He did not want to be like his relatives.

The flat was transformed into a desolate New York City wasteland.

A blond-haired boy in a worn jumper and torn trousers had climbed atop a mountain of rubble to see further than his small body could go.

He always wanted to look beyond, but his personal circumstances tried to hinder his journey to the top in every conceivable way.

He was born in a New York slum flat to a family of Yugoslavian immigrants who adopted the surname Wesker because they were ashamed of their origins. As the youngest of five siblings, little Albert dealt with the worst manifestations of human nature from an early age.

His mother ignored him. His father, a hard-core alcoholic, beat him. His brothers used him to earn a few quid. He was put on the street corner to beg, and little Albert would stay up late with nothing better to do than stare at passers-by who ignored his existence as they walked down Wall Street.

He was nothing.

But between beatings and gloomy afternoons outdoors, little Albert never stopped imagining what it would be like to be like them, the ones who walked around in expensive suits and gold watches, the ones who didn't beg or eat yesterday's leftovers.

The depression of the 1970s completely destroyed his precarious family. His father, unemployed. His mother, unemployed. His older brother, in prison. His older sister, pregnant and on the run. His other sister, whereabouts unknown.

He joined a youth gang with his other older brother -the only alternative for a miserable, illiterate young man like him.

He was arrested with his brother for fatally beating up a rival gang member.

To save himself from ending up in juvie or jail, he ratted out his older brother as the cause of the beating.

His older brother was imprisoned, and he was sent to a psychiatric hospital for adolescents.

Albert endured the abuse and drugs as best he could. Fortunately, his first chance came when the new director of the institution discovered in Albert an unfathomable hidden potential.

The headmaster detected in this wasted young man the intelligence of a genius. In just a few months, he had gone from being illiterate to surpassing the reading and writing skills of a university professor. However, as intelligent as he was, he would return to his former way of life as soon as he was out. The director of the psychiatric hospital suggested he join the army.

So he did. He enlisted in the army at the age of fourteen. At West Point, he got his second biggest break: a Columbia University headhunter spotted him. On a scholarship from the university, he left West Point after two years to pursue what he loved most: science.

Because he was a minor, he was forced to return to his old home. His mother had left with another man. All his siblings were absent. His father was all he had left. Albert would not let that languid dispossession ruin what little life he had managed to build.

Albert hit his father. He hit him back angrily with every blow he had inflicted.

He locked him in the bathroom, as he had done with Albert.

He insulted him and threw objects at him, as he had done with his younger son.

Albert abused him until his father died from the beatings.

Albert dismembered his body and threw the remains into the house of an African-American bachelor who lived in his neighbourhood.

The legacy of Jim Crow kicked in and the African-American was sentenced to death.

Albert fought loneliness by concentrating on his studies.

One summer day, he received a letter.

Umbrella Pharmaceuticals.

Signed: Oswell E. Spencer, President and CEO.

He finished his degree, packed his meagre belongings and left.

He looked at Spencer because he saw in him what he had dreamed of being.

But Spencer let him down.

Spencer did not aspire to see beyond the horizon of himself. He only wanted to miraculously save himself and extend what he already had, but there was no transcendence in what he did; he harboured no ambition to be something more than he already was. For what, after all; why should a man who possessed everything aspire to transcendence.

Albert had made a mistake. However, a prejudice was easier for him to resolve than a bad decision, and there were only two solutions before him: prevail or die.

Since he did not want to die, he would prevail. He would use the virus during his raid on Spencer mansion. When, did not know. He would carry it as a kind of emergency measure. Instead of shooting himself, he would take his chances with the virus.

That is what I would do.

Prevail or die.

26

Albert injected himself with the virus all at once. The events at Spencer mansion had left him exhausted and on the verge of death on several occasions. He risked exposure for the murder of Enrico Marini and was wasting his time with Barry Burton.

In the end, the mission had failed, because he had not bothered to do his job either, and had hopelessly betrayed Spencer. He himself had backed himself into the depths of a blind alley. Deep down, and with no way out in sight. Contrary to the cliché, there was no light at the end of the tunnel. He could only get lost in the darkness and walk in a straight line with no direction, so he injected himself with the virus.

There was no telling how long it would take for it to begin to take effect, whether a few seconds or a few hours. Either way, he tossed the empty metal box into a hidden corner of the central lab, behind the capsule where the Tyrant T-102 was dozing. He picked up his pistol and headed for the lab exit to activate the self-destruct system and escape the mansion.

Albert went out into the corridor.

Steps.

Chris Redfield.

Albert drew his gun and let Chris bump into him as he walked down the corridor. Rebecca Chambers also stuck her head out.

“Chris, as my subordinate, you have a great talent.” Albert feigned confidence and control when, in reality, his body was seething with stress at not knowing when the virus would begin to devour his body.

“I would never work for a company like Umbrella,” said Chris with a certain smugness. At first, Albert had found him irritating because of his cocky, naïve attitude and his tendency to overstep authority, but now he hated him with every fibre of his being. He had underestimated him, as he had underestimated the rest of the surviving members of the STARS, but he wouldn't make the same mistake twice. “And, Wesker, you were under Umbrella's orders.”

“What do you mean?” Albert wanted to end the encounter any way he could, but he couldn't risk it.

“Since when are you an Umbrella agent, and a traitor to the STARS?” said Chris. Rebecca looked at him with both surprise and deep disappointment. Chris didn't seem to mind Albert pointing a gun at him, as he dared to question his captain with a calmness that infuriated Albert.

“No, you're wrong. I used to work for Umbrella. But now I'm ready to take on anything, like getting rid of STARS,” he confessed with a degree of conviction as if God had given him the commandments.

“The worst possible situation has occurred!” Chris shook his head as if scolding his captain. Rebecca fell silent. “An accident in the experiment released a virus, a biological weapon, that contaminated the lab!” Chris had no idea.

“No, the worst was the Tyrant virus. I lost part of the STARS team because of it,” he lied.

“You killed them with your bare hands!” Chris exclaimed. “Did you kill Enrico?”

“Really?” Rebecca added.

“Yes, like this.” His patience was exhausted.

He shot Rebecca.

“Rebecca!” Chris shouted.

“Don't move!” commanded Albert. “If you move a hair, I'll kill you.” The time had come to get rid of that asshole. “Chris, I want to show you something. Now, walk.”

Albert forced Chris into the laboratory. Chris reluctantly complied. Albert led him to the T-102 capsule. Standing in front of the capsule, Chris fell silent. Albert gave him a shove in the direction of the monster. Chris took a step back. The creature glowed inside the capsule, oblivious to what was going on around it.

“This is...?!” Chris was hallucinating.

“Exactly! This is the supreme life form. Tyrant.”

Albert lowered his weapon and made his way to the control panel of the capsule. The supreme life form that would annihilate the STARS forever.

Chris burst out laughing.

“Chris...” Albert controlled himself with all the strength in his being. He pointed the gun at the STARS member again. “Stop!”

“Wesker, you're pathetic.” Chris humiliated him. “This is your saviour? You think this ‘failure’ is going to be your saviour?”

“Find out for yourself whether Tyrant is a failure or not!”

Albert turned and initiated the bio-weapon activation sequence. The cryogenic liquid disappeared and the bio-weapon awoke. Under the watchful eyes of both men, the Tyrant broke the glass of the capsule with his hands and jumped to the ground. The Tyrant, as expected, went first to Chris. The latter tried to move away while Albert pointed the gun at him.

“Go to hell and Jill will go with you!”

But the Tyrant changed course.

“What?” He couldn't think. He didn't react.

The Tyrant raised its sharp claws. It tried to shoot.

“Not me!”

The Tyrant skewered Albert Wesker.

Albert howled in pain. The Tyrant threw him to the ground like a piece of dead meat.

Albert exhaled.

Darkness.

27

The security footage showed William Birkin leaving the laboratory at the same time that the compartment containing the only existing sample of the virus created for Oswell E. Spencer was reported to have been opened.

Spencer called the UBCS commander to his side.

“Kill William Birkin.” Commander Vladimir nodded. “Do not allow the slightest harm to be inflicted on Alexia Ashford. William Birkin is your only target.”

Alexandra Spencer rewound the tape.

“If you kill Birkin, we won't know the whereabouts of the virus.”

“Alexia will tell me,” said Spencer. “Vladimir?”

The commander left the room.

“Alexia won't defend William,” Spencer commented. “It's impossible.”

Alex raised her eyebrows in doubt.

“We don't know,” she said.

“No, she won't. Not for something like this,” Spencer countered.

“Alexia is an unintelligible being,” said Alex. “I'd be careful.”

“I've known her since she was a brat,” Spencer reaffirmed.

Alex shrugged. Alexia had betrayed Spencer, she thought to herself. She had betrayed her father right under his nose and without a second thought, without the slightest hint of regret or malice. She had simply done it.

Alex hardly knew Alexia personally, but if only she herself enjoyed similar strength of character. At least enough not to remain emotionally subservient to her biological father's authority.

28

Alexander's voice came over the speaker phone again:

“Spencer has ordered Commander Vladimir to assassinate William Birkin. I don't want you to do anything crazy. If William has to die, so be it, but I'm not going to lose you. I love you, my life. I love you with all my heart, and I could not bear your loss. Do you want me to send the Circle to take you home?”

“Dad,” said Alexia. “Take care of Spencer.”

She hung up.

29

The death squad organised by Vladimir appeared on the lab's security cameras.

“Alexia, please don't do this.”

William sat in his desk chair, pale, dead in life.

“Don't do it...” William pleaded with Alexia.

William had accepted this ultimatum as the end of his existence. He wiped his tears with the sleeve of his lab coat. Alexia looked at the monitor pointed at the bio-weapons containment cages.

“I don't want to lose my friend. Not so soon,” said Alexia.

Alexia opened the cages and deactivated the biological weapons security system.

Hunters, Lickers and Cerberus: all biological weapons went out to meet the death squad.

“William.” Alexia held out her hand for him to sit up. “Come on.”

30

Alexia and William escaped from the underground laboratory.

William drove to where Alexia directed him: an abandoned house on the outskirts of the city. Inside the dilapidated home, Alexander was waiting for them.

Alexander hugged Alexia, who hugged him back, and then nodded to William.

“I don't want to lose you.” Alexander pleaded with teary eyes.

“Take care of Spencer, dad. That's your responsibility. We'll hide out in the city until we can get our research back and disappear. I'll be fine if you hold up your end of the bargain.”

“I wish your grandfather had never associated with that man,” said Alexander.

“Let me know when the lab is clean.”

Alexander kissed his daughter on the forehead.

“Go home, you'll be safer there.”

“No, I won't be. Spencer knows us and he'll know where to look for me. Raccoon City is a safer place than the UK.” Alexander reluctantly accepted that certainty.” But there is one thing you can do to protect me.”

“What is it?”

“The keycard. Your Umbrella master key.”

Alexander pulled his wallet out of his jacket and handed his daughter one of Umbrella's two master keys: a gold card with the company logo on the front and the initials of his name on the back. Spencer possessed the second master key. Alexia kept the key card in her trousers.

“Look for Albert Wesker. If he's dead, keep the body. If he's alive, tell him we're waiting for him in Raccoon City,” Alexia asked her father.

“I will,” said Alexander.

Father and daughter embraced for the last time.

“I will pray every day that you are safe,” Alexander said goodbye.

31

Alexander appeared in the control room of Umbrella's chemical plant in Raccoon City to proceed with the reactivation of the underground laboratory's security system. According to protocol, Alexander was to use his keycard to automatically access the closed-circuit facility to reactivate the system remotely.

But Alexander did not have the keycard.

Alexander turned on the microphone to communicate with the head of security at the chemical plant:

“Close the main entrance and leave the site. We will send in an extermination team.”

32

August 11th

I finally had the chance, after centuries, to see the light of day, but it didn't cheer me up much. The boss scolded me for not attending to my duties while I was in the clock tower. One thing I still don't understand: the boss seemed to be more concerned that I was in the clock tower than that I wasn't attending to my duties. Why would I be barred from the tower anyway?

September 5th

I recently spoke to the old man who works at the scrapyard in the back. His name is Thomas. He's a quiet man and seems to love chess. He has even designed a special key and lock engraved with chess pieces for one of the doors at the dump. We've arranged to play chess tomorrow night. I keep wondering how good it will be.

One thing that has been bothering me about him is that he is always scratching himself? Does he have some kind of skin disease or is he just rude?

September 9th

Thomas was a much better player than I had imagined. I thought he was a more or less decent player, but he's done a good job of taking me down a peg or two. The only thing that I think surpasses his chess ability is his appetite. Throughout the game he talked about nothing but food. He sounded pretty healthy, but he didn't look good... I wonder if he's OK.

September 12th

He was supposed to play another game of chess with Thomas, but we had to cancel it because he hasn't been feeling very well.

He came to see me, but I told him to go and rest, because he literally looked like the living dead. He insisted he was fine, but I could tell he was in some kind of trouble. Come to think of it, I haven't been feeling too well myself lately...

33

The Jacob's Circle soldiers found him lying against the wall of a hollow. He was in a pitiful state: dirty, covered in ashes and litter, his STARS uniform in tatters and covered in blood.

“Alexia and William are in Raccoon City,” said Alexander, looking him straight in the eye. “Please rescue them.”

34

September 23th

It's over. Those Umbrella assholes have finally done it... Despite all their promises, they've ruined my city. Soon every street will be infested with zombies... I'm starting to think I might be infected myself. If that's true, I'm gonna kill the whole city!

September 24th

I have succeeded in creating confusion among the police, as I had planned. I have made sure that no one from outside will come to help. With the delays in police actions, no one will have a chance to escape alive from my city. I have personally made sure that all escape routes from inside the police station are also cut off. There are still some survivors trying to escape through the lower levels, but I will see to it that no one gets out.

September 26th

I have changed my mind about the remaining survivors. I have decided to hunt them down myself. I shot Ed in the back less than an hour ago. I watched as he writhed in pain on the ground in a pool of blood. The look on his face was absolutely exquisite. He died with his eyes wide open, looking at me. It was very nice. Is the mayor's daughter still alive? I let her escape so that I could hunt her later... I'm going to enjoy my new trophy. Yes, frozen forever in whatever pose I choose to put her in.

Brian Irons

35

September 26th

The Raccoon Police Department was unexpectedly attacked by zombies. Many have been injured and even more killed. During the attack, our communications equipment was destroyed and we no longer have contact with the outside world.

We have decided to carry out an operation with the intention of rescuing possible survivors, as well as preventing this disaster from spreading beyond Raccoon.

The details of this operation are as follows:

Safety of weapons and ammunition:

Chief Irons has expressed concern about the issue of terrorism, due to a number of unresolved incidents. On the very day of the zombie attack, we took the decision to distribute all weapons throughout the building as a temporary measure to prevent their possible capture. Unfortunately, this decision has made it extremely difficult for us to locate all the ammunition stockpiles. Recovering all this scattered ammunition has become our top priority.

Open the weapons store:

As mentioned above, it will be extremely difficult to secure all the ammunition. However, there is still a considerable supply in the underground weapons store. Unfortunately, the person in charge of the card that opens the weapons store is missing and we have not been able to find the key.

One of our switches broke during the battle and the electronic locks are not working in certain areas. Restoring power to the power room and securing those locks is a top priority.

Recorded by: David Ford

September 27th

1:00 PM. The west barricade has been breached and this was followed by another exchange. We temporarily protected the wounded in the confiscation room on the first floor. Twelve more people were wounded in the battle.

Recorded by: David Ford

Three more people died after the appearance of a hitherto unknown creature. This creature is identified as having skinless body parts and razor-like claws. However, its most distinctive feature is a spear-like tongue, capable of piercing a human torso in an instant.

The number of these creatures, as well as their provenance, remains a mystery. For now we have named this creature "licker" and are currently in the process of developing countermeasures to deal with this new threat.

36

September 28th

Early morning, 2:30 AM

Zombies invaded the operating theatre and another battle ensued. We lost four more people, including David. We are now down to four, including myself. We have not been able to secure the weapons stockpile and the hope that we will survive continues to dwindle. We are not going to last much longer....

We have agreed on a plan to escape through the sewers. There is a path that leads from the underground of the police station to the sewage collector. From there we should be able to enter the sewers. The only drawback is that there is no guarantee that the sewer is free of potential dangers.

We know our chances in the sewers are slim, but anything is better than sitting here waiting to be killed. To buy us more time, we have locked the only door leading underground, the one in the east office. We have left the key behind, in the west office, as it is unlikely that any of these creatures will be smart enough to find it and open the door.

I pray that this operations report will be of help to whoever finds it.

Recorded by: Elliot Edward

37

Zombies groaned in the alley.

William checked to make sure he had a bullet in the chamber. He was sitting on the landing of the metal staircase that connected the ground floor of the warehouse to the office upstairs. In this office, Alexia was typing on the only still-functional computer with an internet connection at her disposal.

The warehouse had not undergone the same process of ruin as the rest of the city, so the shelves remained full and there were no corpses or zombies lurking around the place. A metal container stood out as part of the quiet and orderly set-up. William tried to open it, but it was locked from the inside. He knocked gently on the door, but no one answered.

He was thirsty and had a headache. However, he could not drink from the tap, unless he wanted to gamble with the T-virus. To solve this problem, they made a point of collecting a number of sealed bottles of water, but these were becoming scarce. Luckily, no one would complain about their body odour.

Alexia left the office with her backpack on her back, pistol holstered, and a shotgun slung over her shoulder. Alexia sat on the staircase landing next to William with a notebook in which she had jotted down single sentences and a handful of numbers.

“My father replied to my email. The underground lab is open, but it will only be accessible from the police station.” William rubbed his hands together. He trusted Albert blindly. “We have to go to the station. Besides.”

“Uh?”

“Vladimir has deployed the UBCS to the city, and maybe a USS covert unit as well, but the latter is not certain. We need to avoid contact with any Umbrella group. My father has informed me that the UBCS operates a covert combat data collection agent, Nikolai Zinoviev, a friend of Vladimir. We are not to contact this subject in any way.”

“Okay.”

“The army has sealed off the entrances to the city and is shooting to kill those who escape. We are confined. The national security secretary spoke to my father on the phone. He's been asked to lead the final solution against Raccoon City. Spencer is staying out of it.”

“That's good.”

“Come on.” Alexia tapped William on the knee to get him up. “I'll follow you.”

“I don't like this tour guide position you've assigned me.”

“You are a native of the city.”

“Adopted.”

38

The body of a man in a yellow waistcoat was found at the main entrance of the police station. The man had been skewered to death by a spear or some such appendage.

William searched the body for ammunition or anything else of use.

Brad Vickers, member of the STARS.

“One of the survivors of Spencer mansion,” said Alexia.

“Surviving for this.”

William detached himself from the dead man and they advanced towards the main entrance of the Raccoon City Police Department.

39

“My brother was once stopped at this place for speeding.”

“It's not the worst thing he's done.”

The lobby of the police station was empty and silent. Alexia and William approached the reception desk and saw that the computer was on. Someone with the card of Jill Valentine, also a member of the STARS, had used it to unlock the locks on the first floor.

“She certainly didn't save any work,” William joked. “I hope she's done us a favour with the zombies too.”

“Irons' office was on the first floor, wasn't it?” asked Alexia.

“Yes, in the east room.”

“Police stations are also supposed to have a radio system.”

“It's supposed to be. What do you want it for?”

“To get back in touch with my father.”

“I don't know where there might be a radio office.”

“Neither do I.”

William smiled.

“We are lab rats, not Arnold Schwarzenegger.”

“Speak for yourself.”

“Don't fuck with me, Alexia.”

40

“Still!”

Alexia and William turned around. A woman wearing a blue top, a black skirt and a long-sleeved white T-shirt tied at the waist was pointing a gun at them. She had caught them as they wandered down the corridor of the west wing of the first floor.

“Who are you?!” said the stranger.

“William, and this is Alexia. We are survivors.”

The woman lowered her gun and approached them.

“Jill Valentine. How long have you been at the police station?”

“Not much,” said Alexia.

Jill examined the luggage they were both carrying.

“You are well armed.”

“We're cautious,” said William without losing his engagingly sarcastic edge.

“Did you come in through the front door? Didn't you run into that thing?”

“What is it?” William asked.

“A huge monster in a black suit. It killed my partner, Brad Vickers, at the main entrance.”

Alexia looked sideways at William. William knew the meaning of that look: trouble.

“We are looking for a radio to contact our people,” said Alexia.

“Who are they?” Jill asked.

“My father and his people. They will help us get out of here.”

“Is your father in the military? Is he a civilian?”

“Civilian. Leads a group of survivors resisting on the outskirts of the city.”

“It's OK. There's a radio on the first floor, in the STARS office. I'll join you.”

“As you wish,” William shrugged. Jill looked at him suspiciously.

Alexia elbowed him in the side.

41

Jill Valentine led them to the STARS office. Alexia took over the radio, while Jill retreated to her desk. William walked over to Albert Wesker's old desk, where he found a picture of a young female basketball player in one of the drawers.

“Freak...” he muttered and put the photo back. Jill watched him as if she were a probation officer. Alexia revealed to him that she was one of the survivors of Spencer mansion, so he should stop acting like an obvious suspect.

“Father... Alexander...” The radio beeped and clicked.

Alexia spoke in a language that neither Jill nor William understood. She turned off the radio.

“What language were you speaking?” It was clear that Jill was also suspicious of Alexia.

“Scottish Gaelic. We are immigrants.”

“Yeah.” Jill didn't buy it. “What's the situation?”

Alexia looked at William.

In his years of accompanying Alexia, William had learned to detect when she was about to do something crazy. He could tell by her knowing look, her slightly raised eyebrows, and her exaggeratedly puffed out chest. William chuckled.

“Nemesis. Spencer has sent Nemesis and possibly another Tyrant. The bio-weapon you saw at the police station entrance is Nemesis, and it's programmed to kill you.” Jill reflexively drew her gun. “Specifically, to kill all surviving members of the STARS. Right now, it's circling the city centre, most likely to return to the police station. I suggest we find a way to access the sewers and take cover in the lab. If that's possible,” she turned to William, “we could reprogram Nemesis from the central lab.”

William nodded and sat up.

“There is a problem. Irons is the one who holds the key to the sewers. Is he still alive?”

“I don't know, but we must look for it or blow up the entrance.”

“Could we not blow anything up for once, Alexia?”

“Stop!” Jill readied the gun. “Who the hell are you people?”

“Alexia Ashford. My father, Alexander Ashford, is the president and CEO of Umbrella, Inc,” Alexia replied.

Jill Valentine opened her eyes, dumbfounded.

“And I am William Birkin, chief researcher, monster maker and Alexia Ashford's worst friend.”

“I'll make you a deal,” Alexia continued. “Your chances of survival are very low with Nemesis and other Umbrella-operated paramilitary organisations in the city. If you help us, we'll get rid of Nemesis and get you out of the city.”

“Help you what?!”

“To recover our research in the underground laboratory.”

“I don't believe you,” Jill pointed at Alexia.

“Don't do it if you want to,” Alexia continued. “But Nemesis is a fact, as are our intentions and your dealings with me and my father.”

“Your father is a butcher who killed my team!”

“Do you accept?” Alexia insisted.

42

Jill led the way to Brian Irons' office. No one knocked on the door, so they caught Irons sitting in one of the armchairs in his office.

“Who is it?”

Irons drew his pistol in fury, but flinched as soon as he saw the faces of Alexia Ashford and William Birkin. To Jill Valentine he gave an angry crooked mouth.

“Mr Birkin. Lady Ashford. What are you doing here?” Irons approached the two investigators docilely. Jill Valentine kept a safe distance from the chief of police.

“We need access to the underground laboratory. We need access to the underground lab.” Alexia overloaded her already commanding voice with authoritarianism.

“Why? The sewers and the laboratory are infested with monsters. What do they intend to do there?”

“That's our business, Mr. Irons. Open the door for us,” repeated Alexia.

Irons, helpless, clenched his fists. Then he turned his attention back to Jill.

“What are you doing with them, Valentine? Shouldn't you be collaborating with your police teammates!”

“He's with us, Mr. Irons,” said Alexia. “Open the door for us.”

“She's a renegade member of STARS. She's going to kill you!”

“Mr. Irons.” Alexia came within an inch of him. Irons lifted his chin to pretend to be more imposing than Alexia, but Alexia didn't flinch at all. “Jill Valentine works for my father. Please open the door.”

Reluctantly, Irons pressed a button hidden in his desk. A portion of the wall rose, revealing the existence of a corridor.

“Is there electricity downstairs?” asked Alexia.

“Mostly, but not for long,” Irons reported.

Alexia directed William and Jill to follow her.

43

As Irons claimed, the bio-weapons that escaped from the lab had invaded the sewers. Luckily for Jill, Alexia and William knew where she had to shoot to kill each bio-weapon with one bullet, at most two. That allowed them to keep moving with agility and at full speed.

After a long walk through countless corridors and canals, they took a break in a maintenance room. William sat on top of a bulky boot placed in a corner, while Alexia handed Jill her pistol magazines. Jill was expressionless and silent, so William guessed that Alexia's secrecy didn't sit too well with her.

“That's all I have,” said Alexia.

Jill checked the magazine and the functionality of the pistol. Then, without further input, she went back out into the corridor.

“I think she hates you,” said William.

Alexia shrugged her shoulders.

44

Jill swore she heard the approach of very heavy footsteps, like those of Nemesis.

Jill gripped the shotgun tightly.

45

“Alexia, isn't that 103 over there?”

William pointed to a huge humanoid figure in a trench coat.

“It is.”

“Run!” Jill pulled both scientists.

46

They dodged 103 and hid in an ember of the sewers in the vicinity of the main entrance to the laboratory.

“What's the plan?” Jill asked.

“Kill or be killed, I suppose,” William replied.

“Stop,” Alexia complained to William. “Back to the front door and into the lab.”

“Do you have the password?” Jill made sure.

“I can hack the control panel.”

47

They closed the front door.

“Let's go to the cable car,” said William.

“Wait.” Alexia stopped him. “I have to get back in touch with my father.”

“What for?”

“To find out why there's a 103 chasing us, among other reasons.” Alexia retreated to the control panel attached to the wall. It wasn't much, but it was connected to Umbrella's intranet.

Jill was inspecting a corner of the room.

“What's down there?”

“A warehouse. Maybe there's something of interest,” William replied.

Jill stood on top of the forklift and climbed down. Alexia took advantage of STARS' absence to talk to William:

“Albert is on his way.”

William's face lit up.

48

Spencer, behind Ashford's back, had sent Nemesis to kill the surviving STARS and a copy of T-103 to kill William Birkin, as Alexander found out.

The partnership between the Ashfords and the Spencers had been broken for good.

49

The cable car stopped at the boarding platform.

Alexia, Jill and William got into the car and started it up.

50

The underground laboratory was in a deplorable state. Blood and traces of claws and impacts against the wall and floor abounded in the reception area.

Alexia and William detoured to the infirmary attached to reception to check if it was possible to access the security cameras.

“Any sign of 103?” asked William as Alexia struggled with the computer's command console.

“I don't know. I don't think so. It didn't follow us.”

“Where are we going?” Jill joined them.

“Central laboratory. That's where our research and security terminal is.”

51

They did not go to the central lab. Instead, William called a time-out. He lay down on the stretcher in the infirmary after eating the last of the crisps in his backpack.

Alexia, although seated, did not take her eyes off the computer. Jill drank one of her bottles.

Soon after lying on the stretcher, William fell asleep.

“Unbelievable.” Jill sat down next to Alexia. “The city infested with bio-weapons and your friend sleeping.”

“We seem to have lost our senses,” Alexia replied.

Jill grabbed Alexia's left hand tightly.

“Your father murdered my teammates.”

“It wasn't my father. The mansion was Spencer's property.”

“Are you always this insensitive?” Jill faced Alexia. Alexia held Jill's gaze, but didn't respond. “You're monsters.”

“We are not,” said Alexia. “You and I are part of the same social system.” Jill let go of Alexia's hand, visibly disturbed.

“You are crazy.”

Jill leaned against the wall opposite Alexia. Alexia resumed her incessant typing.

52

The central laboratory had withstood the onslaught of biological weapons and neglect better than both research chiefs had imagined.

Once inside, the two chief investigators were tasked with collecting the files detailing the investigation into Spencer's virus.

Jill paused to examine some loose papers and the machinery present in the lab. It had all been there from the beginning and under her feet.

When they had finished collecting the papers, Alexia switched on the security terminal and inserted the gold card she had used so far to open the various doors in the lab. The gold card granted her immediate access to the system.

“The self-destruct system has been disconnected from the intranet, so it must be manually triggered. The escape train is operational and ready for the start of the sequence,” Alexia reported.

“What do we do?”

Alexia motioned for William to come closer. She handed him a microphone.

“My father gave me his frequency.”

53

“Al. Are you there? We're in the central lab. We need you. We can't move forward without your help.”

54

A brown-haired man and a red-haired woman appeared on screen. The two were shooting at a humanoid figure chasing them through the upper floors of the underground laboratory.

The battle was short-lived, however, as another black-clad humanoid attacked the other humanoid figure with all its might.

The brown man and the red-haired woman took advantage of the confrontation to sneak down to the lower levels of the laboratory.

55

A shadow of the past. The embodiment of a childhood nightmare. A creature that emerged from the darkness to terrify Jill Valentine.

Albert Wesker.

“Al! You're alive!” William hugged him. “What happened to you? Did it work?”

Albert took off his sunglasses. Reddish eyes surrounded a narrow vertical pupil. Alexia was immediately drawn to those eyes.

“It worked,” Alexia murmured as she touched Albert's cheek. He did not withdraw her hand but allowed her to admire the result of his best creation.

Jill Valentine pointed the gun at Albert. Albert pulled William away from her body.

“Valentine,” said Albert.

“Don't move. Traitor.”

“What is she doing here?” Albert asked both chief researchers.

“She was at the police station. She made a deal with me and my father.”

Albert remained impassive and fixed on Jill.

“What are you going to do?”

“Activate the self-destruct system and start the train, but we'll have to split up,” said William.

“The self-destruct system must be manually activated with the keycard,” Alexia added and took the golden keycard out of her trouser pocket.

As soon as it was in sight, William grabbed the keycard out of the blue.

“I'll take care of this. Albert, will you come with me?” offered William. Albert smiled.

“The code is Veronica,” said Alexia, then looked around for Jill, who was still pointing the gun at Albert.

Before leaving the lab, Alexia asked her father to send an urgent transport.

56

William inserted the key card into the slot.

A window popped up on the monitor.

Inserted the code.

Veronica.

57

The self-destruct sequence has been activated. All personnel must evacuate immediately!

William and Albert were the last to reach the emergency train platform. Because of his new nature and the presence of Jill Valentine, Albert hid in the last carriage of the train.

William agreed to go to the head, where Alexia, Jill, a policeman named Leon and a girl named Claire were waiting impatiently.

William sat with Alexia in the driver's cab.

The train set off.

58

A helicopter awaited them by the platform, and inside the aircraft, Alexander Ashford and his secretary Simmons. The Circle soldiers dissuaded Jill Valentine, Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield from drawing their weapons as the three Umbrella scientists mounted the helicopter with impunity.

59

“Alexandra, call the shareholders for a meeting. I'm going to tender my resignation,” Oswell asked his daughter.

“Notice to Vladimir?”

“Tell Vladimir to prepare a vehicle. I'm going to disappear for a while.”

60

“Graham. I've picked up my daughter. Tell the president,” said Alexander.

“Are you sure?”

“Do it.”

61

A beam of light flooded the sky over Raccoon City; and the light turned into fire.

A mushroom cloud engulfed the city and claimed more than 100,000 souls as dawn broke over the Arklay Mountains on October, 1st.

62

On October 1st, 1998, Oswell E. Spencer and Alexander Ashford resigned as presidents and CEOs of Umbrella Pharmaceuticals, by extension Umbrella, Inc.

In his final speech, Oswell E. Spencer only regretted not founding the company when he was younger. Alexander Ashford, meanwhile, dedicated his final act as Umbrella's president and CEO to the memory of his late father, Edward Ashford.

Both refrained from commenting on the Raccoon City disaster.

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Saturday, November 2

BUFFY: Now, this guy shows up two days ago, right? Right around the same time my bestest new little sister makes the scene. GILES: You think he and Faith are connected? BUFFY: Giles, there are two things that I don't believe in: coincidence and leprechauns. GILES: Well, Buffy, it's entirely possible that they both arrived here by chance simultaneously. BUFFY: Okay, but I was right about the leprechauns, right?

~~BtVS 3x03 “Faith, Hope, & Trick”~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Beware of Boys (Spike, Dawn, PG-13) by veronyxk84

An embarrassing run (Fred Burkle, ensemble, T) by Bl4ckHunter

Come and Get Me (Spike/Fred, E) by Kittenwritings

Nocturne (Buffy/Angel, E) by missfiggy

Fuzzy Feelings (Buffy/Angel, G) by fatalfae

[Chaptered Fiction]

Potential Friend: Season Two, Chapter 2/22 (Jesse, ensemble, Amy/Jesse, canon relationships, T) by srmcd1

[Ukrainian language] Forward to Time Past//Вперед у час минулий, Chapter 63/67 (Buffy/Spike, E) translation by Uraniya

Dawn Rising, Chapter 69/? (Ensemble, LotR xover, T) by Luna_delCielo

Back to the Beginning, Chapter 3/? (Angel/Cordelia, G) by imaginationofadreamer

The Slayer Chronicles: Shadows of the Hellmouth, Chapter 9/9 (Xander/OC, ensemble, not rated) by Ellen2054

Whoa! Not What I Expected! 2, Chapter 2/3 (Xander, NCIS + The Sentinel xover, G) by danu40k

Buffy s7 Missing Scenes, Chapter 3/? (Ensemble, T) by Oliver (TaruUchiha)

Soul Mate Magic, Chapter 16/20 (Giles/OC, M) by Emma_M_Black

Death's Champions, Chapter 32/? (Faith, HP xover, M) by Khatix

You're a Beautiful Person, Chapter 2/? (Willow/Tara, M) by firagasauce

The Night We Met, Chapter 4/? (Spike/OC, M) by TheSadPoet

Time to Heal (5) (Buffy/Spike, not rated) by spuffybaby

Retribution, Chapter 13 (Buffy/Spike, T) by Polarchica516

Giving In, Chapter 6 (Giles/Willow, M) by toboeokami

An Accidental Executioner in Sunnydale, Chapter 29 (Xander, ensemble, M) by schumacherjennifer39

Truth and Consequences, Chapter 28 (Buffy/Spike, R) by JamesMFan

Slayer's Soulmate, Chapter 5 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by vampirische liebe

Little Light, Chapter 15 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Melme1325

Rebehold the Stars (Love from the Other Side of the Apocalypse), Chapter 19 (Buffy/Spike, R) by Asokatanos

Incarnate, Chapter 20 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Sigyn

Breaking the Code, Chapter 6 (Buffy, Dawn, Star Wars xover, FR7) by Buffyworldbuilder

Indecent Proposal, Chapter 26 (Buffy/William/Xander, E) by harrisxander2

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork: Reciprocity Spike has bad day (Spike, worksafe) by isevery0nehereverystoned

Artwork: [Drawing of Spike] (worksafe) by isevery0nehereverystoned

Gifset: buffy & giles per episode - Revelations (3.07) (worksafe) by buffygiles

Artwork: here is a spike screencap redraw . my favorite look-his 70’s era (worksafe) by blue-star-charmer-art

Gifset: Every Tara look: S5E02 Real Me (worksafe) by lovebvffys

Gifset: Cordelia Chase + Outfits (Season 1) (worksafe) by clarkgriffon

Artwork: The Master from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season One (worksafe) by nightheartcomics

Artwork: Buffy the Vampire Slayer S1 Ep1 “Welcome to the Hellmouth” (Buffy, worksafe) by nightheartcomics

Artwork: Angel from Buffy the Vampire Slayer S2 Ep17 “Passion” (worksafe) by nightheartcomics

Gifset: Chemtrails Over the Country Club - Lana Del Rey (Buffy/Spike, worksafe) by theveryunlikelywonderland

Gifset: Buffy Meme: [4/10 Scenes] 5x22 The Gift (worksafe) by lovebvffys

Collage: Collage #222 (Buffy, Giles, worksafe) by thedecadentraven

Gifset: HalloweenHex 2024 - day 5 * a prophecy (btvs x 4.10) (Buffy, worksafe) by witchesnet

Fanvid: Back to Life (Buffy/Spike, R) by EverythingElse

Crafts: [Fan-made Scythe from an old re-design] (worksafe) by MoonSpider

Artwork: Grounded (Buffy/Angel, G) by MamaBewear

[Reviews & Recaps]

Angel 2x1 & 2x2 REACTION | "Judgement" & "Are You Now or Have You Ever Been" by The Horror Bandwagon

Rewatching after many years! by theSunandtheMoon23

PODCAST: His Twin Rod (S5E3) by It Stakes Two

[Recs & In Search Of]

ISO: [Good fanfics to read - multifandom and BtVS/Bangel] requested by murdercrowsblog

Rec: Fuzzy Feelings by fatalfae (Buffy/Angel, G) recced by iwillrememberyoumarathon

[Fandom Discussions]

Anyone else just want a buffy the vampire slayer and angel investigations prequel series where it’s just about the fanged four by captaincake13

Rewatching season 1 of Angel and I forgot how charming Angel found Wesley by thequeenofsastiel

this right here, this episode [Lover's Walk], this is the funniest relationship that has ever existed in btvs To Me anyway by tenderjock

spike is like a cat leaving dead things on buffy’s doorstep and buffy is a dog person by uss-genderprise

i think s7 is the worst by a significant margin but it’s still a season of buffy! so the worst of a brilliant amazing life changing thing is still pretty damn awesome by bidet-of-evil

Not sure how unpopular a take this is but I really like Principal Snyder. He is genuinely one of my favorite minor characters on the show by coraniaid

The Real Hero of "Gone" - Doris Kroeger by Nikkolas

Episode battle : Wild at Heart vs Into the Woods by Stoney

Would you have liked to have seen Darla become a hero? by GlitterViking1

Andy Hallet/Lorne appreciation post by moses616

Have you ever had a dream involving BtVS? by InterestingCloud369

What is an episode that you like that fans seem to dislike by Scaredcat26

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

CONVENTION: James Marsters & Juliet Landau to Attend Hellmouth Con in Los Angeles, CA 14-15 June 2025 via dontkillspike

CONVENTION: James Marsters to Attend FAN EXPO New Orleans 10-12 January via dontkillspike

CONVENTION: James Marsters' Adelaide Supanova Expo schedule via dontkillspike

PUBLICATION: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Amber Benson Tackles Series Trivia for Tubi by bleedingcool.com

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[pilferingapples]

The Bishop in the Presence of an Unknown Timeline

David Montgomery, illustrious creator of The Siecle (gooooo go listen to it, read the transcripts, it's SO good) , today laid out the necessary historical timeline for the Bishop's visit to the Conventionist! I am copying that over here with permission:

Alright, I have consulted my sources and have interesting findings about the chronology of the Myriel chapters. Chapter X includes the following lines, reflecting popular comments about the Conventionist in town: He was a quasi-regicide. He had been a terrible man. How did it happen that such a man had not been brought before a provost’s court, on the return of the legitimate princes? ... As he had not voted for the death of the king, he had not been included in the decrees of exile, and had been able to remain in France. This references two things: the "provost's court" and the "decrees of exile." Both are real historical things, and both can be dated fairly precisely. The "decrees of exile" could refer to several different things. Promptly upon Louis XVIII's return after Waterloo, he issued a July 24, 1815 blanket amnesty for crimes committed during the Hundred Days — but exempted 56 Bonapartists from pardon. Most were allowed to (encouraged to, even) slip out of the country, where they had to remain for fear of prosecution for treason. But I think this most likely refers to another law, passed on January 12, 1816. This Amnesty Law (subject of fierce negotiations between the ministry and parliament, related mostly to whether it infringed on the king's prerogative of pardon and his July 24 amnesty decree) ultimately exiled the hard-core Bonapartists targeted by the July 24 decree, and also all Regicides who had sided with Napoleon during the Hundred Days. (Regicides who had stayed loyal were not banished.) Provost Courts were special tribunals where military provosts acted as accuser and prosecutor before a panel of civilian judges. Their was no jury, no appeal, and judgment (including death) was carried out within 24 hours. These had existed under Napoleon, but were abolished in 1814 at the First Restoration. Article 63 of Louis XVIII's "Charter of 1814" reads: "...extraordinary commissions and tribunals cannot be created. Provost-courts are not included under this denomination, if their re-establishment is deemed necessary." After Waterloo, the Provost Courts were re-created to deal with political criminals — seditious meetings, rebellion, and threats against the government and royal family. Crucially, however, the Provost Courts were re-established by a law of December 27, 1815. Given the textual references, if one assumes a realistic timeline and no authorial error, then Chapter X could not have taken place before January 1816, and likely (given that the exile decrees and provost courts are discussed in the past and not present tense) at least some time after that date.  Sources: Mansel, Philip. Louis XVIII. Rev. ed. Phoenix Mill: Sutton, 1999. Sauvigny, Guillaume de Bertier de. The Bourbon Restoration. Translated by Lynn M. Case. Philadelphia: The University of Pennsylvania Press, 1966. The Charter of 1814: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/French_Constitutional_Charter_of_1814

[justsomeoneunordinary]

yo, im making 2k25 the year of sending asks to my fav blogs, soooo:

how about 🍿, 🌶, & 🍾 for this ask game?

Awww, thank you!! 😘😘😘

I definitely need to start sending more aks too. I just talk so much in the tags that I forget people are also happy when they receive asks...

🍿 - Your top three favorite Fics atm

Not one in a fandom you're interested in, I'm afraid but:

1. Always Means Always by Salmon_I - an Untamed fic, Jiang Cheng centric with absolutely amazing characterization of each character. It's so hard to find a JC fic where he isn't either written by an anti who makes him at fault for everything or by a stan who woobiefy's the shit out of him and makes everyone else at fault. A fic written by a JC fan who doesn't shy away from pointing out JC's flaws. Or the other characters' flaws - without being an anti. Only person in this fandom I have seen pointing out that Wen Ning isn't a good person per se or that Lan Wangji's blind loyalty to Wei Wuxian is in fact a huge character flaw and not a good thing.

Also the only other person I've seen finding LWJ boring without being a total hater. Like yeah, I do find him uninteresting and wish he wasn't so in my face all the time, but I don't hate him! Everyone else is either a fan or an extreme anti. Not this author, this author has the same opinion on every Untamed character as me, which is extremely refreshing to see.

This fic, the characterizations and the character analysis in the end notes of almost every chapter has done more to clear my skin than any of the face products I tried out. 100/10, I highly recommend!

2. gravity of tempered grace by SilverStudios5140 - a Naruto founders fic. I came for the Senju bros feels and the Mito characterization but I'm staying for everything else too. The TobiIzu is just a bonus, honestly. I have a bunch of chapters to catch up with first but once I sit down to read them, it'll be impossible to stop. Despite using some fandom-specific tropes I dislike (or even hate), the fic still has me in a strong chokehold, just like this author's other Naruto time travels fic. The world-building and the characterizations are just so gripping!

3. Lonely, Dark, and Deep by nirejseki - also a Naruto founders fic. Less of a favorite fic at the moment and more of an all-time favorite fic ever since I entered the founders fandom. The Senju bro feels just hit so damn good that the MadaTobi is just second to me. The original eldritch being Hashi fic - the ending gets me every fucking time. It doesn't matter that this fic will never be finished bc with how the last chapter ends, I can just look at it as an open ending and the fact that I'll forever be left wondering makes it so much more interesting than if it had a definite ending tbh. Every time I re-read this fic, I am immediately captured in its grip.

🌶️ - A trope you’re loving right now

Rule 63. Make an M/M or M/F ship I like into F/F and I come running so fucking fast. Go and turn those guys into gals fr. Make them all gals even with just a few token guys - if the shounen writers can make their stories a dick fest with just the occasional pussy in between, then fandom can do the opposite 💖

🍾 - A character the fandom has helped you appreciate more

Depends on which fandom lol. Considering I'm in the Naruto fandom rn, the answer would be Madara. Technically, all of the founders bc I didn't care for any of them before I clicked on a MadaTobi fic out of curiosity and suddenly found interest in them. But Madara the most because I actually disliked him in the beginning lol. I didn't hate him, but I wasn't a fan. I always found his fight during the 4th war boring - nothing less interesting to me than when an op character is introduced who defeats our strongest characters without a single drop of sweat.

(This is an opinion that I still have. I just cannot be arsed to care about Madara defeating the shinobi alliance and the Gokage so easily, even tho I do like him now. That shit is fucking boring to me!)

But the MadaTobi fandom made me see that Madara is quite an intriguing character before he became ridiculously overpowered - his personality pre-Konoha, his dreams and everything that happened to drive him mad are so interesting to explore! I definitely wouldn't have gotten here without the MdTb fics.

Also, to mention a fandom you know about - Bucky. Never mind that I hate him so much these days that I can't even stand to see his face anymore, I did use to be a fan. And that's only thanks to the WinterIron fandom. I did not care about him or even think about him at all before I stumbled onto BuckyTony and realized that he's quite an interesting character to explore.

-

Thanks again for the asks ♥️ And sorry for ramling so much abt fandoms you know nothing of... but there's just nothing abt the MCU that's keeping me in the fandom anymore 😅

Send asks!

[atsadi-shenanigans]

Feeding Alligators Index

Don't mind me, just re-organizing my stuff.

If you want to read Feeding Alligators on AO3, here's the link to chapter one: right here!

If you want to read it via tumblr:

Chapter 1 - Naked and Afraid

Chapter 2 - Friendship is Magic

Chapter 3 - PANTS!

Chapter 4 - Man vs. Wild

Chapter 5 - First Blood

Chapter 6 - Skeletons!

Chapter 7 - Potion of Tongues

Chapter 8 - Mind Your Language

Chapter 9 - You're (not) a Wizard

Chapter 10 - Atelier

Chapter 11 - Murder Buddies

Chapter 12 - Hustle

Chapter 13 - Psycho

Chapter 14 - U.S. Foreign Policy

Chapter 15 - It's a Goddamn Cult

Chapter 16 - When Animals Attack

Chapter 17 - Panties!

Chapter 18 - Untitled Training Montage

Chapter 19 - Bite Night

Chapter 20 - The American Red Cross Association

Chapter 21 - I Got Better

Chapter 22 - Swamp People

Chapter 23 - Paranoia Agent

Chapter 24 - From Druids, With Love

Chapter 25 - Splitting Atoms

Chapter 26 - Gray's Anatomy

Chapter 27 - True Blood

Chapter 28 - The Art of War

Chapter 29 - Knives Out

Chapter 30 - Auntie Knows Best

Chapter 31 - The Bachelorette

Chapter 32 - Munchies

Chapter 33 - Dream Date

Chapter 34 - Fireside Chats

Chapter 35 - The Devil Wears Douchebag

Chapter 36 - Glee

Chapter 37 - Gaslight

Chapter 38 - Gatekeep

Chapter 39 - Girlboss

Chapter 40 - Mirror, Mirror

Chapter 41 - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Chapter 42 - Slaughterhouse Four

Chapter 43 - The Proposition

Chapter 44 - Dance With the Devil in the Pale Moonlight (rating went up, new warnings apply).

Chapter 45 - Walk of Shame

Chapter 46 - Not Quiet on the Western Front

Chapter 47 - Soul Jar

Chapter 48 - Astarion and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Chapter 49 - Idihwisvsga

Chapter 50 - The Smallest Ember

Chapter 51 - I Lived Bitch

Chapter 52 - Only I Will Remain

Chapter 53 - Goblintown

Chapter 54 - Get Outta My Swamp

Chapter 55 - Love Shack

Chapter 56 - This Bitch

Chapter 57 - Let the Bodies Hit the Floor

Chapter 58 - Behind Enemy Lines

Chapter 59 - Plans Within Plans

Chapter 60 - 1812

Chapter 61 - It Compels You Though

Chapter 62 - It's My Party

Chapter 63 - I'll Cry if I Want To

Chapter 64 - Gandalf's Dilemma

Chapter 65 - Into Thin Air

Chapter 66 - Ra-Ra-Rasputin

Chapter 67 - Oh Eleanor

Chapter 68 - SMDH

Chapter 69 - Eat Your Heart Out, Van Helsing

Chapter 70 - Bad Blood

Chapter 71 - Resolutions

Chapter 72 - All Coming Together

[hadassahriv]

Fic Master List: Tian Ya Ke

I did a master list for my TWEWY fics, so now it's time to cover my other fandom: Tian Ya Ke. I appeared from the void with a fic in March 2022 and have written five more fics, one of them 65,000 words long, since then.

Strange how certain the journey (9,850 words) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Wen Kexing/Zhou Zishu Characters: Wen Kexing, Zhou Zishu, Jing Beiyuan, Wu Xi (Qi Ye), Zhang Chengling Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Established Relationship, Canon-Typical Use of Husband and Wife (Faraway Wanderers), Jealousy, Switching, Stories within Stories, Spoilers for TYK and QY, Non-Graphic Violence, Slight Canon Divergence Summary: When Wen Kexing watches Zhou Zishu and Jing Beiyuan together, he can see Lord Zhou. He never asked Zhou Zishu about his past before, but now they have time and maybe . . . maybe he wants to know. His feelings about Lord Seventh have nothing to do with it. - Storytelling as an act of love.

Notes: The fic that served as my introduction to the fandom. I had never even spoken to a single TYK fan and just showed up one day with 10k words of WenZhou in hand. TYK, QY, slight (mostly implied) canon divergence re: the WenZhou relationship timeline, and the beginning of it all.

We all write our own endings (3,710 words) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Wen Kexing/Zhou Zishu Characters: Zhou Zishu, Wen Kexing Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, First Time, Developing Relationship, Mid-Canon, Canon-Typical Use of Husband and Wife (Faraway Wanderers), Spoilers for TYK and QY Summary: If I die, would it not be a loss for you?   In Zhou Zishu's experience, sex can be a currency, or a weapon. In this moment, with Wen Kexing, it's neither. - A point of divergence.

Notes: The canon divergence prequel to my first TYK fic, jumping off from the end of chapter 63. This is where I was officially writing a series, but all of the stories are pretty loosely linked and could be read standalone. It's also where I decided that every fic in the series would have a title from a Vienna Teng song, for no reason in particular.

For we are a woven thread (9,135 words) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Wen Kexing/Zhou Zishu Characters: Wen Kexing, Zhou Zishu, Zhang Chengling Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Established Relationship, Canon-Typical Use of Husband and Wife (Faraway Wanderers), Families of Choice, Murder Mystery, Small Town Horrors Summary: It should be just another night in a small jianghu town. And it would be, if not for the murders. Even backwater towns on the edge of nowhere have secrets. - A ghost story, of sorts.

Notes: This story is an interesting one for me because it has some dialogue exchanges I am particularly proud of, but gets the least attention of any of my TYK fics. That happens sometimes and I don't mind. But if you do read and enjoy it, I'm glad!

Uncover the weight of your bones (6,651 words) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Wen Kexing/Zhou Zishu Characters: Wen Kexing, Zhou Zishu, Jing Beiyuan, Wu Xi (Qi Ye), Zhang Chengling Additional Tags: Established Relationship, Missing Scene, Slight Canon Divergence, Spoilers for TYK and QY, Post-Siege of Ghost Valley, Canon-Typical Use of Husband and Wife (Faraway Wanderers), Nails of Seven Torments (Faraway Wanderers), Hurt/Comfort Summary: On Mount Changming, Wen Kexing cares for Zhou Zishu—and fears for him—as they prepare for the removal of the nails. A human experience and therefore one that Wen Kexing, so recently a ghost, finds himself laughably unprepared for. - Love in the spaces between.

Notes: This fic is me filling in some of the scenes we don't get at the end of the novel. This one is the most closely linked to the canon divergence, because it happens before the extras, so should ideally be read within the continuity of the series. But I respect a rebel, if you don't feel like doing that.

Of a tender history (2,503 words) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Wen Kexing/Zhou Zishu Characters: Wen Kexing, Zhou Zishu, Zhang Chengling Additional Tags: Established Relationship, Post-Canon, Top Wen Kexing/Bottom Zhou Zishu, Canon-Typical Use of Husband and Wife (Faraway Wanderers), Married Sex Summary: To live is a peculiar thing. Or: Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu, in moments.

Notes: This is my gift fic for MT, from the Immortal Wanderers exchange, and not related to the other stories. Post-canon WenZhou with non-linear storytelling, which is something I really enjoy writing. Nothing heavy in this one—it's mostly WenZhou being happy together.

From Halfway Along (65,334 words) Chapters: 21/21 Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Wen Kexing/Zhou Zishu Characters: Wen Kexing, Zhou Zishu, Gu Xiang (Faraway Wanderers), Zhang Chengling, Jing Beiyuan, Wu Xi (Qi Ye), Cao Weining Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Space Opera, Developing Relationship, Art Crime, Human Experimentation (mostly voluntary), corporate warfare, Canon-Typical Talk of Death and Dying, Canon-Typical Use of Husband and Wife (Faraway Wanderers), Extensive World Building, Families of Choice, Telepathy Summary: After dedicating years to the service of an empire, Zhou Zishu has walked away to spend what's left of his life wandering the galaxy. And if that freedom has come at a cost . . . doesn't everything? His plans did not include getting entangled with a dangerous man on a mission of his own. A man who not only looks at him, but sees.

Notes: I left this for the end of the list—the WenZhou space opera AU novel no one asked for but I was delighted to deliver. If I am known for anything in the TYK fandom, it's this fic. It is very much a Hadassah Story, with a lot of hallmarks of my style and sensibilities. I also structured it like a TV show, with cold opens in every chapter but (by design) one. I used to work in entertainment and From Halfway Along probably shows it more than any of my other fics.

[itthatmeowed]

[Stars Fallen] Chapter III: page 63

Support this project and others on my Patreon (and read 10+ pages ahead!): patreon.com/itthatmeowed Commissions, high-res .png packs, and tip jar on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/itthatmeowed Read Stars Fallen on ComicFury: comicfury.com/read/starsfallen or on Webtoons: webtoons.com/en/canvas/stars-fallen/list?title_no=879414 Follow my Twitter for updates!: twitter.com/ItThatMeowed

[warnersister]

Chapter 12 - A hanging in the Spring of '63

The Highwayman Series | Chapter 11 | Chapter 13

You run down the stairs, ignoring every creasing and creaking step on the way, hurrying into the kitchen to open the cabinet and grab a single shot round from the casing. You load the gun and tug it along with you as you drag yourself back out the front door. Penny had already got the horses from the field and was feeding them with fresh hay out front, while Maverick was too-ing and fro-ing up and down the stairs with the men’s luggage. they carried little for men who travelled a lot, but they were honorary cowboys, so were more conscientious about their horse's wellbeing rather than their own.

you collected a small bag of belongings, you were thankful for your stubbornness to own little and stretch it to be a lot; as the majority of your personal items fit into the small luggage carrier that comfily sat on lightning's side without him kicking up a fuss about the excess weight. Penny attached that to your horse too, but you hadn't the time to thank her - instead setting off in a sprint in the opposite direction where the large crowd was anxiously stood in silence, prepared for the first hanging in decades.

"Today we see the righteous deaths of four highwaymen who stepped foot into the wrong goddamn town!" Sheriff Simpson announced, gaining a cheer from a few members of the crowd who were simply grateful to see their ages Sheriff still as determined as ever to fulfil his role and duty in this town. He stopped to cough into his precious rag, trying to absentmindedly ignore the blood collecting on it.

"These bandits have no reason to terrorise this town!" He said "That boy saved you Sheriff" Doctor Bates pointed out, scowling as the man as he held his sobbing wife close to his chest. "That he did, and i am grateful for my life - however i have ingested a foreign drug into my system: an illegal one!" He barks back "They shall be hung for their crimes against this country. They shall be hung for their crimes against California. They shall be hung for their crimes against Texas. They shall be hung for their crimes against Miramar. And he will be hung for his crimes against myself and my daughter." He spits "with no jury, Beau?" Mayor Kazansky asks from the crowd, but the sheriff can only go pale and avert his gaze from the all-knowing wise man. "The reverend has blessed you, may God forgive y'all in hell-"

"Let 'em down, daddy" A voice said calmly from amongst the crowd. the large group split in two, as if Moses repeating his parting of the Red Sea and there you stood; shot gun in hand, aiming it right at your father who stood next to the four men whom the rest of humanity deemed innocent. Beau swallowed harshly "put the gun down girl, and go home" he instructs "no." he raises his brows "no?" "no." you repeat, voice void of emotion. "Y' dont even know how to use tha' thing" he laughs, and you switch your aim; firing one of the two rounds loaded at a bucket behind him, hitting it dead centre and being more or less unaffected by the recoil. "there are a lot of things i can do that y' dont know daddy. tha' ya wont know." you say, re-zeroing your weapon on his wrinkled forehead. "you still think im the twelve year old who cried with her momma, who milked the cows, who cried into your shoulder. i am a twenty three year old engaged woman with a hell of a lot of life experience. momma's gone, daddy. its time to let me go too." you say and Beau doesnt know how to reply, he doesnt want too; because he knows that you're right.

there is a moment of stillness, where no one moves and no one does anything. "dont think i will not shoot ya" you threaten, tightening your grip "dont y'love me, girl? this if for y'own good." he splutters out and you laugh "no, this is for your own good. why'd it have to be Maverick who told me why Jake left five years ago, huh?" you ask and the others in the crowd look at the two of you in question "that the only reason he did not stay to be hung was 'cause you'dve made me kick the bucket!" people gasp "so untie the goddamn nooses and let these men down.” you instruct "loose your daughter and your life, see if i care" you grunt and Beau clears his throat, mumbling something.

"what was that sir?" the executioner asked "i said let the fuckers down. now" he repeat quietly but with a bit more intent. the four men are released from their death sentences and they all walk away from the showing ground and over to you, all standing behind you as the rest of the town seemed to follow. "c'mon gorgeous" Jake whispered and pulled gently on your shoulder when your stance didnt seem to waver. you hesitated, but lowered the gun, dropping it at your feet, turning to see Mav and Penny giving you the nod.

you take a deep breath and step back, turning from the man you thought you'd love until death "goodbye, daddy" you say, and a path between the people is made to allow you to all head towards your horses, saddling on and beginning to take the road westwards: not looking back.

Chapter 11 | Chapter 13