#((not visible ic))

[lastlycoris]

She had made a scene yesterday, demanding her patient be taken to see a psychiatrist immediately so that something could be done with his med list. And her complaints went all the way up to the board that day. She even threw the big words in there - malpractice, incompetence, and lawsuits - and also demanded that Katherine and Matthew be sacked for their role in this debacle.

The board promised changes, but they stated they needed time on their end. Just a week to get everything in order - to investigate and do things right. President Berkley even looked at her straight in the eyes (okay, it was through Zoom but still) and gave her his word, even telling the rest of the board that Katherine and Matthew were suspended without pay until further notice.

Only with that action and the guarantee that a psychiatrist will see her patient tomorrow was she finally placated.

--

The next morning, she went to work as usual. Logged onto her computer in the office and still found that the EMR was down since yesterday. She had to wait till the secretary got here so she could learn her schedule.

...That's when Katherine barged into her office with a trio of prison guards in tow.

"There she is, she deleted all the electronic medical records. A hacker! A Chinese hacker! Detain her!" Katherine screeched shrilly and with no small amount of glee on her face. "Detain her!"

She felt her cheek bruise as she was slammed onto her office desk, arms locked behind her back. Even as she heard the click of handcuffs, she still couldn't react to what was happening. It felt like her brain was going a mile a minute but nothing below was responding.

Confusion. Shock. Fear. Indignation.

She felt them one at a time and all at once. Everything was happening so fast - and she could already feel herself being pulled up from the chair - and she could see Katherine's mouth move but she couldn't hear the words. Everything was wrong - and maybe this was all multiverse-snack-induced delirium - and she was still dreaming and it would be alright when she woke u-

--

And the next moment, all those negative feelings were pushed away as if caught in a wave - and all she could feel is a coolness in her head and heart.

As everything became crystal clear.

As the dots connected.

--

The electronic medical records (EMR) being down since yesterday.

The board asking her to hold off on acting.

Katherine accusing her of hacking the EMR now.

--

She was the scapegoat.

Everything in the prison's EMR was probably going to be deleted, if it hadn't been already. Because the Board and these two incompetent providers were in the same boat. This degree of malpractice couldn't have gone on for years without someone covering for them, and the people covering for them was the board.

Why? Because the millions of dollars not going to a felon's healthcare are silently getting pocketed instead.

Who were the felons going to complain to? The social media they couldn't access? Ha. Would they even realize something was wrong with their care? Never. Because most people trusted the words of someone who posed as a doctor - much less two pretenders working together.

And then there she was - about to expose their little game. Instead of them pocketing millions of dollars of government money, she was putting everyone involved at the risk of being jailed and of course sued for maybe ten to a hundred times that amount.

And she had been too blind, too trusting of the system to see it.

...

...She thought she heard something crack in that very moment, like glass dropped onto concrete. It was brief. She wasn't really sure what. Maybe it was all in her head.

Maybe it was something important.

But it definitely didn't feel important anymore.

"-and I caught you in the act, bitch. Trying to destroy this prison from within. You'll be going to jail for a very long time," Katherine crowed, hopping up and down like a overzealous monkey. "How does it feel to go to fancy medical school and havi-"

It's a bit funny really.

How could someone so incompetent ruin her life this badly? To the point where she probably will be going to prison for a long time for this.

It's actually... kinda comical.

Haha.

Hahaha!

"...What's... so funny?" Katherine's face looks confused, even scared - clearly not getting what she was expecting. That woman's fear was quickly replaced with rage - she'd try to cover her embarrassment too if she was scared of someone held onto by three guards while being handcuffed. "What's so funny?! STOP LAUGHING."

She obliged her for a moment, not even bothering to hide her disdain anymore.

"I realized that if you actually put even a tenth of the time and energy you spent scheming into studying medicine instead, we probably wouldn't be here right now."

Confusion furrowed Katherine's brows again as the woman tried to process her insult. But she didn't give her a chance though.

"But now Florence Nightingale must be rolling in her grave" she continued on, "You know - the Nightingale Pledge, the oath you swore as a nurse to put your patients first?"

She clicked her tongue.

"Tch. Can't even keep a promise as simple as that," she eyed Katherine's ring finger, "Looks like that wedding band's must be for show. Bet you enjoy cheating on your husband. Already broke one oath, what's one more?" She laughed.

"Pot's already broken, am I right?" she added as Katherine fumed in place.

"That's not true!" Katherine stomped, "Don't speak nons-"

"I bet it's Matt. Like attracts like," she continued on, "A perfect match. Two of the most incompetent people I've ever had the misfortune o-"

"Shut up! You hacked and deleted everything from the system, and you'll-

"-f meeting. That picture of the kid on your desk, is he really an Ashcroft or is he a Matthew Gre-"

"-definitely go to jail for a long time. And-and-"

"-eene. Or." she gasped dramatically, even as Katherine charged over with a raised arm, "Maybe it's one of these guys holding onto m-"

Katherine drew a hand back, inches away from her.

"Shut the fuck up!"

Katherine swung.

Just as she turned her face towards the woman's hand.

"AAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Katherine yanked her bitten hand back as hard as she could and stumbling ass-first onto the floor.

Oh. That asshole's face was almost tolerable now.

All she could see was fear in the other woman's eyes, like prey animal trying to keep a predator in view. The bleeding hand was buried into the woman's shirt, soiling it a deep red. Kat's mouth sputtered -

Oh did she look like that when Kat barged in moments ago with the guards? Wow, hope she didn't look as pathetic back then as Kat did now.

Still, seeing Kat so distraught made the pain of taking a slap with her face worth it.

Just like how she predicted things would happen, starting from her first insult.

She spat out the chunk of flesh still in her mouth onto the floor.

"You can have it back. Don't wanna catch whatever made you so stupid," she said seriously. Kat meanwhile fixated on the chunk of flesh onto the ground.

Yeah, it's pretty big. Almost the size of a quarter.

Oh that's cute.

Kat's hyperventilating. Aaaand the young gal's gone and unloaded her bowels. Oh dear. Code Brown. Guess that's what happens when one plays stupid games and wins prizes far more than they bargained for.

"Hey. Can one of you guys wipe my face? I don't want to go to my new accommodations looking like a serial killer. I promise I won't bite," she asked, but she faltered upon seeing the stoic, cautious expressions on the guard's faces, " Ahh, I guess that's a no? Alright, fine. Take me away then."

The guards actually listened to her then, guiding her roughly towards the door. Now that's funny. It almost seems like she made herself the leader by taking Kat down. Sadly, she doubted they'd let her go though.

Oh wait. Time to finish up.

"Sorry, guys. Just need a quick moment," she said halfway through the door and turned back towards Kat.

Insult to injury.

"Oh hey. Hey, Kat," she not-whispered playfully.

The woman turned despite clearly not wanting to, sobbing.

"Hope you like taking antiretrovirals for life."

The guards didn't seem to understand what she said, but from the way Kat's eyes widened, a woman who worked in the field of medicine, Kat definitely understood what she implied.

"Y-y-"

Ignoring the stammering Kat, she turned away from what was once her office.

No way back now.

There is only forward.

[millenniumdueled]

"Can't sleep, Partner?"

Yugi opens his eyes to find the spectral form of his other self, a ghost only he can see, sitting at the edge of his bed. He makes a face as he sits himself upright against the pillow. "you too, huh?"

Suddenly, the Other Yugi straightens, like a cat on high alert. Yugi's own eyes widen. "so you heard that too--"

"Shh."

Silence falls between the two, and neither moves a muscle. Then it comes again, the sound of a woman's voice calling for help. But this time, in the stillness of their bedroom, a realization hits the two of them: is isn't their ears hearing the cries, but their heart.

No sooner does that thought occur to them, the bedroom falls away, the sudden change of scenery hitting them both with whiplash as the impossible, escherian stairs of the Other Yugi's soul room surround them on all sides.

"oh," Yugi says softly as he looks around himself. "this is your...."

"Mm. Someone is in here."

Yugi's attention snaps back to the other man beside him. "in here...? in our heart???"

The Other Yugi doesn't answer. As another cry for help rings out, echoing clearly through the maze of stairs and doors, he takes off running to try and find the source. "wait up!!!" Yugi calls, running after the Other.

The two race up and down impossible stairs, throw open doors to nowhere. The Other Yugi grabs his Partner's hand as he starts to reach for a door that he already knows is no good and shakes his head, before the two run off to try another.

The search seems tireless as both Yugis race back and forth throughout the unending maze of the Other Yugi's soul room. As they meet again in the place where they started, in front of the door to the void between their rooms, Yugi looks exasperated. "i don't hear her anymore..."

The Other Yugi doesn't answer. Instead, a different, familar cry, like some kind of pokemon, catches his attention, makes him turn on his heel.

"Kuriboh--?!"

Sure enough, atop one flight of stairs, bounces the furry little fiend. Once their eyes meet, however, the furball turns, bouncing into the darkness, chirping its "kurikurii~!" the entire way.

"does kuriboh want us to follow it?!"

The question hasn't even left Yugi's lips before he's racing after his Other Self in the direction the monster had gone. The escherian staircases fall away, the expansive walls grow narrower, as Yugi realizes they're following the Kuriboh down a blank hallway now. And this... This is new. He's only been inside of his Other Self's room a few times, but it's never been anything other than those stairs and many, many doors....

His eyes widen.

The hallway ends suddenly with a single, heavy, metal door. Though Kuriboh turns to bright light and slips easily though the keyhole, the Yugis both skid to a stop.

The Other Yugi neither hesitates nor speaks as he reaches for the door's handle.

Instead of the worn, intricately carved sandstone that makes up this room, before them stretches a long hall of black and white, long shadows cast from a blinding, unknown light source. Yugi's eyes go wide and he gives the Other's hand a little squeeze. "has that always been here...?"

"No I've never seen this before," the Other Yugi confirms, voice cautious, eyes narrowed. The woman's voice calls out for help again, and his violet red eyes flash with surprise. Is that the silhouette of a girl dashing between the oversaturated trees? He returns the squeeze. "Stay close and be careful, Partner," he warns as he takes a cautious step forward.

His foot meets nothing. Unable to react in time, he pulls Yugi after him by his held hand.

The place they find themselves is... Unexpected, to say the least. They don't hit the ground, rather their descent slows until the pair are left floating, high above a large castle, surrounded by an expanse of green grass cut by a blue river below. But the serene scene is marred by a dark shadow, a massive orb of radiating darkness looming overhead. at the center of the dark sun, a single, yellow eye stares out, straight ahead at the two floating like ghosts over this new domain. As they watch, monsters, dragons, a siren, are sucked from the forests and fields below, pulled, struggling, into the abyss that hovers over them.

With wide eyes, Yugi gives his Other a glance. "wgat is that--?!"

The Other Yugi's eyebrows twitch into a tightly knit scowl. He doesn't answer immediately, until something inside his heart pulls his attention back to the castle below him. A small sound, somewhere between a hum and a grunt, is the only response that Yugi gets before he finds himself following his Other, floating down, down, down.

They enter the castle through a hall window, joining hands again as they find themselves slowly lowering. The hall they arrive in is massive, though completely empty aside from three statues, resembling dragons and encased in the same icy crystal that had covered the Tablet of Memories back in the museum the day before.

"Three dragons...?" the Other Yugi wonders.

"You came!!""

As they ponder the statues, a voice makes them both jump. They spin on their heels, turning quickly to face--

"dark magician girl?!" Yugi squeaks.

Sure enough, standing before them, a pleading look in her bright blue eyes, is a monster they both know well. She looks nervous, clutching her staff in both hands.

"You're the one who's been calling for help?" the Other Yugi asks.

"Yes..." she answers hesitantly. "I need your help! Both of our worlds are in danger..."

"Tell us what's going on," the Other Yugi demands.

And so, she explains. The Dark Magician girl explains that their worlds run parallel to each other, that this world of monsters was created by the thoughts and souls of the people of Yugi's world. That they exist codependently, a world of magic and a world of the mundane. The two Duelists stay quiet as they listen, a look of nervous wonder on Yugi's face, an unreadable, tight-browed expression on the Other's.

She goes on. That dark sun looming overhead, she explains, has been devouring the monsters of her world, leaving only a handful left to hide within the castle. Other Yugi's expression softens as he feels the sorrow and sympathy inside his Partner's heart.

"Partner...."

"isn't there any way to save both of our worlds...?" Yugi asks.

Now, the Dark Magician Girl goes quiet. She takes a deep breath, holding her staff straight and close to her chest as she suddenly rises into the air without another word. Lifting her head, she looks to the statues behind the Duelists.

"These dragons have protected our world since ancient times. But they used up their power in past battles, and fell into deep hibernation," she explains. "No one knows their names, or just how long they've been here...."

Other Yugi's hand tightens around his Partner's. "Nameless dragons..." he mutters. With a light jump, he rises into their air after the Magician, gently tugging Yugi along with him.

"There's a legend about these dragons though. That one day, when our worlds both need it, a True Duelist would arrive. Only they hold the power to wake these dragons..."

The Yugis look at each other. Then, to the dragons once more.

"a true duelist...." Yugi chews on the words as his

"Mm..." the Other ponders quietly. A golden-hilted sword protrudes from the eye of the dragon before them and catches his gaze.

"Masters, I believe you were chosen to free the dragon!" the Dark Magician Girl cries. "Remove the sword and call out its name..."

"You said no one knows their names," the Other Yugi points out.

"The chosen Duelists will know when it's needed of them. Please, you have to try!!"

There's another moment of hesitation.

"Partner..."

Yugi just nods confidently, and it's settled. Together, they each reach out one hand, taking the sword at once. And just like that, without any resistance, the sword slides free of the crystal below, and Yugi gasps.

"other me--"

"Yeah." He takes a deep breath.

"Timaeus!!! Awaken!" they call as one.

An ear splitting CRACK echoes through the hall. The crystal falls away, crashing to the floor below as the teal dragon below roars to life. It throws back its head, and the power it emits makes Yugi tremble.

"i can feel it--" he gasps, wide eyed.

"Timaeus can awaken the dormant power of all monsters," the Other Yugi says, awestruck.

The moment seems to last forever as the two hover, gazing in wonder at the great beast.

"Duelists!!!" Dark Magician Girl's voice breaks the two from their mesmerized trance. "Use its power!"

"oh--"

"Mm."

The two look at each other and nod. Side by side, a mirror image of each other, they stretch out a hand toward the mighty dragon. The energy pulses between them, a terrible pressure and a rush of wind, and heat as the dragon roars again--

Yugi sits up in his bed with a start, gasping as his eyes fly open. His breath comes heavy as he looks quickly around himself, trying frantically to get his barings.

A dream.

A dream!

Of course that was just a dream.

He leans back against his pillow, taking, holding, and releasing a deep breath. He can feel his Other Self inside his heart, nothing seems to be wrong. He watches the glow of rainbow lights dance across his floor from the sky light window over his desk. It's pretty, calming....

"what is that light anyway?" he wonders aloud. "an aurora?"

He starts to close his eyes, to drift back off to sleep, to a more relaxing dream, before a suddeb realization has his heart leaping into his throat once again.

Domino City doesn't get auroras.

A monsterous roar from outside confirms his fears. Without another moment's hesitation, he bolts from the bed, grabbing the Puzzle, his phone, and his Duel Disk as he races down the stairs and outside, dressed in only his pajamas and jacket.

[lastcompact]

>> < Mutation: 72% >

>> That number was getting higher and higher, and your body was getting slower and stiffer to match - as if your muscles were being exchanged for fibers and bark.

>> Sato didn't look too well either, though she proved to have greater resistance to what was going on than you. She was supporting you at this point. You told her to leave you behind - that maybe she could escape further and bring help.

"I'm not an idiot. If I leave you behind, I probably won't be seeing you again," Sato complained. "If we're going to die, we're dying together. And that's that."

"...That is probably the best and worst romantic statement anyone's ever said to me."

>> Sato covered her mouth as she gasped.

"Someone else gave you romantic statements???"

>> Her hands go through the motions of sharpening a pretend knife.

>> You roll your eyes.

-----

>> A shadow is cast on the streets and buildings around you, and both of you reflexively turn around to face the green sky.

>> Dusky clouds, from ground to sky, are slowly swallowing the emerald sun that was making your life miserable.

>> ...No. It was a large silhouette. A familiar shadow. The same one that attacked the Dream - known as the Bright Expanse - a timeline ago. The canine-like creature that was summoned up from the Earth.

>> Tienkou.

>> The outline of teeth formed from the mass of shadows and surrounded the emerald sun.

>> - and without fanfare simply snapped around the -...

>> ...

>> ...What?

Fourth Wall has been triggered.

>> There was something important before. In the sky. You just saw it earlier. And then the giant mystery dog that wasn't a dog came and ate up. But...what was it?

Fourth Wall has been triggered.

>> You're at the cusp of remembering it. It's at the edge of your thoughts, but it refuses to make itself known - as if trying to recall the details made you forget it instead.

>> Work backwards then. You can recall what it's not.

>> It wasn't manmade. It did not have corners. It did not have edges.

Fourth Wall has been triggered.

>> It wasn't Black. It wasn't White. It was...not Red. Orange.

Fourth Wall has been triggered.

>> Yellow. Blue. Indigo. Viol-

>> Unease fills you as you continue looking at the space where something should be. Meanwhile, the kaiju-sized beast doesn't sink into the ground like it had done before. It's shaking - no - it's sniffing the air.

"Lev, you okay?" Sato inquired, squinting, "What are you staring at?"

>> You nod your head briefly and then raise your hand to signal you needed silence. You had to focus. You were so close.

Fourth Wall has been triggered.

>> ...Have you done something like this before?

>> Remembering something by recalling what it's not?

>> ...That's not a normal thing people do, right?

>> Damn it. Focus.

Fourth Wall has been triggered.

>> Tch. Fourth Wall is still getting pinged. Except now there's something off about the System message.

>> Where's the "You have Resisted?"

>> ...Is something redirecting your thoughts?

>> You quickly focus on your game of twenty questions.

>> It wasn't a moon. It wasn't the earth.

>> ...You can track your line of reasoning,

>> It's a Green Sta-.

>> No. It's a Green Sun.

--------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------

What's left of Vatican City is no longer in view. Sato's no longer here either. She herself wasn't here either, at least not physically - how she knew that, she wasn't quite sure, but she just did.

Instead, what surrounded her was an endless white devoid of shadow - as if the air itself illuminated this place. Faint translucent strings are spread throughout this entire place like a giant web. She's been here before - this White Space - it was familiar to her.

What wasn't familiar was the Green Sun pulsating high above, translucent strings radiating from it. The same Green Sun that the dog-like being had consumed moments ago. The Sun is being wrapped by a dark smoke, its glow being snuffed out.

Slowly but surely, the Green Sun disappears into the dark.

Then the darkness itself forms a new shape.

A black lightbulb glowing darkly.

The same lightbulb you've seen Lils create before.

A disembodied eye emerges from the lightbulb, and her heart stops upon seeing that eye lock onto her. Without so much as a warning, the same smoke that surrounded the Green Sun lashes out towards her.

She backpedals away as fast as she could from the growing wave of smoke. But she knew she couldn't keep retreating forever.

Instinctively, she thrusts a hand into her head and pulls.

What came out was a green strin-

--------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------

Fourth Wall has reactivated.

>> You collapse onto the ground. Or at least you would have if it weren't for Sato supporting you.

"Lev, you okay? What the hell?"

>> Sato turns from you to the space in the sky. Tienkou is no longer visible, just an evening sky with the moon high above. You also idly note that your Mutation percentage had started to drop.

"Wasn't there somethi-"

"Don't try to remember it. I just nearly screwed myself over trying."

>> You forcibly shake your head to prevent yourself from trying to trace your mental steps. You remember the White Space. You remember the light bulb.

>> What you don't remember was what was in that light bulb. And from the sweat drenching your back, you figure you were probably better off not knowing.

"There's some things better left forgotten."

[mushroompollution]

Pretending you don't see the things right in front of you doesn't actually make them go away, you know.

[ funny, because deleting this ask certainly made it disappear! but that doesn't quite seem to quell the way his hands shake as they hold his phone so tight, he wonders if he might crush it in his grip. ]

[daemonduality]

She felt it as soon as she took a step outside the Inn.

The world was wrong.

On the surface, nothing was out of the ordinary. The moon and stars still hung on the canvas of the night sky. People chattered about why there were more sirens going on as usual (there were always sirens in this part of town). Nighttime businesses still doing their thing.

But on a deeper level, she could feel the world slowly unraveling like a ball of yarn becoming straightened. And something or someone is deliberately pulling on those strings.

The moment she stepped outside, she could feel that invisible hand latch onto her head. Tried to drag something out, but she was faster. The Torn Notebook swiped at whatever connected her to that entity, and the sensation of having something dragged out of her vanished as if it were a dream.

Only the Torn Notebook glowing violently purple in her hand was the only sign something had happened - that someone just tried to force a Karmic connection with her.

To her, it's clear someone was trying to rewrite reality. There's no other reason why someone would wield Karma on such a large scale.

And as she rode her scooter towards the street Ava had shown, it didn't take her long to notice what was being changed.

She could see the echoes of what had been.

The park that she just passed by on her scooter? That was a church three hours ago when she was coming back from groceries.

The mansion plain and unadorned? That used to have a giant sleigh with Ol' Saint Nick riding it - and his herd of cigar-smoking reindeer.

Except now there was no such thing as Christmas anymore or anything related to it.

And no one noticed anything changed.

To them, this was how it's been like.

That is what Severing Karma means. Wiping something out of existence so thoroughly that reality just fills in the gaps.

It really didn't take a genius to figure out that something very bad must've happened at the Vatican. To Levant and Sato.

At this point, all she could do for them was hope that they would come back safe and track down Chi and her friends to make sure they're okay too.

[orphika]

@cherubim-now-throne

You busy thinkin' with portals, or can we talk?

[sketchyonlooker]

The Case of Akazawa Shiho (DMGBeloved) - Pt. 2 (( Alt Title: Other Yugi Gets a Cult in His Lack of Name ))

--

Domino City was a ghost town; not a single person could be seen. Empty vehicles were left on the streets, doors wide open. Dropped food and bags abandoned everywhere. And yet compared to the subway station, there was actually few signs of death and mayhem.

Maybe a splatter of red here or a limb there, but compared to the bloody carnage underground, the streets were practically peaceful.

Did people get away somehow?

It was hard to believe that everyone was consumed without a trace, not when the monsters below proved themselves to be very messy eaters. Maybe because it was the subway where they were all summoned from? It was hard to tell.

The few monsters she found ended up wandering elsewhere. Those that could fly did. Where they wandered to, she doesn't know, but Japan would likely be facing more misery in the near future.

Whatever kept her and the stray dog she's following invisible continued to work its magic. Sadly, it didn't help the pain from her broken foot, the adrenaline from minutes ago wearing off. Even the walking stick she found didn't help much, but luckily the stray didn't have her walk for long.

The dog started climbing the access ramp of an empty building...

Domino Museum.

Why come here?

She took a step forwar-

Her vision blurred. She blinked several times as what was previously an empty museum suddenly became populated with people. Armed police officers were guarding the perimeter, dressed up in helmets and body flak - hell, she's never seen a pistol in Japan before, much less the rifles she's seeing now. The few families that lingered outside were crying and hugging each other, probably in reunion. The ticketing and reception booth nearby was transformed into a medical center, seeing as that's where people with scrapes and missing limbs were going - she'll probably have to make a visit for her foot later.

There were also many well-groomed dogs here who clearly stuck to their families. Other dogs - the strays - simply ran out again including the one she was following.

Thanks, doggie.

No one noticed her and her cosplay witch's hat in the bustle of the crowd - whether that was the weird invisible thing she got going on or their preoccupation, she didn't know.

...Huh. There's a commotion going on inside the museum.

Given she seemed to still have the advantage of being invisible, it couldn't hurt taking a look first before getting her foot checked.

-----

The Domino Exhibit was still here.

The tablet with the scratched out cartouche.

The Tablet of the Nameless Pharoah.

She had visited the Nameless Pharoah exhibit before, since there were rumors that Maximillian Pegasus was inspired by Egyptian myths to create Duel Monsters.

And then Kaiba announced his tournament.

“Come to the place where the ancient duelists and their cards slumber in the stones.”

She's pretty sure almost every duelist in Battle City had visited this place at one point. And everyone including her thought this whole exhibit was a KaibaCorp publicity stunt for Battle City.

Really, what sort of ancient pharaoh would have the King of Games's hairdo - and the guy with the blue eyes white dragon that looked suspiciously like Kaiba? Ha.

To see it here again though covered in crystal that looked like ice - right here and now - was rather surreal.

However, it's the newest addition to the exhibit that was incredibly peculiar.

A small stone altar filled with money offerings is seen in front of the tablet. Carved into the altar is a strange symbol that looks like a spiky crescent moon surrounding a star.

In front was a passionate middle-aged man wearing a Duel Disk and loudly preaching to a large crowd. The people around him were quietly hanging on to his every word.

"Do you see? It is the Nameless Pharoah that protects us all! He has delivered us from the evil monsters! Pray and leave offerings to our Pharoah - as symbolized by the trinity of Ra, Slifer, and Obelisk - the Sun, the Moon, and the Star!"

He punctuates his point by vigorously waving his hands towards the ceiling.

"Sir! Do you think the Nameless Pharoah will save the world?" said a child. One of the kid's parents was also notably wearing a Duel Disk.

"Of course!" the zealous man said, "The King of Games has clearly reincarnated after millennia to duel this evil! And have joined forces with the King of Dragons - the Blue Eyes King - as well!" He points at the tablet depicting the Pharoah and High Priest. "Why else would this museum become a sanctuary? Why else would the dogs - the agents of Anubis - bring us here?"

"Do not doubt his deliverance!" he announced to the crowd, his smile kindly.

"And now behold the miracle of the offering!"

The man places an apple onto the money-filled basin on the altar.

Immediately, a young girl with long black hair, no older than 10, popped out from behind the altar and snatched the apple, sending some of the bills flying. The girl in rags quickly started chomping on the apple to the gasps of the crowd.

"See! Our mortal money has no use in the Underworld. The best way to show our gratitude is through food and drink, so the gods too may feast!"

Wait what? Wasn't it just a girl eating an apple?

Chomp chomp chomp.

What was a little surprising was that the young girl devoured the apple completely. Didn't even leave the core or stem behind. But that didn't constitute anything spe-

The girl suddenly locked eyes with her, and her breath immediately caught in her throat. The gaze wasn't hostile, more curious than anything else. But it carried a sense of growing pressure. Bearable at first.

And then others - many that she couldn't see but rather felt - joined it.

Her knees buckled underneath that enormous weight, like getting crushed by the sky itself.

She wanted to take a breath, but the pressure on her chest was too great. She wanted to scream for help, but nothing would come out. Her body, her consciousness - her everything - felt like it was being constricted from all sides. And just as everything began to get dar-

Riinng.

A familiar tone.

The feeling of being squeezed out of existence stopped, and color returned to her vision. Her breaths came out in ragged gasps as she was allowed to breath again. Something in her phone buzzed weakly, but she ignored it in favor of the very dangerous creature in front of her.

The figure now staring at her...

Her heart dropped into her stomach. She can't remember what it looked like - just like one of those internet creepypastas.

In its place was a dark shadowy silhouette shaped like a girl.

Even without a face of its own - it definitely did have a face before - she could tell it is still staring at her curiously. However, its attention is quickly redirected to the banana that was placed on the altar.

A second silhouette immediately popped out from the altar itself - like a fish hopping out of the water. It eats the banana, skin and all, in one bite to the gasps of the crowd. It stops to look at her briefly when it lands before sinking into the altar again. The first one - she gets a sense it's a bit miffed - also disappears into the altar.

"Bear witness to our offerings descending to where the gods lie!" continued the man, face red with fervor. "For the Nameless Pharoah!

The crowd cheered on.

"For the Nameless Pharoah!"

"For the Pharoah!"

"For the King of Games!"

"Save us Nameless Pharoah!"

No one can see the creatures she's seeing, could they? Otherwise there'd definitely be more of a panic here. Otherworldly creatures - in their supposed safe spot - would probably not go very well right now.

She's also certain that whatever is protecting them right now is not the Nameless Pharoah.

After all, that sound...

Wait, didn't her phone buzz before?

She opened up her phone.

...A notification from the Stream chat.

[ You have been made Unknowable. ] - 17 min ago [ You are no longer Unknowable. ] - 12 seconds ago.

[holyhappyhour]

A Beautiful Monstrosity part 1

It's just around dawn when Nico Martin gets home. But that's not exactly unusual.

It's been, what? Not even two years since their last full moon patrol, a mere blink of an eye in the grand scheme of their extended life. But they give an exhausted sigh, their legs heavy as lead as they climb the four or five steps to their brownstone town house.

They aren't just out of practice, though. Even their busiest nights on the beat couldnt have prepared them for this weekend.

At least it's almost over. One more night, and they can resume their quiet desk job, writing their reports, filing their expenses documents, scripting explanations to the public for the week's spike in violence.

The moment the heavy, enchanted door closes behind them, their sturdy shoulders slump, their guard dropping along with their polite, signature smile.

A fluffy white cat greets them as they peel off their shoes to relax their aching feet. "Hello Bijou, yes, I know, I know. It's past dinner time, isn't it?" they coo affectionately.

In the security of their own home, Nico falls into familiar patterns. They feed Bijou, but find little appetite themself. Instead, they drag themself up the stairs to draw a hot bath in an attempt to wash the evening off them.

Four frenzies would have been a busy weekend, back when they worked the field. They'd responded to no fewer just that night. But at least they hadn't had to face some awful Monstrosity, like the night before....

They stay in the bath until it's cold. But they still don't quite feel clean as they crawl into bed behind the thick, black curtains of their room.

----

It's well into the afternoon when Nico wakes again, naked and groggy still. But they drag themself from bed and stretch, before wrapping themself in a long, satin robe. A fine luxury justified by the way that every muscle in their body aches as they move.

Finally, they have to eat. But a liquid breakfast is more than enough for today. And most days, really. Other nutrients are unnecessary for them, after all.

They drop a LifeBlood tablet into a glass of cabernet sauvingnon and give the glass a swirl, idly watching fizzy bubbles rise to the top as the tablet dissolves.

As they sip, Nico leans against the kitchen counter, watching their tiny back garden from the tinted window. A sunny day. An inside day. For the better, they still have another night of patrol to rest up for after all. They should get started on their reports, their version of each of the previous night's events for their higher-ups' satisfaction. Maybe they can find some time for needlepoint, or to read a bit--

Mm. That's weird.

They rub their stomach, frowning slightly at the glass in their hand. Yet they take another sip, even as they take the bottle to check the expiration date on their Life Blood supply. Satisfied with that, they pass the indigestion off as a symptom of a long and exhausting shift. Take their glass with them as they move to their living room to relax.

But the floral wallpaper swims and squirms in Nico's vision. Their head pulses. Their heart is racing now. The glass shakes though they hold it now in both hands. Their mouth feels dry, and they can't help but take another long, greedy sip of their wine and Life Blood.

Their head pulses again.

Their red eyes go wide

The glass shatters against the floor.

They know this feeling.

But the realization comes far too late, unfortunately. Their pulse is deafening in their ears as they brace themself against a doorframe. Trying to think through the panic.

They swear they see their skin begin to blister and boil and bubble, turning black before their eyes. Maybe they're just delusional from the oncoming frenzy.

Their phone.

Racing to the kitchen, they fight against all their hunger, all the wild instincts telling them to scream and tear and bite and feed. Their legs give out the moment they scoop their phone from the counter where they'd left it, and the device skids across the tile floor. Their fingers split open as they frantically reach for it, talons bursting from their nailbeds as a scream tears itself from the wide, toothy mouth of Charybdis that Nico's own twists into.

Somehow, they manage to touch the screen. Talons scrape the glass as they press their most recent contact. But as black tentacles burst from their spine, they can do nothing but scream, giving in to Monstrosity.

[nameless-brand]

((📑 if it's okay?))

Hinata - hulizi

Hinata, nicknamed Nata but not Hina, is a woman 26 years of age per blog description/header. Selfies usually involve her having a pair of large horns, curled like ram horns. It is unclear if this is a transformation or her natural form as her selfies also will show a more human form.

As of right now, she reports having damage in one of her horns - presumably left - which has resulted in a scab in her human form that was altered into an undercut. This is from a fight from an apparent entity known on Tumblr as damara. This still is inconclusive about which form is her "real" form as damage to a transformed state can also cause changes to the natural one and vice versa.

She knows Lillian from the past timeline, though how she does, I do not know. It's enough to prompt a "Nata?" immediately from Chi upon saying her username though.

Information is limited due to her sparse appearances and lack of direct interaction. Her terseness in her posts is also noted with less than 30-40 words a post, which is similar to holyhappyhour's usual word count.

Background:

There is surprisingly little background information about Hinata's world proper. I have seen references to Seattle - and from her recent posts involving the aftermath of the damara fight also Pike and Belltown, which likely means this is Seattle, Washington.

Given the same name of the locations, she likely shares a similar history to my world - and many other worlds. I suspect the hypothesized "Tumblr Prime" connects to worlds that have a similar history to it, though it does not explain the wildly different universes that I do encounter [see Ernastrel, Caligo]. I do not believe her world is where the main "Tumblr Prime" exists though - as that world appears to be entirely mundane aside from the obviously abnormal website.

It is unclear if she shares a world with Kris though. It may just be me projecting, but the way [ Kris ] is separated out in her post is similar to someone writing "oh god." What is known is that she reports having powers similar to Kris's - and being able to do almost anything Kris can do - anon's original question was along the lines of "weirdest thing done wielding kris's powers". Ultimately, that connection may be similar to that of a priestess to their god with said priestess being able to wield the god's powers.

Furthermore, it is unclear how common the supernatural is in her world. The fact people know that Hinata can revive the dead and can yell at her about it suggests that knowledge of the supernatural is fairly common (though people having powers is likely more rare) - it also means that people in her world are terminally stupid demanding things of an already tired, injured entity that has revealed powers that go above moderate powers (over a block's scale). It is likely Hinata has revived people before, given the response of others and them knowing how to expect as such.

Is the human form a cover identity then? Or is the horned form the cover identity like a sort of magical girl transformation? Is there a governing body for supernatural folk?

How common are these supernatural attacks? This may be similar to my world's situation with the whole supervillains and superheroes situation. Perhaps when a proper opening is present could the question be asked - along the lines if other cities have protectors like her.

Description:

Her writing style is very terse. As mentioned before, she rarely goes above 50 words in a post, averaging maybe around 20-30 - usually less though. There is usually hesitancy in her writing - and from what I've read, she has trouble with publicly speaking. These two are likely connected. The tone in her writing has a sense of emphasis and finality on every word - her terseness may be boosting that tone - like everything has been carefully chosen and that is all she will have to say on the topic.

She shows what Lev would call "aggressive optimism" - actually that was exactly how she described Hinata. Determined to be happy and have others be happy. I'm not entirely sure about the personal happiness part though - it sounds more like she'd sacrifice her personal happiness for the sake of others' happiness.

There's a dependence on others - for affection, for upliftment, for acknowledgement. She seems to judge herself based on her usefulness to others - gauges her own worth through that criteria. This seems to go far deeper than having service as her language for affection though. May be related to the hate she has for her birth mother as mentioned on an ask.

Her humor either involves playing the straight man to another's joke or utilizing deadpan. The former is seen multiple times with her interactions with cavalarbor. The latter is usually seen her "good morning" related posts but can be seen with her interactions with Kris (usually a combination of both).

With the aggressive optimism, there is a tendency towards kindness in her posts. At the same time, she's what others would call "silk hiding steel" when it comes to others and even herself on occasion. It would be a mistake to consider her soft.

There is no doubt in my mind that her threat against people harming her city after damara's attack is real. Furthermore, when the local anon party decides to direct aggression towards others, she often is there disparaging those anons. As for herself, she's more polite with terrible questions directed at her; repeated awful questions result in a less polite refusal before eventually a complete refusal to entertain the anons further.

Her claim to being able to do almost anything Kris can do likely puts her at the deity level. Given that Kris could be considered top-tier on that list (not that I've met many deities beyond the Radiance and the Templars' god), she's likely somewhere in that range. Given my brief familiarity with Kris's powers, this would likely include multiverse travel, kinesis, matter construction, beam attack (I guess?), Impose? ( does that power even work anymore in a world mired in Reality? Lev's issues say no.), clairvoyance? Reviving the dead? Is that in Kris's repertoire too?

It's interesting that she didn't comply with that request actually, given her service-oriented nature. Cost seems very unlikely unless the cost is towards someone else. Or maybe a fundamental belief of letting the dead stay dead? Harm to the universe when bringing people back to the dead? The "It's not my place" and "I don't have that right" seem like the authority for life and death belongs to someone else - may have been discovered from her first time to revive people?

Miscellaneous:

Hinata has three fiancés/girlfriends, an adoptive mom?, and an adopted daughter as mentioned in discussions.

She has a father and a younger sister. Birth mother seems to be out of the picture now.

She knows how to cook and can cook in large batches too.

Considerations:

I have to say that I'm glad that the connection between Kris and Hinata is a friendly one. Because the alternative would effectively pit me against my own nature given what Kris has done for me personally. And that would just be annoying to deal with while writing this.

Anyway, the elephant. Her dependency and need for acknowledgment are not something that I personally can solve. It can only be solved through the people closest to her, and truthfully the problem may never get solved - like an Idea that becomes someone's core. If that's the case, it's up to the others that are lucky enough to have someone so affectionately loyal to them step up to the plate and give her that acknowledgment and worth she needs. I mean, my powers of observation are not unique to me. People must've have noticed, especially the ones closest to her.

As for money - if she wanted money, she could've had money.

Providing a safe haven in another world is likely pointless to someone like her. Her safe haven is where her heart is. She will not abandon her home so long as her loved ones are there.

Do they even live in the same world normally though? I know in-inertia seems to be elsewhere most of the time. The other two do likely live locally. Chances are they may have similar capabilities to her - will need to figure that out before additional considerations.

Maybe invite her and her loved ones to Lev and Chi's party when I finally get everything settled with the World Boundary. Probably learning a little bit more about her hobbies would also help when she becomes more active / recovered better from the attack on her city.

Negotiation Considerations:

Not wasting waking time simulating negotiations with anything close to the deity-level.

[saltspill]

M!Anon (If you want): A tiny, deep-green pouch, made of felt and tied with a metallic-purple string, appears in Arling's pocket. The pouch is speckled with little flecks of shimmery gold, and inside is a gold coin, big enough to fit in the palm of her hand and close comfortably around it. On the front side of the coin is a hexagon, bisected asymmetrically by a pair of vertical stripes, and on the back it says, "Hold onto me for luck! Be wary, I'm only good for a day!" A piece of paper slides out of the bag, with the coin, that further says, "Allows multiple uses, place in bag to turn it off, use sparingly." The flipside of that little slip of paper then says, "Won't stop the curse, but will give you a minute to breathe."

Arling is cleaning up the last of the wet dirt from the bromeliad disaster when they feel their pocket suddenly get heavy. Their first reaction is to go rigid, anxious as they retrieve the pouch and open it with caution. As they turn the coin over curiously, they almost miss the paper that falls from the pouch.

"What's that?" Vincent asks, glancing over from where he's been comforting his shaken plant baby.

"dunno. I don't remember picking this up anywhere...?"

Noticinng the paper on the floor near where he's crouched, Vinny picks up the note to read aloud.

"huh...." Arling hums, turning the coin over again in obseervation, before stuffing it into her vest pocket. "i guess it can't hurt?"

[millenniumdueled]

Yugi stares out the window, watching the pouring rain as he listens to the buzz of his classmates around him. Talks of weekend plans, of parties and karaoke and dancing, of movie nights, of bowling and roller skating. Of invitations never extended to him, only ever overheard.

Yugi wonders what it might be like. To spend the weekend having fun with friends, making memories and trying new things together. Of playing games with someone other than his grandpa.

Of course, he'll be spending this weekend as he has every other since starting college, and for many weekends before: working the game shop and playing games alone in his room. With a sigh, he takes his backpack from the floor beside his desk and removes an intricate, ancient golden box. He may as well use this time before class starts to work on his biggest project. It's been 8 years, but--

"maybe today will be the day i finally solve the millennium puzzle," Yugi says under his breath.

No sooner has he removed the lid when the small sarcophagus is snatched from the desk before him, making Yugi jump.

"Are you talking to yourself?? What a creep," Tristan Taylor jeers, holding the golden box far above Yugi's head as the smaller man leaps from his seat.

"please--!! give that back, it's my treasure!!" Yugi pleads. As he tries unsuccessfully to jump for the relic, another bully takes it from Tristan's hands.

"What is this, a jewelry box?? Only a girl would care about something like that," the blond taunts. Yugi feels his face go red. "You want it back, man up, gimme all you got and take then."

Yugi sinks into himself, suddenly feeling smaller than ever. He hugs his arms across his chest. "i... i hate fighting. please, joey, just give it back!!!"

The bully only laughs at him as he takes a peek at the contents inside the box. "What is this shit anyway? Looks dumb." With that, he turns the box upside down, and the small, golden pieces rain down over Yugi's spikey head. Laughing as the smaller man drops to his knees to frantically collect the pieces, Joey tosses the box to the side. "Let's go, Tristan."

It's hard, it hurts, but Yugi manages to collect the pieces without crying. He'll wait until he walks home for that, when the rain will hide his tears.

That night, as he sits at his desk at home, the pieces of the Puzzle seem to click together more easily than ever. And for a moment, his heart begins to swell with nervous excitement. Is this it? He's never gotten this far before. If he twists this piece half a turn, then adds this other piece, then slides that piece over....

He tries not to let himself get his hopes up too much. But another piece fits, and the frame of the pyramid comes together.

His fingers tremble.

There's only one final piece.

He's done it! He's actually solved the--

Yugi's blood runs cold as he reaches into the golden box for the last piece, his fingers finding only the smooth bottom of the golden sarcophagus.

no...

He grabs the box, turns it upside down, but nothing falls out. Had he missed a piece when Joey had dumped them back at the school? No no no. Then that would mean the Puzzle could never be solved. No, he was sure that he had searched every inch of the floor, over and over, ensuring he hadn't forgotten any of the shimmering, golden pieces. He leaps up from his desk, tearing apart every inch of his room in search of the missing piece to no avail.

Finally, Yugi's hope gives out. He collapses to his knees in the middle of his room, surrounded by the mess he created in his frantic search, and cries.

----

Yugi must have floated through the weekend in a daze of sorrow, because the next thing he knows, it's Monday. He doesn't want to go to class today. Why does it matter? His major is undeclared. Uncertain. Unfinished. Just like the Puzzle sitting on his desk at home.

The rain is still pouring.

Usually, Yugi walks the short distance from the Kame game shop to the community college he attends, but today he doesn't have the energy. His feet feel heavy as lead as he climbs onto the public bus.

As Yugi seeks a spot to stand amongst the crowd of passengers, he finds his way toward the back of the bus where he spots a familiar face. Tomoya Hanasaki, one of the few people as quiet and unpopular as himself on campus. Maybe he should say hi? If there's anyone he has a chance of befriending at all, surely this other outcast is a safe bet...?

But before he finds his courage, he notices the discomfort on Hanasaki's bespectacled face. Then he recognizes the larger man sitting beside him, a notorious bully from their college by the name of Sozoji. Yugi tries to listen, but he can't hear their conversation over the other passengers, the hum of the bus, and the loud music blasting from the headphones hanging around Sozoji's thick neck.

Should he help...?

What could he possibly do...? He's no larger or more threatening than Hanasaki after all.

In the end, Yugi decides to turn his back, to mind his own business. The last thing he wants is to make anything worse for anyone. And if he just makes himself invisible, maybe he won't attract any of whatever cruelty Sozoji is planning.

He doesn't think he can take another beating, not with his heart so incomplete.

The next day, as Yugi sits alone in English class, he can't help but notice that Hanasaki's seat is empty. His stomach sinks, a feeling of guilt slowly filling his chest. As he stares out the window, he listens to the chatter of his classmates around him.

"--shattered ear drums--"

"--total hearing loss--"

"I heard he tried to kill himself--"

Yugi sinks down in his seat. It's not like he could have done anything, right...? If he had spoken up, it would just be him in the hospital now...

The rest of the day goes by in a blur.

----

The weeks that follow seem to be filled with nothing but more unfortunate events. Yugi stares at the empty seat once occupied by his biggest crush, a girl named Téa with dreams of being a dancer. Abducted from her waitress job by an escaped prisoner several days ago, her body had just been found that morning.

Yugi only feels numb.

---

The weekend comes around again, and once more, Yugi spends it alone in his room. He hasn't had the energy to work the shop these days. Letting his own grandpa down too, now.

Yugi lies on his bed, eyes unfocused towards the single window over his desk as he tries not to think of the misfortunes of the previous month. But as his eyes drift to the Millennium Puzzle, sitting on his desk, forever unfinished without its final piece, he can't help the thoughts that creep into his mind.

He's never believed in things like magic. But his grandpa's ominous warnings of curses and Shadow Games come to mind. Is that what this is? Did he anger the ancient Egyptian gods when he lost that final piece? Is this the Pharaoh's Curse, taking out everyone around him before finally coming for the man who handled the ancient relic so carelessly?

He wishes the curse would just take him. Or at least, hurt the people who deserve it. The bullies that hit him and taunted him.

What if he had spent those 8 years getting stronger?

Instead of wishing on some stupid Puzzle?

Yugi can't take it anymore. He jumps up from his bed, ready to smash the relic back into its many pieces. He snatches the incomplete Puzzle from his desk, only to hiss in pain and shake his burning fingers as the artifact falls to the carpeted floor below.

Why...?

Why would the Puzzle burn him...?

Why does he smell so much smoke....?

Why isn't Joey saving him, like--

Yugi's eyes go wide as they stare down at the Puzzle, haphazardly lying at his feet.

The Puzzle piece isn't the only thing that's missing, Yugi realizes. His friends, his allies, the voice inside his heart.

This isn't right.

This isn't how his story goes.

Heart pounding in his chest, Yugi reaches for the Puzzle, only to find himself falling. Through the floor, dragged by a chain around his ankle into the depths of the Domino City bay.

but it was my wrist, Yugi thinks as the world grows darker and darker. and it's okay. because joey will save me.

joey will save me.

and joey's sister will save him.

and then we'll save the kaibas.

and it will all be okay.

Yugi opens his mouth to take a deep breath, trusting the words he repeats in his mind. It will all be okay. It will all be okay.

And it is.

No water fills his lungs, only oxygen. His red-violet eyes flutter open to a blue sky overhead, lush grass all around him. He reaches for the Millennium Puzzle around his neck and frowns. So that's really missing. And so is the voice inside his soul.

But it's different. Though it's quiet, his heart doesn't feel empty. Not the way it did when Duke's father had shattered it to pieces. Even without the relic hanging from his neck, Yugi can tell that he isn't alone.

He sits up in the grass and crosses his legs, tries to clear his thoughts and get his bearings. Whatever nightmare he had just escaped, it was only that:

a nightmare.

Yugi knits his brows together. He can't come up with a logical explanation how he got here, to this clearing in these peaceful woods. Without the Puzzle to cling to, he presses a hand over his heart and closes his eyes, trying to focus on that feeling that tells him he isn't alone. When he tries to call out for his other self, he's met by something unexpected inside his chest.

How did he get here?

Last he remembers, he and his friends had been searching for the Kaiba Brothers. They had followed the coordinates that Mokuba had posted, appearing on a Kaiba Corporation branded aircraft carrier in the middle of the Pacific. They had been escorted deeper into the massive ship at gunpoint, ushered by mechanical guards into a bright, white room. And then...?

Feelings of rage, of anger, of resentment. Of sorrow. Of fear and insecurity.

Yugi's fingers curl into a fist, tight against his heart as he tries to calm the storm.

"hold on other me," he pleads aloud. "i'm going to find you. i promise i'm going to find you."

[lastcompact]

>> You don't get it.

>> Shouldn't they have been attacked by now?

>> She'd been waiting for the Truthseekers to attack, ever since she discovered that the Truthseekers were hunting for Keter-aligned souls, meaning you and Sato. And you're definitely at your weakest, having to protect two dozen people and Sato in an incredibly hostile environment.

>> Some of the people under your care mutated spontaneously or proved they were too dumb to live. And it was always you with your girlfriend helping that had to get them out of the predicament.

>> Your left arm is broken and impaled now, having been forced to knock a kid out of the way who you ended up having to execute anyway. The red < Infection > debuff is already part of your status ailments, ticking slowly upwards and now at 12%. You would've cut your arm off if it would've helped things, but it seems it's already bloodborne now.

>> You spoke to Sato about this - if you show signs of turning. Just abandon everyone and run away on her own - but she seems determined to stick by your side.

>> Sappy words were said. Words you couldn't repeat even in the sanctity of your own mind without making you redden a little.

>> In any case, you were at your worst point right now. And you would've expected the Truthseekers to have come by by now. If only to offer to help you in exchange for your cooperation.

>> The fact they haven't is downright strange.

>> ...Unless you or Sato were never the target at all.

>> But that doesn't make sense either. The Vessel clearly refers to Lils herself, and to have a third Keter-aligned soul associated with her is so statistically improbable - 1 in billions - that it was laughable.

>> So it's either you're wrong.

>> ...Or they're wrong.

>> Oh.

>> Kryffin hell.

>> They're wrong.

---

>> Back in the past timeline, you had absorbed the memories of an old retired Templar that had been tortured to death, Samantha Golden. It's where all her near-uncontrollable urges to smoke came from.

>> It became useful when you vigorously interrogated - well, outright tortured - the man who tortured and killed Golden in the first place. Pretending you were Golden back from the then helped the interrogation out quite a bit. In any case, he was from Absolute Radiance, the group that became the Truthseekers in this timeline.

>> The interrogation revealed that, several years prior, the Radiance cult had kidnapped a young girl believed to be of the Keter alignment and then sacrificed her in order to revive their god.

>> Except it didn't work, because the girl wasn't Keter.

>> So clearly whatever method they used to sense soul alignment was flawed.

>> And then there was the Cassiel family. In the past timeline, they were highly active in their lobbying of the government to restrict the Exotics, the name of metahumans at the time. Most of the restrictive laws like registration and GPS chipping were lobbied by them.

>> However, this timeline, they didn't even make a splash.

>> As they were clearly a group determined to make your life miserable, you did some research into them.

>> A big family that worked in the packaging business - and a family whose children consisted solely of sons who were lawyers. You never heard of a daughter at all, though you admittedly didn't check very hard on that front.

>> Anyway, the fact that the Cassiels did almost nothing this timeline - despite all the superheroing and supervillainry carried out by metahumans - had made you extremely suspicious about their motives. Like waiting for a ticking time bomb to explode.

>> You were particularly suspicious of the girl named Aeria Cassiel, who definitely didn't exist in the past. (and the fact that you highly suspect she's you in this Timeline). Given how much she tried to cozy up to Lils and yourself, you were sure that she and her family was up to no good.

>> ...

>> But if Aeria was the girl that ended up being sacrificed in the past timeline.

>> It explains everything.

>> Why the Cassiels have done nothing against the metahuman community.

>> Why the Truthseekers haven't done anything against you here despite being at your weakest.

>> Because they're going after the wrong target right now.

[ldgsfk]

💭?

Crowley is not bee. That is her conclusion after months of thinking about the topic. Others seem like they have a bigger happiness including Crowley when people think of Crowley as bee though.

But she is not bee.

Because bees die if they are alone.

She is survivor.

Everything else can die, but she will live.

She does not need the happiness to live. She does not need the comfort either. Or security. Or companionship. She will live because of living's sake.

It is strange.

Because she is not selfish either. She can and will sacrifice herself for others and what she believes in.

But she will still live despite that.

Because she is not bee.

She is survivor.

[sorchamidnite]

How do you feel about @midnight-blue-blood

i envy hazel havin someone like her take an interest. you can take whatever you want from that!

seriously though. she did the right thing by hazel. she's... proof the camarilla's not as shit everywhere as it was here. she's one of the good ones. idk if i like her - i think she could make you like her, an that makes me nervous 'cause i got squish brain.

stop thinkin about bein dominated by fina please brain

i always wonder if she's related tae baron monty. they've got a similar... energy. all that 'don't mourn, organise' stuff, the builder's instinct, an when they get up an do somethin themselves you know it's serious.

[namelesschurch]

Weekly notes 6/30/2023:

Lev: Been testing Impose with the assistance of Sylph. Results have not been promising; admittedly, seeing her fail makes me feel a little relieved. The moment Lev starts really finding a direction in earnest is likely the moment she'll probably be getting into a lot of danger. I haven't really mentioned Crow to her, though she'll probably be reappearing in the next week...I should probably warn her.

Chi: Still do not get her unusual drive for school. Why school specifically? She does not seem to understand her own reasons or just doesn't want to tell me. I'm hoping school doesn't disappoint her...

Kris: His godhood is unusual in the sense that he retains his human characteristics. Usually, gods embody a concept such as rage or order - etc - and are usually engulfed by it. Just goes to show that the multiverse makes things different.

He however can still get bored, tired, listless, etc. Not sure what I have to offer - other than letting him go ham here. And though he does enjoy hanging out with Chi and Lev, it's probably not -fulfilling- he mentioned he likes to feel useful - probably to feel like his extraordinary powers - and potential suffering to get it- had purpose. I mean, I guess letting him deal with crime here would be useful - even if he's restricted by the World Boundary here, he still has the experience and technically can't die for real. It's not like this is the world I knew anymore, and the circumstances that led to the first timeline imploding are not present anymore.

Stupid Radiance. Stupid Dream.

Madison Ruarc (note the name change): He seems to be doing better after encountering two annoying bits of anonymous magic, which is concerning. Is he being targeted because he is an angel or is it something else entirely? The second one seems to be particularly ill-intended/problematic requiring someone else that I cannot recall off the top of my head to partially halt the effects.

He is currently living with some sort of entity known as Sarandiel - or at least was in the same room at one point - they seem non-hostile. What is of concern is that it does not seem that Mads may have his place of work anymore, which he seems to derive happiness and comfort from. He also doesn't like being off-world so-to-speak. Maybe create something that doesn't really require a time requirement here - like an animal shelter here with his assistance welcome as needed?

Chi seems to have already attracted another dog to the Inn on her walk with Lev. So we now have a chicken, 2 ducks, 2 dogs, and two cats (even if one of them is a ghost).

Random note, I am just going to admit this in the privacy of my own head.

I think it is an utter shame Gotham did not employ the Nameless City's stance on dog killers.

Erna: Met one of her friends online, Tataru. From the sound of it, considerations would likely have to be modified since it sounds like there's someone on it. As expected Scions is a close-knit group. Learning Erna having the capability to fight the equivalent of gods in her world is also surprising. Seems to be straining herself in regard to her comatose friends though if convo with Crowley is any indicator.

Crowley: Continues to deal with the hivemind algae thing. Lack of online presence is likely secondary to that. Her plan is interesting in that there's a way to somehow restrict said algae thing to make it seem like it is an ordinary, if probably toxic (red algae blooms?) algae. Makes me wonder how many supernatural things are being hidden in plain sight.

Hermes / saintworks: Still not sure how the "Datalight" went past the World Boundary, still theorizing. He is currently finding a new planet? to inhabit. What's left of his company after the attack seems to be a whole bunch of misfits and malcontents that are working together for the mutual sake of survival and potential new business.

Not quite sure how to approach, given Datalight for some odd reason passes through the World Boundary for no reason. The whole "don't want to draw attention until I figure out what's going on" to the "I can't figure out this person who bounces between rational and guns-glazing" to the whole "cross between AI and human body with some sort of very high-level technology that can pass as magic in any other world.

At least his cafeteria sounds decent. And they have food and housing. Safety, not so much.

Bruce / something-in-the-wayne: Upon my review of the dashboard later at night, he suddenly got very serious when talking to a kid that seemed like she was self-destructing and apparently entering into a dangerous situation. Probably because he's a father himself.

Other than that, not much changes other than some interesting advice from his own perspective as starting out with his inherited company. Which is useful. Unions could be used as a means to deal with annoying shareholders - the problem is I don't have any shareholders for them to deal with. Still cross-training is an interesting concept. No one really aspires to be a grocer after all. I can believe Farmer, but...grocer...Anyway.

And apparently he started using Grindr? again?

Not much happening on his front.

Nata: She seems to be healing from the wound she received (cracked horn) from Damara. And whatever aches and pains she's been feeling - perhaps just from a strenuous day - it seems that even deity / near-deities can still have aches and pains, though Kris also does prove that. Seems like Hermes can port things to her world too. She seems to be doing fine hopefully.

She does singing, which is interesting, though it does not seem like often enough - and the act itself has a special meaning to her.

Yugi: Introductions with Sarandiel have revealed some more of his hobbies, though the favoring of analog games over video games is expected. Seems to be more of a social creature, willing to do more things outside of his comfort level, if his friends are around. Friendship seems to be a big thing with Yugi - companionship and all that. This is assumed to be the main Yugi and not the other Yugi.

Clarification on the "Island Sinking." - so Yugi is not as dangerous as Lev made out. Lev made me believe that Yugi summoned a monster in a duel that accidentally took out the island with it - either that or this was just her exaggerating, which is likely.

Siege - strikingskeletonsiege - Backtracking on the dashboard - was likely one of the sources for Chi picking up the Flesh Suit thing. Also of note, Siege knows Nata - at least assumed given how he commented how Nata gets really stupid anons. He has a very lively personality as seen in his introductions with other people.

----

Lex Luthor - Earth-3 :: An interesting note that Lex has dill-emma's father's phone number - and used it to make sure dill-emma would be retrieved safely from a Joker (clowningachievement). Not much to report on this front though beyond that. He does note himself to be primarily doing meta-gene research and biology? except the way it was put like there's a supernatural element to it.

Lee (ultra-rage) - Well, his username matches his demeanor to say the least. Sounds like Lex really has a handful with him - sounds like that Ultraman (father?) really made a very bad impact on him. Superpowers and being easily provoked are not a good combination unfortunately.

Provocation seems to primarily stem from the feeling of being mocked? Or pointlessness. There's just a lot of disproportionate aggravation with his interactions involving dill-emma.

Has a soft side with Dove. Guess every lid has its pot.

Nightwing - slightlylessdarkknights - Haven't interacted much beyond the initial encounter. Seems to share a universe with thedarkestknight? and maybe kalkalicious? The times he is on, I suspect he is on patrol in the city as a superhero. Has an interesting mindset when at work - that everyone can be redeemed, and I'm assuming he is someone who will not kill another criminal.

His post (assuming again about dill-emma who is the inciting force of this week) is likely referencing her about how he cannot stand being drowned out by someone else. He doesn't like people who don't listen.

Ember and Jack - emberoops and cyberneticlagomorph - Linked due to the interaction. It is interesting that Ember works for Jack in some sort of "desk?" job. And that Ember gets PTO for an unspecified surgical procedure - or maybe it was specified and I missed it. But apparently he can divide into multiple bodies with a shared? consciousness - does having one part work and three part recreation memories lower the strain due to the proportion or amount of time lived?

As for Jack, apparently a somewhat lax boss who gives decent PTO. The kids are interesting, especially Egg who seems to be like in the terrible twos stage or something but perpetually. Jack is managing though. His world is especially interesting too - the Moon producing milk? Talk of fae, etc.

--

Miscellaneous: I'd been under the impression that Grindr is a branch of the Tinder dating website. I am technically correct. It is a dating site, but it is one that caters to the LGBTQ+ community. This explains Bruce's, while maintaining some level of jovial, somewhat taunting / somewhat "shame on you" posts.

[dreams-of-cerulean]

(( Because she’ll likely never voice it: 

Ohhh man. Lev really hates the thought that she had just sent Kris, one of her friends, to his potential death. It might’ve be temporary, but what if it wasn’t. What if Kris still insisted on helping, even with a portent of true death? And that thought is driving her crazy. She feels that Kris would still insist on helping, and she would blatantly refuse - it’d been difficult enough to get herself to summon him with just temporary death. And she feels like one of her few friends would hate her for preventing him from saving a whole bunch of people that he knew were going to get harmed. Even the hypothetical is distressing her immensely. 

And she also hates the fact she can’t even join him just to keep an eye out either because the point of Kris acting independently is to not draw attention on the Nameless Church. Because the other factions, after deciding they can’t kill Kris normally, would try to kill whoever is summoning him instead - and since extraplanar summoning has been made illegal on par with treason...

))