#6th of october city

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التبادلية اساس: تقييم (تقريبي وسطحي) لمدى تبادلية محطات خط مونوريل غرب النيل

 

صورة لمحطة مونوريل جهاز اكتوبر - الحصرى تظهر تقدم الأعمال بها. المصدر: صفحة شبكة القطارات المصرية، تاريخ: 18 أغسطس 2024.

على الرغم من أن إنشاءات خط مونوريل غرب النيل لم تكتمل بعد إلا أن أعمال الإنشاء تقدمت بشكلٍ كافي يسمح لنا بتقييم مدى تبادلية الخدمة بين محطات مونوريل غرب النيل و باقي المرافق الحيوية خاصة وسائل النقل العام بالقاهرة الكبرى، والمقصود بالتبدالية هنا هو حساب المسافة بين مبنى محطة المونوريل والمرفق أو وسيلة النقل الأخرى وسهولة الانتقال سيرا على الأقدام بينهما. 

خريطة مسار مونوريل غرب النيل. المصدر: صفحة شبكة القطارات المصرية، تاريخ: 26 مارس 2023.

هناك عدة اشياء يجب إيضاحها اولا: 

الافتراض الأساسي هنا هو قياس المسافة التقريبي بالأمتار بين أقرب نقاط من طرف المحطة إلى أقرب طرف من المحطة الأخرى بناء على تطبيقات الخرائط مثل جووجل، ولا نستطيع هنا الجزم بشكل مؤكد المسافة بدقة ومدى ملائمة الارصفة واماكن سير المشاة بين المحطات. 

المفهوم الأشمل التبادلية يتضمن عوامل اخرى مثل تنسيق جداول الرحلات بين وسائل النقل المختلفة وسهولة تنسيق معلومات الركاب بين هذه الوسائل، بالإضافة لتبادلية أنظمة التذاكر والتعريفة، وبما أن هذه العوامل لا يمكن الجزم بها هنا كمان انه لا يوجد بالقاهرة الكبرى - حتى كتابة هذه الكلمات - ائتلاف تعريفي أو منظومة تذاكر موحدة تشمل كل أو أغلب وسائل النقل العام، فالحديث هنا عن التبادل من منطلق سهولة الانتقال من وسيلة الى أخرى من حيث مسافة المشي والوقت المتوقع للمشي بين محطة وأخرى فقط.

نفترض هنا أن معدل سرعة المشي هو ١.٣ متر في الثانية وهو رقم افتراضي لمعدل سرعة المشي وليس رقم ثابت حيث أن بعض الأشخاص يستطيعون السير بسرعة أكبر من الآخرين أو بعض ذوي الهمم أو أشخاص لديهم كسور أو حالة صحية تؤثر على قدرتهم على المشي أصلا. هدف الرقم المعلن هنا هو محاولة لحساب المدة التقريبية للمشي بين وسيلة وأخرى. 

مشروع إنشاء المونوريل لم ينتهي بعد ونحن لسنا بصدد مراجعة نجاح المشروع من عدمه ولكن نبني توقعاتنا بناء على ما تم انجازه فعلا من المشروع، ومن المهم أيضا الإشارة إلى ان هذا المقال لن يتطرق لمدى ملائمة تكنولوجيا المونوريل لمثل هكذا مشروع من عدمه ولكننا نسعى للتركيز على تبادلية الخدمة بين المونوريل والوسائل الأخرى. 

التقييم سيكون إما ممتا�� أو جيد جدا أو جيد أو مقبول. في حالة مونوريل غرب النيل لا توجد اي حالة فاشلة لحسن الحظ، حيث ان اقل تقييم هو "مقبول". يكون التقييم "ممتاز" إذا كانت المسافة بين المحطة والأخرى لا يتجاوز دقيقة واحدة أو أن الخدمة المتبادلة داخل ذات المحطة (مثل محطة عدلي منصور والتي يتبادل الخط ٣ والقطار الخفيف الخدمة فيها). أما "جيد جدا" اذا كانت المسافة بين ٧٥ و ٢٠٠ متر أو بين دقيقة ودقيقتين ونصف مشيا تقريبا، وجيد إذا كانت المسافة بين ٢٠٠ الى ٥٠٠ متر (بين دقيقتين ونصف و٦ دقائق تقريبا)، وتكون "مقبول" إذا كانت المسافة بين ٥٠٠ متر و١٠٠٠ متر / أي كم ١ (بين ٦ دقائق ونصف و ١٣ دقيقة تقريبا).

المسافة المحسوبة لا تشمل المسافة داخل المحطات من باب المحطة لشباك التذاكر والرصيف.

حسب الخرائط الرسمية توجد ٤ محطات تبادلية مخطط لها:

١- محطة مترو وادي النيل وهي أيضا نقطة انطلاق خط مونوريل غرب النيل،

٢- محطة قطارات صعيد مصر / بشتيل

٣- الأوتوبيس الترددي - الطريق الدائري

٤- محطة مونوريل نقابة المهندسين - محطة ٦ أكتوبر للقطار السريع. 

بالإضافة لهذه النقاط التبادلية الرسمية توجد ايضا ثلاث نقاط تبادلية محتملة:

٥- محطة مونوريل الشيخ زايد،

٦- محطة طريق الإسكندرية،

٧- محطة جهاز ٦ أكتوبر - الحصري.

تقييم المحطات التبادلية المخططة:

١- مترو وادي النيل - التقييم (جيد جدا) المسافة: ٢٥٠ مترًا تقريبا - الزمن المتوقع للمشي: ٣ دقائق و٢٠ ثانية.

خريطة على تطبيق خرائط جووجل توضح المسار بين محطتي مونوريل ومترو وادي النيل. الرسم من قبل المؤلف. تاريخ الصورة: 03 سبتمبر 2024.

على الرغم من أن محطة مونوريل غرب النيل لا تزال تحت الإنشاء إلا أن موقع المحطة ظاهر على تطبيق جوجل، بقياس المسافة التقريبية بين محطة المترو وادي النيل ومحطة مونوريل وادي النيل تتضح ان المسافة التقريبية هي 250 مترا أي أن زمن المشي المتوقع من باب محطة المترو الى باب محطة المونوريل ستكون 3 دقائق و20 ثانية تقريبا، بالتالي فإن تقييم تبادلية محطة مونوريل  وادي النيل هي "جيد جدا".

٢- محطة قطارات صعيد مصر / بشتيل (جيد جدا / غير معروف)

المسافة ٢٥٠ متر تقريبا (في خط مستقيم وليست المسافة الجيوديسية).

للأسف لم أستطيع ان استشف أقرب نقطة فعلية يمكن للركاب للولوج منها بين المحطتين ولكن برسم خط مستقيم من مجسم المحطتين تكون المسافة ٢٥٠ مترًا تقريبا، مما يضعها في التقييم: "جيد جدا".

خريطة على تطبيق خرائط جووجل توضح المسار بين محطة قطارات صعيد مصر و مونوريل بشتيل. الرسم من قبل المؤلف. تاريخ الصورة: 03 سبتمبر 2024.

٣- محطة الباص الترددي / مدخل محور ٢٦ يوليو (غير معروف)

لم أستطيع تقييم التبادلية بين المحطتين حيث ان محطة الباص الترددي في تلك المنطقة لم تظهر بعد على خرائط جووجل.

٤- محطة مونوريل نقابة المهندسين / محطة قطار ٦ أكتوبر السريع (مقبول)

المسافة: 790 متر (تقريبا)

خريطة على تطبيق خرائط جوجل توضح المسار بين محطة قطارات 6 أكتوبر السريعة و محطة مونوريل نقابة المهندسين. الرسم من قبل المؤلف. تاريخ الصورة: 03 سبتمبر 2024.

في رأيي، أعتقد أن المسافة بين المحطتين تعتبر كبيرة عندما للتبديل بينهما ولكن ولحسن الحظ فإن المسافة سيرا على الأقدام تتراوح بين 790 او 890 متر حسب التخطيط النهائي للأرصفة بعد الانتهاء من الإنشاءات. ولذلك - من وجهة نظري - أظن أنه من الأفضل إنشاء أرصفة على خط المونوريل في أقرب نقطة من تقاطعه مع خط السكة الحديد السريعة بل ويمكن ربط أرصفة المونوريل بجسم محطة السكة الحديد بشكل مباشر بدلا من بناء محطة مونوريل جديدة بحيث يتم خفض التكلفة وتشترك المحطتان في المرافق والمحلات، فلا يوجد داعي لعمل مخرج رسمي لأرصفة المونوريل المقترحة إلى سطح الشارع بما أنه توجد محطة مونوريل أخرى قريبة.

أحيانا - خصوصا في منطقة متروبولية ديناميكية مثل القاهرة الكبرى - تكون أفضل النقاط التبادلية في منظومة النقل العام هي الأماكن التي لم يتم أخذها في الحسبان، على الأقل بشكل معلن، ولذلك سأقوم هنا بتقييم المحطات التبادلية الغير مدرجة رسميًا ايضًا:

٥- محطة مونوريل الشيخ زايد (جيد جدًا)

المسافة: 180 متر

خريطة على تطبيق خرائط جوجل توضح المسار بين موقف الشيخ زايد-هايبر وان و محطة مونوريل الشيخ زايد. الرسم من قبل المؤلف. تاريخ الصورة: 03 سبتمبر 2024.

محطة مونوريل الشيخ زايد لا تبعد أكثر من 180 مترا سيرا من موقف مركبات السرفيس / الميكروباص أمام هايبر-وان، بذلك يسهل تبادل الخدمة بين مونوريل غرب النيل مع السرفيس الداخلي لمدينة الشيخ زايد وأي خدمات نقل جماعي تنطلق من ذات الموقف. كما انه يوجد موقف/جراج قائم بالفعل للمركبات الخاصة. 

٦- محطة طريق الإسكندرية، (جيد جدًا)

المسافة: 170 متر

خريطة على تطبيق خرائط جوجل توضح المسار بين موقف المحور/ط. إسكندرية  و محطة ط. إسكندرية. الرسم من قبل المؤلف. تاريخ الصورة: 03 سبتمبر 2024.

لأول وهلة كنت أظن أن موقع المحطة غير موفق خاصة أنه لم يعلن عنها كمحطة تبادلية، ولكن بالنظر الى فيديوهات ومن بعدها على خرائط جووجل أدركت أن موقع المحطة قريب جدا من موقف ميكروباصات / مركبات السرفيس عند تقاطع محور 26 يوليو مع طريق الإسكندرية الصحراوي ( طريق سريع رقم 75 / M75)، حيث لا تتجاوز المسافة 170 مترًا تقريبًا سيرًا على الأقدام، حيث يمكن للمشاة السير أسفل كوبري المحور على المسار الموجود بالفعل.

٧- محطة جهاز ٦ أكتوبر - الحصري. (ممتاز / جيد)

المسافة (ميدان ومحطة أتوبيسات ماجدة): أقل من 36 متر- ممتاز،

المسافة (ميدان الحصري): 361 متر - جيد،

المسافة (موقف سرفيس/ميكروباصات مندولين): 405 مترًا - جيد،

المسافة (موقف سرفيس/ميكروباصات الحصري): 950 مترًا - مقبول،

خريطة على تطبيق خرائط جوجل توضح المسارات بين المواقف والميادين القريبة  و محطة جهاز أكتوبر - الحصري. الرسم من قبل المؤلف. تاريخ الصورة: 03 سبتمبر 2024.

على الرغم من أن المحطة لا تتبادل الخدمة بشكل رسمي مع موقف ميكروباصات 6 أكتوبر - الذي يبعد كيلومتر من المحطة تقريبا - إلا إن المحطة تقبع داخل أحد أكثر الأماكن كثافة وتبادلا لكافة الخدمات سواء النقل العام او السرفيس أو فقط كون المنطقة حيوية ومنطقة تجارية سكنية تعليمية بشكل عام، يمر في ميدان ماجدة عدد لا بأس به من أتوبيسات هيئة النقل العام بالقاهرة والسرفيس، وميدان الحصري وموقف مندولين لا يبعد عن المحطة أكثر من 410 مترًا، مما يجعل محطة مونوريل الحصري أحد أكثر محطات المونوريل حيوية وأعتقد أنها ستكون من أهم محطات مونوريل غرب النيل فقط بحسابات حيوية المنطقة وكثافتها.

خلاصة، ما رأيكم في هذا التقييم؟ هل تعتقدون ان هناك نقاط اخرى تبادلية على هذا الخط لم التفت لها؟ شاركوا ارائكم في التعليقات واذا اعجبكم المقال شاركوه مع اصدقائكم على وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي. 

[rabbitcruiser]

The 6th Avenue’s official name was changed to Avenue of the Americas in 1945 by the City Council, at the behest of Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, who signed the bill into law on October 2, 1945.

[nataliescatorccio]

CHAPPELL ROAN Performing at Austin City Limits Music Festival 6th of October 2024

[conceptproperties]

Mivida Emaar New Cairo

[boombox-fuckboy]

May 3rd is Bandcamp Friday, which means artists on Bandcamp get more out of your purchases. Why not support some of your favourite fiction podcasters, and get some crisp audio in the process?

Fiction Podcasts

Anamnesis (Full Audio Drama + Soundtrack)

Awake

Camlann (Season 1)

The Dungeon Economic Model (The Complete Series)

Folxlore (Part 1 • Part 2)

Inn Between (Season 1 • Season 2 • Season 3)

Old Gods of Appalachia (Season 1 • Season 3)

Sidequesting (Season 1 • Season 2)

The Tower (Part I • Part II • Part III)

What Will Be Here

Podcast Specials

The Deca Tapes (Puzzle Box)

The Dungeon Economic Model (Halloween Special)

Leaving Corvat (TEMPLE OF SLEEP)

Welcome To Night Vale (Live Shows: Condos • The Debate • The Librarian • The Investigators • Ghost Stories • All Hail • A Spy in the Desert • The Haunting of Night Vale)

Where The Stars Fell (The Christmas Chronicle)

Music From Podcasts

The Adventure Zone

Aftershocks (Soundtrack)

Alice Isn't Dead (Music From)

All My Fantasy Children

Among The Stars and Bones (OST)

ars PARADOXICA (When I'm Not Here • Electric River (End Theme))

The Ballard of Anne & Mary (Soundtrack)

The Big Loop (OST: FML • The Fugue )

The Deca Tapes (OST)

The Department of Variance of Somewhere, Ohio (OST: Season One • Season Two)

Dreamboy (Silent Night, Holy Night)

The Dungeon Economic Model (Royal Musical Accompaniment • Chill Beats to Build Profitable Dungeons To)

Eeler's Choice (OST)

The Fall of the House of Sunshine

Folxlore (Music To Dance With Your Inner Demons To)

Friends At The Table

Gospels of the Flood (Soundtrack)

Greater Boston (Soundtrack, Seasons 1-3)

The Grotto (Soundtrack)

Hello From The Hallowoods (Starcrossed Gods OST)

It Makes A Sound (Wim Farros: The Attic Tape)

Kane and Feels (OST: Volume 1 • Volume 2)

Lake Clarity (OST)

Leaving Corvat (Re-mastered soundtrack)

Liars & Leeches

The Lost Cat Podcast (Musical Features)

Malevolent

Midnight Radio (OST)

Mockery Manor (The Music Of: Season One • Season Two • Season Three • A Midwinter Night's Dream)

Neoscum

Nowhere, On Air

Old Gods of Appalachia (What is Sung Under The Mountain Vol. 1 • The Land Unknown (Theme) • The Bride • Familiar & Beloved)

Our Fair City

The Pasithea Powder (Theme • Mary Ann • Odysseus)

The Penumbra Podcast

The Polybius Conspiracy (OST)

Re: Dracula (Concept Album)

ROGUEMAKER (Soundtrack)

Rogue Runners (OST)

Skyjacks (Call of the Sky)

Station Blue (OST)

The Strange Case of Starship Iris

This Planet Needs a Name (Albums: The Nameless Songs - Landing - Growing - Shifting)

The Tower (Original Score: Part I • Part II • Part III)

Unplaced (Soundtrack)

Unseen (Soundtrack)

Where The Stars Fell

WOE.BEGONE

Wolf 359 (OST: Volume One • Volume Two • Volume Three)

Zero Hours

2024 Bandcamp Friday Dates

May 3rd

September 6th

October 4th

December 6th

[love-and-deepspace-wiki]

Historical Timeline of Events: Past Events

2047:

Autumn

Dr. Noah and Zayne go back to visit Skyhaven University and watch the First-Year Medical Student Oath Ceremony

Character ages:

Rafayel age: "23"

Zayne age: 25 (or 26 if past September)

Sylus age: 27

Xavier age: “36”, turns “37” in October

2046:

Zayne receives the Starcatcher Award

Zayne receives the Linde Award

Dr. Cooper becomes an attending surgeon at Akso Hospital

Character ages:

Rafayel age: "22"

Zayne age: 25

Sylus age: 26

Xavier age: “36”

2045

Spring, around New Years Day:

Arthur visits a cemetery with his granddaughter and spots Xavier there

This year, the Chronorift Catastrophe was 11 years ago

Character ages:

Rafayel: "20", turns "21" in March

Zayne: 23, turns 24 in September

Sylus: 24, turns 25 in April

Xavier: “35”, turns “36” in October

2043:

Zayne graduates from Skyhaven Medical School, obtained his MD, and started working at Akso Hospital in the Division of Cardiac Surgery

Dr. Joelle becomes Chief of Division of Cardiac Surgery

Zayne assists at the battle on Mt. Eternal, providing medical support

Dr. William (from the Evol Special Rescue Unit) dies on Mt. Eternal fighting Wanderers

Character Ages:

Rafayel: "19"

Zayne: 22

Sylus: 23

Xavier: “34”

2040:

The year Dr. Noah says Skyhaven University's cafeteria was probably renovated

Character ages:

Rafayel: "16"

Zayne: 19

Sylus: 20

Xavier: “31”

2037:

Linkon City is mostly rebuilt after the Catastrophe

Philo flower shop has opened where Sweetie's Cake Shop once stood; also serves as Jeremiah's residence

Character ages:

Rafayel: "13"

Zayne: 16

Sylus: 17

Xavier: “28”

2035:

Hunter's Association officially established on January 1st of this year

Azure Square is newly rebuilt

Zayne starts studies at Skyhaven Medical School

Character ages:

Rafayel: "11"

Zayne: 14

Sylus: 15

Xavier: “26”

2034:

UNICORNS established

The Deepspace Tunnel appeared above Linkon City

The Chronorift Catastrophe

Grandma Josephine takes protaganist in and becomes her guardian. Protaganist age is said to be "7"

Ruins of Lemuria discovered by an archeological team from the Deepspace Academy (Ms. Eleanor, Yennifer, Frederick, and Professor Sean)

Lumiere first emerges

2034:

Summer

Jeremiah starts actually living at his rented house

The Wanderer attack

Sweetie's Cake Shop is destroyed

Bella's death

Character ages:

Rafayel: "10"

Zayne: 12, turns 13 in September

Sylus: 14

Xavier: “24”, turns “25” in October

2033:

Winter:

Xavier fakes his death

Character ages:

Rafayel: "9"

Zayne: 12

Sylus: 13

Xavier: “24”

Summer:

Jeremiah: a friend of Xavier's. They're both from the Backtrackers

Bella: works at Sweetie’s Cake Shop with her father

Three days after New Years Day:

“Noah” retrieves the missing Archives file from Xavier's mailbox where he left it for him. He wants to use it for a new identity.

Xavier refers to “Noah” as his “former friend” and the end of that conversation

New Years Day:

Xavier decides it's time for him to leave the Evol Special Task Force

Character ages:

Rafayel: "8", turns "9" in March

Zayne: 11, turns 12 in September

Sylus: 12, turns 13 in April

Xavier: “23”, “24” in October

2032:

Dr. Joelle starts as a fellow at Akso Hospital

Spring:

Xavier joins the Bloomshore District Evol Special Task Force, Team 013

Xavier is said to be 23 years old

Arthur's 9th year as Captain of Team 013

Arthur's 16th year as a police officer with Evol Special Task Force

Character ages:

Rafayel: "8"

Zayne: 10, turns 11 in September

Sylus: 12

Xavier: “23”

2029:

Dr. Joelle graduates from Beiyang University

Character ages:

Rafayel: "5"

Zayne: 8

Sylus: 9

2027:

Arthur is injured on a mission. Significantly diminished his mobility

Character ages:

Rafayel: "3"

Zayne: 6

Sylus: 7

2024:

Rafayel is born on March 6th? (But he's Lemurian, so his listed age will be in quotations)

Character ages:

Zayne: 3

Sylus: 4

2023:

Arthur becomes Captain of Evol Special Task Force Team 013

Character ages:

Zayne: 2

Sylus: 3

???:

In 2033, Arthur says SD19940122 was an event that happened “decades ago”

2021:

Zayne is born in September

When Team 013 had last had a new recruit

Dr Joelle begins studies at Beiyang University

Character ages:

Sylus: 1

2020:

Sylus is born in April

2016:

Arthur begins his career as a police officer with the Evol Special Task Force

1900:

White Bear founded (a company that sells cup noodles)

Sometime prior to 1833:

Traceback II crash landed on Earth

"Jeremiah" came to Earth with Xavier/the Backtrackers

1749:

Lizio Auctions founded

[plateauofmemories]

Van Helsing, October 3rd: Friend Jonathan must come with us to sterilize the earth boxes.

VH, Oct 4th: The loose cannon- er, I mean, friend Jonathan must stay here with his wife today.

VH, Oct 5th: Actually he can stay here with Mina for the whole rest of the operation!

Mina, Oct 6th: Actually you're taking us with you for these very important reasons

VH: ... unfortunately yes that makes sense, you are so wise Madam Mina. You and the wild card will come.

VH, still Oct 6th: So when we find the earth box, we must move carefully to contain the Count and proceed cautiously, and out of sight, on our work.

Quincey: I ain't gonna do any of that! I see that damn box and I'll tear it open and gut the count right there, even if the whole damn city is there to see me do it!

Jonathan: *grasps Quincey's had meaningfully and in loose cannon solidarity*

VH, on the verge of tears: yes, okay, if need be we will all commit the murder in broad daylight

[pressure-machine]

THE KILLERS perform Just Another Girl ♦️ Estadio GNP Seguros, Mexico City ♦️ 6th October, 2024

[vilsoo]

‎ VILSOO PRESENTS…

‎ 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 ‎ ‎ 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧… 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐞𝐱 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫!

‎ 𖤐 ENTRY TICKET HERE 𖤐 ‎ ֺ [ taglist ]

𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐈𝐒 𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐘; 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐋𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘… Inspired by Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights, indulge in sex and horror galore at our premiere Kinktober event, HORRORLAND! Would you dare venture our haunted houses, experience our exhilarating attractions, and uncover the scandalous, deadly mysteries of Horrorland?

OPENED OCTOBER 2023 🕸️

fandoms: jujutsu kaisen, fnaf, re4, spiderman atsv, codmw2.

⚠︎ Beware that event may be too intense for parkland guests and is NOT recommended for minors. Horrorland will explore darker and extreme contents that may be triggering. ⚠︎

ㅤ ↓ VIEW PARKLANDS (KINKTOBER MASTERLIST) ↓

MANEATERVILLE FRIDAYS🩸we feed your fear from the thirst for blood, flesh, and lust that terrorizes the handsome men in town! can you survive the vastly evil sensuality of maneaters, femme fatales, witches, and vampires?

𖤐 OCTOBER 6TH: ❝ SEASON OF THE WITCH ❞ starring GETO SUGURU (jjk)

“love spells aren’t enough to make you mine forever…”

⚠︎ CW: witch disguised as sex therapist, implied homewrecking, slight yandere, witchcraft, seduction, impersonation, bodysnatching, body/soul possession, kidnapping, eventual smut, horror/thriller themes.

𖤐 OCTOBER 13TH: ❝ MY GIRLFRIEND IS A SUCCUBUS! ❞ starring MICHAEL AFTON (fnaf)

“an insatiable lust for flesh, gore, and sex…!”

⚠︎ CW: established relationship, modern au, halloween setting, malewife himbo bf/girlboss demon gf dynamic, succubus!reader, revenge, murder, flesh eating, tentacle bondage, msub!michael.

𖤐 OCTOBER 27TH: ❝ LUST AT FIRST BITE ❞ starring LEON KENNEDY (re4)

“i’ve always wondered what you tasted like, your highness..”

⚠︎ CW: historical royalty au, duchess!reader, coercion so dubcon warning, seduction, hypnosis, eventual smut, bathtub sex, marking, neck biting, blood drinking, mentions of killing, loss of innocence, multiple orgasms.

ㅤ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

S&H CITY SATURDAYS🍷a dark and gloomy city bound to corruption, sin, and immorality known as the devil’s playground. lurking within these streets beholds the prurient reigns of terror that which may also arouse parkland guests…

𖤐 OCTOBER 7TH: ❝ DEATHGASM.COM ❞ starring SIMON “GHOST” RILEY, KÖNIG (codmw2)

“never go too far in the dark web…”

⚠︎ TW: dubcon, kidnapping, sadism, voyeurism, drugging, bondage, impact play, sex toys, livestream sex, manhandling, exhibitionism, forced creampie, double penetration, mind break, mask kink.

𖤐 OCTOBER 14TH: ❝ FREAK NEXT DOOR ❞ starring TOJI FUSHIGURO (jjk)

“i love watching you every night from my window...”

⚠︎ TW: noncon, drugging, stalking/voyeurism, murder threats, perverted neighbor, kinda yandere, forced cuckolding, minor gunplay, bondage, degrading, dark obsession, kidnapping, eventual smut, forced creampie.

𖤐 OCTOBER 28TH: ❝ BREAK MY MIND ❞ starring WILLIAM AFTON (fnaf)

“it is not your flesh that sustains me; it is your fear…”

⚠︎ TW: dubcon, mind control (glitchtrap virus), sadism, kidnapping, murder threats, fear play, manipulation, predator/prey dynamic, implied age gap, degradation, eventual rough smut, mentions of vanny mask.

ㅤ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

HALLOWEEN DAYS ❤️‍🔥 these dark woods satisfies those with teratophilia… deadly creatures preying on their victims, serving their lustful fantasies with wild, animalistic urges! your arousal and fear may provoke them further, so beware…

𖤐 OCTOBER 30TH: ❝ SATAN’S PLAYTHING ❞ starring SUCCUBUS!GOJO SATORU (jjk)

“you look so pretty getting stretched out like that…”

⚠︎ TW: dubcon, female!gojo satoru, tentacle trap in the woods, tentacle bondage, rough tentacle sex, mindbreak, double penetration, subplot from god’s whore, throat fucking, degrading, 1980s setting.

𖤐 OCTOBER 31ST: ❝ BLOODMOON WHORE ❞ starring WEREWOLF!MIGUEL O’HARA (atsv)

“your perfect little body is all mine to breed tonight…”

⚠︎ CW: established relationship, miguel in heat, rough sex, soft sex, marking, biting, possession, breeding, knotting, impregnating, degrading/praising, power struggle, multiple orgasms, semi-public sex.

ALL WORKS BELONG TO VILSOO © 2023 . please do not steal my kinktober prompts/works/themes! reposting any of my works outside tumblr that minors can access is strictly prohibited. will be cross posted on my ao3 soon.

[gunsatthaphan]

~ Monthly BL Breakdown: October 2024 ~ 

☔️ Happy November!!! 🍂 (and Happy Halloween 🎃👻)

Disclaimer: ALL shows can be streamed here or here, as well as on Youtube and other platforms. For more info on where to watch what, check out this post! 

New breakdowns are coming at the end of every month - feel free to add stuff! -> previous breakdowns

What came out this month? (green = seen/currently watching)

🌟 Fourever You - October 3rd (Thailand)

🌟 Uncle Unknown - October 4th (Taiwan)

🌟 My Damn Business - October 5th (South Korea)

🌟 Every You, Every Me - October 6th (Thailand)

🌟 DMD Friendship: It Takes Two (reality show) - October 6th (Thailand) 

🌟 Eccentric Romance - October 10th (South Korea) 

🌟 Blue Complex - October 10th (South Korea)

🌟 Taming the Bad Boy - October 15th (South Korea)

🌟 Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo - October 17th (South Korea)

🌟 Love in the Big City - October 21st (South Korea) 

🌟 See Your Love - October 23rd (Taiwan)

🌟 See You (movie) - October 25th (Taiwan) 

🌟 Perfect Propose: Dream Edition - October 25th (Japan) 

🌟 Blue Canvas of Youthful Days - October 26th (China)

🌟 Perfect 10 Liners - October 27th (Thailand) ✅

🌟 Stealing From My CEO - October 27th (China) 

Monthly Likes / Dislikes

❣️ - Nothing overwhelming going on lately lol but I'm currently enjoying Peaceful Property a lot, it's so unique and fun and I really hope they consider adding more stuff like this in their 2025 lineup!! 🥺

New series & movie announcements

🎥 8 Hours (sequel to 4 Minutes) - Coming 2025

🎥 A Perfect Match - Date TBA (Taiwan)

🎥 Knock Out - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Who Can Define Popularity - Date TBA (South Korea)

🎥 Haunted Hearts - Date TBA (Philippines)

🎥 About Faith - Date TBA (South Korea)

🎥 Love Casting (BL reality show) - Date TBA (Taiwan)

🎥 Eyes on You - Date TBA (Hong Kong)

🎥 Winter is not the death of Summer but the birth of Spring - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Beloved Enemy (novel adaption from the author of My Stand In) - Date TBA (?)

🎥 Match Play - Date TBA (South Korea)

Other news from the BL world

❗️ The Korean BL Love Class will get a third season, allegedly with the same cast from the previous seasons. Further details are unknown.

❗️ A second season for the Thai BL 4 Minutes was announced titled 8 Hours. The author Sammon will partner with Be On Cloud again and the show will go into production in 2025.

❗️ Actors Mew Suppasit and Tul Pakorn publicly got engaged at the launch event of Mew's new single "Absence".

❗️ The Thai network channel One31 held their 2025 lineup on October 17th. The following BL productions were announced:

Taste

The Wicked Game

Love Carved in the Moonlight

❗️ The Thai production company Idolfactory released a teaser for their upcoming lineup for 2025. The corresponding event will be held on January 12th. The teaser however revealed the following series prior to the event:

Interminable (starring BillyBabe)

My Sweetheart Jom (starring SaintPoom)

Cranium (starring BeckyFreen)

Somewhere Somehow (starring FayMay)

❗️ After it was disclosed that DMD actors Thomas and Kong would no longer participate in the upcoming series The Next Prince, it was announced that Net S. and JJ R. will take the roles of Calvin and Jay respectively.

❗️ GMMTV released a statement saying that the announcement of the winner of the Y-Find contest has been postponed from October 31st to November 30th due to the large number of submissions. Earlier this year the company announced the project as a way for Thai fans to submit original stories, one of which will be chosen to be adapted into a series. Whether or not the postponement will have any effect on the company's upcoming 2025 lineup event is unclear.

Upcoming series & movies for November:

👉🏻 Bad to Bed - November 2nd (Taiwan)

👉🏻 Love in the Air: Koi no Yokan (remake of Love in the Air) - November 3rd (Japan)

👉🏻 Our Youth - November 5th (Japan)

👉🏻 Episode 9. Nineteen, Eighteen (special ep) - November 9th (South Korea)

👉🏻 All the Liquors (movie) - November 13th (South Korea)

👉🏻 Caged Again - November 15th (Thailand)

👉🏻 Your Sky - November 17th (Thailand)

👉🏻 Mhom Ped Sawan (bl side story) - November 17th (Thailand)

[fix-refrigerators-bosch]

مراكز صيانة توشيبا 6 اكتوبر 01210999852

مراكز صيانة توشيبا 6 اكتوبر 01210999852

احصل الان على خدمة صيانة توشيبا 6 اكتوبر مراكز صيانة توشيبا 6 اكتوبر نحن شركة كبيرة نهتم بكل التفاصيل المهمة للعميل وان يستمتع بالخدمات التى تنفرد الشركة بها والتى تكون منها خدمة الصيانة نظرا لأنتشار اعطال الاجهزة المنزلية .تم توفير صيانة توشيبا في 6 اكتوبر لبتر جميع اعطال اجهزة توشيبا توشيبا فرع 6 اكتوبر يتميز المركز بأنة لديه خبرة سنين فى مجال صيانة الاجهزة المنزلية وبقدرات فائقه لحل جميع شكاوي…

[rabbitcruiser]

The 6th Avenue’s official name was changed to Avenue of the Americas in 1945 by the City Council, at the behest of Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, who signed the bill into law on October 2, 1945.

[northopalshore]

Personal Solar Return Chart observations: 23/24

︶ ⏝ ︶ ୨୧ ︶ ⏝ ︶ ︶ ⏝ ︶ ୨୧ ︶ ⏝ ︶

I'll be writing down my experiences based on my 2023/2024 SRC. You can use it as a guide to understand your current & future SRC!

My birthday is on the 21st of December. So my SR isn't completely done yet but it's almost over so I thought I might share my experiences so far.

︶ ⏝ ︶ ୨୧ ︶ ⏝ ︶ ︶ ⏝ ︶ ୨୧ ︶ ⏝ ︶

🍰 Libra 1st house

• I had a major glow up in terms of fashion & makeup

• I received a lot of compliments for my looks

🍰 Venus (20° Scorpio) in Scorpio 1st house

• literally everything changed. It felt like a persona rebirth

• A lot of people were jealous of the things I have , but I found myself to be quite possessive with things that I like as well (i.e accessories, clothes, brands. I didn't like when other people were copying me lol)

• I felt like an "IT" girl fashion wise, everyone started to do what I did

🍰 Venus opposite uranus (retrograde)

• I felt the need to stand out in terms of beauty & fashion. I wanted to look different.

•It was definitely a lesson I had to learn this year. Unconsciously I believed that the things I own defined me (explains the possessiveness).I don't think so anymore though! I feel flattered now lol. Lesson learnt.

note: DO NOT overlook retrograde planets in your SRC! It's going to tell you the hard lessons you need to work on that year to mature & be the best version of yourself!

🍰 Scorpio 2nd house

• possessive with the stuff I own

🍰 Harmonia (7° libra) in Sagittarius 2nd house

• A lot of people complimented me on my voice this year.

🍰 Mars (19° libra) in Sagittarius 2nd house

• I shopped a lot this year, mainly makeup & accessories

• I spent so much money so quickly, I couldn't help myself, I found interest in a lot of new brands too

• I was also very passionate about making money this year/actively searching for new streams of income

🍰 Sun in 3rd house

• I found that I had to talk about myself a lot this year (i.e interviews, starting this blog!)

• Doing a lot of personal research to share with other people (i.e interviews, teaching friends, this blog again, lol)

• I travelled back & forth to near by cities often

• I was more active on social media

🍰 Sun conjunct mars

• lots of short distance travels (again for interviews)

• I'll be moving to the city in October

🍰 Sun trine Jupiter

• This year gave me abundant opportunities to present myself

• Being popular

🍰 Mercury (2° taurus) retrograde in Capricorn 3rd house

• I posted a lot of selfies online, but nothing that contained my voice.

• I was very picky & strict with what I shared with other people

• I started learning a new language & actually committed! It's part of my daily routine now.

🍰 Fama (16° cancer) in Capricorn 3rd house

• I felt like everyone knew I was a homebody this year

• I shared a lot of things from home on social media ( shared status w friends)

🍰 Fama trine uranus

• I was sharing movies & games I loved with my friends (a lot of them were not the type my friends usually indulge in i.e vintage movies, psychosexual horror, theatrical films, rom coms & all that jazz)

• now they know my tastes lol

🍰 Pluto (29° leo) in Capricorn 4th house

• I was unemployed for a good period of time

• My living situation definitely changed, I was homebound for most parts of the year

• There were big arguments in my parents'home as well mainly coming from my father

• I'm going to be living on my own on the later half of the year i.e being more independent

🍰 Saturn (2° Taurus) in Pisces 5th house

• Girl, I was not having fun this year everything felt like all work and no play

• I felt stuck & bored staying at home and scrolling through social media

• I didn't feel as productive as I should be as someone of my age

🍰 Eros (7° libra) in Pisces 5th house

• I was feeling very playful & sexual this year but since saturn is there it was dry season for me. No fun, no physical sex

🍰 Neptune (24° pisces) in Pisces 6th house

• I was definitely not entirely there when doing chores or work. I was daydreaming a lot while working

• I didn't have a lot of energy, most of my free time was spent laying in bed.

🍰 Chiron (15° gemini) retrograde in Aries 6th house

• I wrote about everything that bothered me in my daily life. This is how I managed to keep track of my feelings & doubts. I managed to do a lot of introspection through my writing. Anytime I was worked up, or had a lingering thought on my mind I would write it down in the heat of the moment.

🍰 Moon (24° pisces) in Aries 7th house

• A lot of my feelings revolved around my existing relationships, mainly my friends & close family members

• I was very passive in handling important contracts and just went with my instincts (i.e I didn't read documents as thoroughly as I should have TT)

🍰 Jupiter (5° leo) retrograde in Taurus 7th house

• I did a ton of introspection within my relationships & how I view romantic partnerships

• My values & beliefs surrounding what I truly need vs. desire in a partnership have evolved into something more stable and private. Sharing only what we both feel comfortable to share.

🍰 Uranus (19° libra) retrograde in Taurus 7th house

• I actively stayed away from getting into any relationship this year

• There was a lot of re-evaluating in terms of personal boundaries & individuality in relationships

🍰 Part of fortune (28° cancer) in 9th house

• I did travel long-distance within my country

• I plan to pursue higher education (university degree) soon, so this gives me a pretty good sign! Since it's in a cancer degree I don't think I'll be going that far from my state.

🍰 Briede (13° aries) retrograde in Leo 10th house

• I thought about how I would be as a bride, and how much it would change my life & career

🍰 Lust (19° libra) in Leo 10th house

• I was very open with my sexuality

• I shared a lot of movies that included sexual undertones & femme fatales (i.e Chicago, The virgin suicides)

🍰 Lilith (8° scorpio) in Virgo 11th house

• I learned more about dark sexuality, fears & trauma through online blogs (i.e Tumblr, Reddit, Quora)

🍰 Juno (20° scorpio) in Virgo 11th house

• I was really nosy about my future spouse lol

• I read a lot about him astrologically through online blogs & forums

🍰 Boda (20° scorpio) in Libra 12th house

• I fantasized about my wedding day, how it would be, what I would wear & who I would invite

• I loved the idea of a small intimate wedding where only people we knew and trust were involved

• I now have a wedding day pinterest board lol

Notes: Cancer & Scorpio seem to be the underlying energy that plagued me through this year. Don't ignore the planetary degrees!

My 2023/2024 SRC:

︶ ⏝ ︶ ୨୧ ︶ ⏝ ︶ ︶ ⏝ ︶ ୨୧ ︶ ⏝ ︶

*** entertainment only, reader discretion is advised***

Thanks for reading! ♡

@northopalshore

[phmonth]

Pandora Hearts Month 2024 Prompts!

Wonderful art made by for Phmonth23 by @yanderefairyangel!

What is Pandora Hearts Month? Pandora Hearts Month is an event that celebrates, well...Pandora Hearts, the manga created by Jun Mochizuki! Each day is a new prompt. The first three weeks celebrate the three main trios, and the fourth is a bonus week that celebrates any ships/friendships/ot3s fans chose and love--or simply any characters not covered by the other weeks! You can create edits, fanart, drabbles, fanfictions, amvs and mms...whatever you can think of, really! This year we have a fifth week celebrating her current work: Vanitas no Carte! (If and when you make creations for VnC tag your spoilers!!)

Pandora Hearts Month 2024 Prompts:

Golden Trio Week (Alice, Oz and Gilbert), October 20th-26th:

Day 1, Sunday Oct 20th: Yellow or Bones

Day 2, Monday Oct 21st: Rose

Day 3, Tuesday Oct 22nd: AU

Day 4, Wednesday Oct 23rd: Abandoned

Day 5, Thursday Oct 24th: Moon

Day 6, Friday Oct 25th: Winter

Day 7, Saturday Oct 26th: Ravens and Writing Desks

Rainsworth Trio Week (Sharon, Break and Reim), Oct 27th—November 2nd:

Day 1, Sunday Oct 27th: The Shadows Are Watching

Day 2, Monday Oct 28th: Sweet

Day 3, Tuesday Oct 29th: Sorrow

Day 4, Wednesday Oct 30th: Blood

Day 5, Thursday Oct 31st: Reaper

Day 6, Friday Nov 1st: Spring

Day 7, Saturday Nov 2nd: Stars

Tragedy Trio Week (Lacie, Jack and Oswald), Nov 3rd—Nov 9th:

Day 1, Sunday Nov 3rd: Steampunk

Day 2, Monday Nov 4th: A Reward You Will Regret

Day 3, Tuesday Nov 5th: Hair

Day 4, Wednesday Nov 6th: Rest

Day 5, Thursday Nov 7th: Reverence

Day 6, Friday Nov 8th: Black

Day 7, Saturday Nov 9th: Weaving Fate

Fan’s choice Week, Nov 10th—November 16th:

Day 1, Sunday Nov 10th: Purple

Day 2, Monday Nov 11th: Autumn

Day 3, Tuesday Nov 12th: Vampire

Day 4, Wednesday Nov 13th: What's the Catch?

Day 5, Thursday Nov 14th: In the City of Dust

Day 6, Friday Nov 15th: Mystery

Day 7, Saturday Nov 16th: Sweet Nightmares

Vanitas no Carte Week, Nov 17th—Nov 23rd (Please tag your spoilers!!):

Day 1, Sunday Nov 17th: Holiday or Nails or AU

Day 2, Monday Nov 18th: Comet

Day 3, Tuesday Nov 19th: The Cosmos in Your Hands

Day 4, Wednesday Nov 20th: Loyalty

Day 5, Thursday Nov 21st: The Language of Flowers

Day 6, Friday Nov 22nd: Ghost

Day 7, Saturday Nov 23rd: Moonflower

(If you want to use other prompts to make a Halloweeny piece, feel free! You don't have to save that for Halloween day!)

When you post, please remember to:

Tag me @i-prefer-the-term-antihero, @phmonth, and/or @this-idiots-left-eye in your posts to make sure I reblog them! (My main blog is your best bet).

Tag #phmonth24 in your tags! I will go through that tag and check if I've missed any direct tags. (If you don't see your piece reblogged on this blog after doing both these methods, please dm me!)

As I've said, please tag your VnC spoilers!! Not everyone is caught up!!

Either put a link, or a “read more” on long fics (or long posts in general), so they're easier to reblog!

NSFW content is allowed, but please make sure it’s clear it’s NSFW/tagged that way, and is beneath a read more so anyone who doesn’t want to see it doesn’t have to!

I also made a collection on Ao3 for writers! Don't hesitate to add your fics to it!

Don’t forget to join our discord if you haven’t! It’s a fun place to discuss the series and more easily share your creations!

You are free to have fun with this!! As I said, as long as you tag it, NSFW is allowed! Tagging ships is nice too. You can pretty much do whatever you want with the prompts!

As long as you make sure the characters from the trio are your main focus, it’s okay to use other characters in your creations too!

You can join any time, and use as many or as few prompts as you want! You don't have to post on the exact day if you can’t make it! I’ll reblog things late!

Since we live across the world, you are free to post whenever the day is for you. I myself will be making posts according to my time, which is Central Standard Time in America. 

If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to send an ask here, or post in the #questions channel of the discord!

Feel free to get started on making stuff early! (But please wait to post until the month has started!) I'm so excited to see what you make! Thank you for all your support!

i-prefer-the-term-antihero

[katerinaaqu]

Ismarus! Ismarus! (P3 + Afternote)

Continuation from Part 2 So October 6th had been a special day to me because two very good artists have posted art from the OG works of the epic cycle and were kind enough to consider my help! I am immensely honored! The artists are of course @jacobpking with the amazing odyssey project and @shafeeyaart with the three main couples So I had to finish my fic now as you remember dedicated also to my friend @artsofmetamoor and her amazing art! Followed by my usual notes and afternote!

He shook the helmet so that the stones remaining in it would be mixed better. As one hand reached in and picked one was followed by a yelp of triumph and a disappointed moan from another direction.

“On your face, Nicolaus!” the soldier who obviously got the price he wanted called back to his friend, “She’s mine!”

“Damn you, lucky bastard!” his friend grunted as he saw the other take the woman-prize he had won in the lottery, “I should fucking kill you! Always with that rotten luck of yours!”

“Hey, hey!” Odysseus called out warningly, “Enough with this!”

He was holding these helmets for hours now; making sure that all ships got their share one by one in sharing the spoils and the slaves that were to be taken with them during their trip. Somehow Odysseus had a bad feeling about this; they had started this whole campaign to get provisions; carrying extra load and mouths to feed seemed a bold and counterproductive move. However leaving them behind was also a risky decision. Slaves and gifts could be exchangeable to lands they would encounter if there would be a need for more provisions or hospitality gifts. Although he knew some of his men wouldn’t want to part with them. He remembered Troy again; how they got divided in the 9th year of the fight, over a concubine. He looked over to the sides where the old and the new captives were. Some of them were also his own; working as servants among the troops and taking care of the horses of his chariot. For one second he remembered his long lost youth; he had lain with women before. Servants and some slaves had passed from his bed before that blessed trip to Sparta; some were skilled and willing, one or two were worried and scared of him or his status.

During the war, for one or two moments of desperation and longing he had considered it; to take one of them again. However the very moment they were before his eyes, he felt disgusted with the idea and his weakness for even considering it; ending up sending them away. The slave women that he had taken from his days of fight and plunder seemed empty in his eyes now. It wasn’t the abstinence that made him so restless to go home though. Oh, he wished his wife was here to embrace her and apologize to her for his absence! He wanted to fall in her arms and kiss her like no tomorrow; forget himself in her bosom and cry till he wouldn’t have any more tears to shed; he wanted to beg her for forgiveness for letting war turn him to what he became! He shook his head violently, to lift those thoughts away (and possibly some tears that threatened to burn his eyes) returning to the lottery. The spoils were almost completely done and shared. He sighed.

“Eurylochus, finish this, please…” he said leaving the helmet to the hands of his brother-in-law, “I am tired. I also need to inspect the rest”

“As you wish, sire…”

Odysseus stood at the middle of the men who were admiring the spoils they would get. He looked around the mountains already turning dark by the dusk as the sun had set to the other side of the horizon. There was something ominous about the mountains and they were exposed. They couldn’t seek shelter in the city that was almost burnt to the ground by that moment so they had to camp by the beach and the fact that they had only the sea and the mountain for escape routes was something he didn’t like. The mountain was almost threatening now!

“Alright, men!” he called over the voices of discussions and laughter, making sure all had their ears on him, “We finish the sharing and we set ourselves to go! We are exposed here. You had your fun, now we embark to go!”

“Go?” one of the generals, the one who had complained upon the other man getting a better woman said, “We sailed for five days in a storm and we spent the entire day fighting and now you want us to embark again for the unknown in the middle of the night?”

Odysseus looked at him in disbelief.

“What part of ‘we’re exposed’ don’t you understand?” he yelled back, “We are but a handful of people, we are in a foreign land surrounded by unknown mountains! Anything could attack us at any moment and we will be unable to react! I am not discussing it! We’re leaving!”

“No!” one other general said firmly as he stood up, “We won’t leave! We earned a day of peace! Let us at least sleep in dry land for once!”

“Are you defying my order?” Odysseus’s eyes sparkled warningly

“We cannot follow that order now, sire!” the man stood his ground, “You can’t demand from us to sail so early!”

“You heard what Odysseus said!” Eurylochus came in, “This place is not secure! We will take turns resting out the sea! His judgment hasn’t failed us yet!”

“We can’t travel like this!” the first one spoke again, “You cannot force us to travel in the black night like this!”

The king of Ithaca was fuming. His hands and his entire muscle system were clenched painfully. He was almost ready to grab him and punch some sense into him. He couldn’t indeed transfer his true agony and worry that the location wouldn’t be favorable to them.

“Odysseus…” Eurylochus touched his shoulder whispering, “I understand you. You are right but everyone is exhausted from battle. And we have some more wounded to take care of and better do this on dry land…”

“Dammit!” Odysseus growled in defeat

Yes, he wouldn’t be able to force his men to follow his orders if they refused to move. As he pranced about the camp that was about to be set for a night under the stars he also watched the slaves that would be taken with them; women and children that were free a few hours prior. Their eyes were hateful; resentful. For once moment they looked like Trojans in his eyes. He shook his head trying to lift the thoughts away again.

“Sire” Perimedes spoke, he was in charge of them for that night, “Shall we move them to the ship?”

“No” Odysseus growled in annoyance, “We are supposed to stay here”

One of the tied women laughed loudly. He knew her. She was the wife of the king he had killed in battle. She was dragged out with her children along with the rest of them. Her children were set aside to be shared in the lottery. She, herself, was offered to him as a prize. Initially he had refused insisting that all should go in lottery but his men had insisted. In one way the king of Ithaca dismissed it and kept her. He wouldn’t find much use of her now anyways. She was a handsome woman with long brown locks and big brown eyes. However her beauty was insignificant to him; not to mention that the symbols of her people tattooed on her made him feel even more the danger and the disturbance inside him every time he looked at her direction. And now there was her laughter; laughter full of anger and contempt. Odysseus, with his nerves already tensed he approached and grasped her by the rope that was tying her, pulling her towards him threateningly.

“What’s so funny, huh?” he demanded

The woman spat a few words at her dialect.

“I’ll need a translator here!” Odysseus called to whoever might hear nonchalant

“Oh, I’ll give you a translator!” the woman spat in her heavy accent

“Oh, good” Odysseus said feeling a sense of déjà-vu as he almost repeated the words he had said to her late husband, “You speak our language! I had begun to fear that I need to learn more languages! My Phoenician is kinda rusty and whatever Scythian I picked up at Troy won’t help me with you!”

“Your arrogance will not save you, Greek!” the woman spat at him again, “My people will come like the rain and get you! Your days are over! You and your men shall not survive this!”

Anger boiling inside him, Odysseus grabbed her hair, earning a light yelp from her. He had to try very hard not to feel the fever of battle inside him again. He knelt down and pulled her closer to him, his faces inches apart from hers, eyeing her warningly with his eyes sparkling like the fire that forged the obsidian, the stone that had colored them!

“Listen here, madam!” he whispered dangerously, “If there is something I know best, is to survive! Mark my words on that! I would be more worried about myself than anything else!”

He released her and stood up. He began walking away ignoring whatever comments Perimedes and the rest of his companions would make about her being feisty or whether he had made a good choice for his war prize. That entire dialog disgusted him right now! The woman hissed again before growling a few words and then one more, directed to him. Odysseus winced but he kept going, not looking at her at all. He knew enough Thracian dialect to know what the word she said meant;

Monster

*

The fire was blazing at the beach but this time it was not the city burning to the ground but the multiple cooking blazes that his men had lit up. Odysseus could hear all around the sounds of cattle and sheep being slaughtered and prayers being said and sacrifices being offered. His men had also taken out some of the jugs of wine and were already mixing the red liquid to craters. Some members of his crew who knew how to play music were already setting up the instruments for dance and celebration. Odysseus could see none of that. He was constantly looking around, double-inspecting everything. In fact he refused to remove his gear. After cleaning himself and making a prayer to the gods, he demanded his armor to be placed upon him once more, his chariot inspected, fixed if necessary and ready. He could barely concentrate to his food and drink. He sighed as he sat against the root of a sea tree watching at his men dancing and drinking themselves to their heart’s desire, celebrating as if it was the end of Troy anew. Odysseus grunted and shivered a bit at the cold of the night.

“Fools!” he thought, “Mindless fools! You are getting drunk and celebrating at the footing of the enemy! Gods I wish I could just take my own ship and leave you all behind! But…UGH!”

He sighed to himself passing his hands over his face. What was he thinking?! All of them came to this together and they should leave together! Maybe he was being too paranoid. Maybe he was exaggerating. Maybe, just maybe, the Cicones wouldn’t arrive later. Maybe they weren’t so many as he feared. And maybe, just maybe, the queen was only trying to scare him.

“Hey…”

The soft voice of Polites made him literally jump out of his skin for one second. He gasped and then drew a deep breath.

“Polites!” he sighed, “You scared ten lives out of me…”

“Sorry…”

“Never mind, my friend…I am just too distracted”

He sighed gratefully as a fleece was placed upon his shoulders by Polites. He embraced it tightly around his body before double-checking that his spear was there.

“Come sit with us by the fire” Polites suggested, “It has gotten chilly”

“No thank you” Odysseus retorted, blowing some air to his hands, “I need to be here and observe the area”

“You placed guards by the camp remember?”

“Irrelevant!”

He drew a breath and tried to collect himself.

“I don’t like this, Polites…” he whispered, “We should have gone when we had the chance! This is madness! Everyone acts as if we are back in Ithaca with no worry in the world!”

“I understand, Odysseus, but still…”

“We should be on our way home now!” Odysseus insisted stubbornly, “And yet…yet we…”

He sighed and extended his hand to Polites. Polites handed him over his goblet and Odysseus took a gulp of wine in thought before returning it to him. He eyed his men again, celebrating, dancing and oftentimes having their way with the women they had acquired or had brought with them from Troy; some were willing, some coldly accepting their fate, some did not seem so. His mind went back to Cassandra again; the way her body was barely covered by her torn clothes; her face disfigured with tears…the Locrian Ajax seeking shelter to the very same place he did the deed…

“I just hope I am wrong about this…” he whispered, “For the first time in my life I wish I am wrong, Polites!”

Yet another round of deafening silence passed between them. Odysseus wanted to scream; to cry out to his men to at least remain sober that night…but he felt helpless; as if nothing he would say would work even if he tried.

“Go to eat, Polites…” he encouraged his friend, “I’ll be fine, really”

“You sure? I can stay if you want”

“Better not” Odysseus said gloomily, “I want to be alone for a while, Polites. Thanks for the fleece…and the wine. I needed it”

“No problem…” Polites said worriedly.

He didn’t like that shadow over Odysseus’s eyes ever since they took Troy. Ever since he was so affected by their own win he was always jumpy and moody however everything seemed to be turning darker in him ever since the final preparations after the celebrations for taking the city. What had happened in Troy that made Odysseus such? What were they doing deep in the city, away from all other eyes that made Odysseus moan and groan in his sleep almost every night? He didn’t dare to ask. He obeyed the order as he stood and left.

Odysseus was left alone again…alone in his thoughts and dark memories. The fall of Troy…the slaughter of innocents…the baby king thrown off the walls…the contempt and judgment…the rape of Cassandra…the yells and cries of Hecuba and finally the most terrifying of all the darkness falling over the eyes of Polyxena…as he held her wrists down; he felt her pulse erasing and finally Hecuba yelling; screaming and almost plucking his eyes out as she was slowly losing her mind in grief… And now there was the bloodlust and the taking of Ismarus that made them all go loose again… He covered his face with his hands as if that could stop the thoughts emerging.

“Fools!” he thought again in despair, “Don’t you see? We need to go home! We need to go back as soon as possible! We must be free from this curse! From war…”

Somehow he knew that was not true. War and battle was inside them. They almost craved for it now. It almost felt like the only reason he was staying was so to see the next battle happening!

“Woe is me!” he thought, “Woe is us! Fools! At least remain sober! We are exposed to danger! We need to go home! They shall come…!”

And yet he couldn’t leave them behind and go. No, he couldn’t leave them. He was afraid for his life in the case of an attack but he couldn’t leave anyone behind! What king would he be to them unless he stuck around till the end? What leader would it make him if he picked up what he could carry and run by himself? He had tried to keep the kings united in Troy. How could he divide his men now? Fear and desire for return were eating his heart. His mind and legs were telling him to run; to go to his ships, gather those who had some sense to leave and go but his heart was divided. He had made a promise to them; that he would try to see them all to his best abilities come back. He once more looked up the mountains, feeling this primal fear a boar feels when going to the waterfront to drink, while smelling the hounds from afar and yet has no choice but to go or else it would die.

“Father Zeus please let me be wrong about this…let me be wrong…”

As the moves and cries and laughter and dance of his men was almost hypnotizing to him, he made that last prayer…

And he didn’t know what was the thing he wished to be wrong in the most; his fear of the possible incoming counterattack or his almost eagerness to face it?

*

He softly twitched and that shook him awake. Had he fallen asleep? He had tried to remain awake but apparently the fatigue of the battle made him fall asleep before the crack of dawn for he didn’t remember seeing the sun coming up. There was a mist coming from the sea and the sky still had that grayish sheen of dawn. The humidity could pierce the bones and yet that wasn’t his problem. One look at his sleepy, tired eyes and saw his men sleeping at the beach; unmoving in their fatigue and their alcohol-induced sleep. The remains of their feast were scattered about the sand and the soil; cooking fires long now extinguished for there was hardly any smoke coming out of the dead embers. He moaned in pain as his body cracked from the uncomfortable position he had fallen asleep in. His hand searched for his spear that always rested by his side. He had no idea what had stirred him awake in the first place, the same much as he didn’t know how he had fallen asleep in the first place. There was this feeling of uneasiness inside him that wouldn’t leave him alone. The birds in the forest had started their morning song, the sea had started sending soft waves with the low tide; the ships were creaking from where they were tied at the shallow waters. Everything seemed quiet. Perhaps too quiet for his tastes! Like the man who got baked by the constant noise of battle, this easiness was foreign to him now; unnatural. And all of the sudden, as his men were barely stirring awake; he heard a distant base note coming from the forest. It seemed like a distant call of a deer to its potential mate. Odysseus jolted to his feet; bronze spear clasped in his hand for dear life. The sound was heard again. His dizzy mind then came back to actual action like the hunter that came back from a long pause finally realizing the sound’s meaning.

“AMBUUUUUUUUSH!” he yelled on top of his lungs rousing everyone

Not fast enough. Too late.

Terrible battle cries and the deafening stampede of feet running down the mountain blocked all his senses as the horde of the Cicones jumped out of the forest and lashed upon his unsuspected comrades, wielding knives and swords and spears. His defenseless comrades or perhaps those who had more than enough to drink the night before barely had time to react when knives slit their throats from side to side; blood gushing out at the color of ruby, before they had even time to get up. Others barely had time to react; grabbing upon their weapons that lay by their sides.

“GUAAAAARDS!” Odysseus called upon those who were already protecting the camp, “EN GARDE! ENSSEMBLE! THEY MUST GEAR UP!”

He himself rushing upon the scene; naked sword in one hand and spear at the other as the very few and tired men that had their armor on rushed to their comrades’ assistance; those men who clumsily tried to gear up; swords or pieces of armor falling from their hands upon the sand and cordons not able to be tied in time. Odysseus feeling his wits escaping him in fear for their lives and his own he rushed upon the enemies; like a shepherd dog rushing upon the pack of wolves in blind rage and driven by the loyalty for its own masters; out of duty to protect the flock, regardless of the heart that pumped blood faster in its chest in worry and fear.

“HURRY!” He was calling in desperation, “HURRY YOU FOOLS!”

And the sound he feared the most was heard; neighing of horses. All color left his face as the strong Thracian horses emerged and their riders on top released arrows that pierced through flesh like butter.

“No!”  The Man of Many Wiles cried out, “DEFENSE! COME TOGETHER!”

The order was heard but moved slowly as the shields joined together, not enough time to prepare the rest of his men. The arrows arrived bearing fire. Odysseus felt his heart sinking as he knew they barely had time to react; the Cicones had used his own trick against him now. Out of all their cries justified. Odysseus knew enough of their language to know that they were chanting; “ISMARUS! ISMARUS!”

“POLITES!” he roared, “TAKE THE MEN YOU CAN AND GO TO THE SHIPS! SAIL AWAY! NOW!”

“What!?” Polites cried out, “That would make it impossible for you to escape”

“I KNOW!” Odysseus roared, “IF THEY BURN THE SHIPS WE’RE DONE FOR! GO! GET THEM OUT OF RANGE! NOW!”

Polites needn’t hear this twice. Rushing upon the fastest and strongest of the men who hadn’t geared up yet, Polites rushed to the sea and they ran into the waves, soon swimming frantically to the ships and climbing the hulls from the ropes. Polites barked orders to them to release the sails and pull the anchors up echoed across the plane from a distance. Several heads turned towards those who were lucky enough to be slow to gear up and now they were on apparent safety upon the ships that slowly yet steadily moved towards the deep.

“TOGETHER!” Odysseus cried in the meantime, slashing with his sword the leg of a rider passing by him

He had to keep his men together; he hoped their spirits wouldn’t leave them upon seeing the ships abandoning port. They could hear Polites’s orders to the oarsmen, frantically going out of range. One or two arrows pierced the black hulls and the men in rushed upon putting the flames off before the tar on the wood were be set aflame. Odysseus grabbed a slave next to him.

“You! Come with me!”

The two of them rushed upon the chariot waiting and the Man much Enduring forced the horses to trot as his slave would take the reins. Spear and naked sword at hand he rushed upon the enemy, cutting the line of defense. However the Cicones knew his trick and they were prepared. He had time to take the lives but of a few riders before an arrow stroke one of the horses and one the wheel of the chariot. The wounded animal neighed pitifully and the other in panic took the chariot down. The slave got crushed under the heavy weight of the animal and the chariot and Odysseus was thrown off. Head buzzing by the stroke and head feeling set aflame, Odysseus struggled back to his feet. His whole body was in pain and he felt a streak of thick blood running down his temple. He moaned in pain but also feeling grateful the sand had taken most of his fall. He struggled to his uneasy feet; adrenaline hammering against his temples he forced himself to take a step and another and another; blood tickling his brow, getting in his eye. He eyed the battlefield; no, the field of slaughter as the riders would cut through some men like butter as they fell on the sand, painting it red with their blood. He saw the slaves being freed and running for cover in the forests (on occasion falling under the swords of his men or the Cicones in the heat of the battle; for no one could tell friend from foe anymore). The laughter of the woman that was his war prize came to his ears. He looked at her; somehow he had found himself close to her this time too.

“I told you!” she said triumphantly from her kneeling position; arms still tied behind her back, “You and your kin shall not escape this!”

For one moment he saw only red.

He grabbed her by the throat in a bruising grip and his sword dripping dark blood of her companions hovered over her head; ready to claim her life, against the promise he extracted from his men not to harm women or children. She faced his fierce gaze bravely even if her eyes were almost popping out of their sockets in her effort to breathe; blood vessels pumping to her forehead. His hand shook for one second; thirsty to take the blood of the person that was mocking him only to push his lips together in defeat and practically throwing the coughing and struggling for breath woman back onto the sand and running to the central field of action once more, standing before his men that were being circled by the riders and the footmen of the Cicones. He noticed a few men had managed to overthrow some enemies from their horses and now rode as well the best they could to even the odds.

“MEN!” Odysseus roared, “WITH ME!”

Trying to organize the chaos and repel the enemy was not easy but the soldiers who knew nothing but war and violence for a decade did hear the order. As they ran to their best of strength, feet digging the sand below; breaths were hissing at their throats and blood and sweat running down their faces the Cephallinians rushed forward. Odysseus felt once more as if he was floating; as if everything were in slow motion around him. Neighing of horses, screams of men, fire and whistling of arrows, clanging of metal… All became a mass in his brain, his own breath hissing to his ears; his own heart beating fast. However this time it wasn’t triumph he felt; it wasn’t like the slaughter of Troy or the conquest of Ismarus; right now it was a battle for survival…under the eyes of their terrified comrades both on and out of the ships. Some of his men lost heart and ran towards the sea in their need to escape and they were met with arrows coming from the Thracian bows. Odysseus stopped hearing anymore…

Soon he had stopped even to feel…

*

The dusk had come; cold and bloody; the sky matching the sand and fire in color. The beach was quiet once more; this time the quietness was heavier than anything else before for it was weighted down by death; the death of their own. Odysseus was gasping for breath; legs almost unable to hold him anymore. He had felt so only once in Troy, no, now it seemed worse for they were running upon the sand which soon was wet with thick blood. Sweat and crusted blood was covering him. He was half-staggering as he walked upwards at the path to meet his men at the top of the beach; bronze sword falling from his hands; bloody upon the very bloody sand. His comrades had driven the ships back and descended to inspect the damages. The beach was full of dead bodies; horses, warriors and slaves. Gasping for breath always Odysseus scanned the perimeter with liquid eyes full of terror. He looked towards the sea. The waves seemed to be licking the blood off the beach like unworldly tongues; a bloody offering to the god Poseidon and his nymphs; but it was not the blood of the cattle they had slaughtered the night prior; it was human blood now… Fires were still burning around, his chariot was completely destroyed and burning too like an unworldly heath along with the two horses that died upon the bloody sand, still tied to their reins. They had fought all day and somehow they had managed to repel the Cicones; killing several of their men. But at what cost… The Man Much Tormented clenched his hands to the point of his nails breaking the skin. Polites had walked a bit closer but he kept his distance as if he feared for his own life too.

“How many men have we lost?”

His voice was hoarse; whispery…inhuman.

“Odysseus…we…”

“HOW MANY!” his sudden yell made them all jump back

“S-Seventy two…” Polites stammered, “A-About 6 pairs of hands from each ship…without counting the slaves…”

The eyes of their king became bottomless; bottomless like the abyss that had claimed the lives of their companions.

“In one day…” he whispered with voice coming straight out of his wide chest, “…We lost almost as many men…as ten years in Troy…”

He was shaking; from top to bottom in primary anger. In an explosion he kicked a fallen helmet; he didn’t know if it was his or not. Screaming on top of his lungs towards the heavens. That anger he accumulated in battle didn’t seem released till that one moment. All the men surviving once more lowered their heads upon that primary anger; that fury that justified his name Furious or Anger Bringer…the rage they all now saw as justified. As the cry subsided he was left out of breath; gasping anew.

“Cursed Troy! Damn you all! Damn you all who fell by my hands! Cursed life! Cursed war!”

“Gather the dead…” he ordered in a whisper

He didn’t need to yell. Not anymore. His throat was aggravated; now it felt like it came from the depths of Hades itself and yet he didn’t need to yell to be heard. Everyone seemed to be able to hear even his thoughts now. Odysseus mopped his bloody temple with his hand.

“We must offer them a funeral. Each ship will call their own so that we will leave on time…”

“What about the barbarians?” Eurylochus dared to ask

“I don’t bloody, care Eurylochus!” Odysseus snarled at him, “Take their arms for all I care and burn them or bury them in a hole! I don’t care to think of it now!”

Taking one moment to calm himself he realized that he couldn’t leave them there. He didn’t know the customs of the Thracians but he couldn’t leave someone unburied.

“Wait…” he said, “We shall burn them too. Give them a funeral. Then their own will see what will become of them. We shall burn them”

“Yes…burn them! Let this all damn place burn!”

Eurylochus nodded. He knew it wasn’t wise to aggravate him further. The bodies were gathered and cleaned the best they could, they separated enemies from friends and poured their offerings to the dead. The arms were taken off the corpses; sad loot at the end of a battle. Odysseus had taken also a ring and a necklace from the dead body of the Queen; he had found her dead among the corpses. Was she killed in the raid by some of his own or did she end her own life? He didn’t know. She was cut loose from her binds but that was all he knew. He would be a liar if he said he felt sad for her passing. In fact he hardly felt anything anymore for her or any of the other unlucky girls that had also fallen into the battle and the commotion; some of them had survived the war of Troy only to be killed by the swords of the Cicones or their arrows upon their escape or taken by them as loot as well.

“How strange…” the king of Cephallinians thought, “We are all the same at war… Who is the civilized and who the uncivilized! Who is the Greek and who is the barbarian?”

And yet he felt nothing. He was almost numb as the cacophony of the voices were yelling different names towards the skies three times each, for the souls to be led to the afterlife… He hardly felt anything at the smell of burning flesh, so familiar to him now, from the funeral pyres set. He hardly felt the cold water as they entered the sea (also to wash the blood of themselves) and climbed to their hollow ships with anything they managed to salvage (and Odysseus congratulated himself for his prudence to add most of the food in the ships beforehand) from the beach and he barely felt a thing as his commanders barked the orders for their departure. His eyes glued upon the beach where the funeral pyres could still be distinguished against the purple-black of the dusk. Odysseus couldn’t care less if the fires burnt the forest behind or not. He felt Polites behind him once more.

“This was my fault, Polites…” he whispered

“My lord?”

“I was arrogant… What did I think? This is war…there is no side that wins or loses… I was foolish to believe I could get us out of here without any loss…”

“Odysseus…”

He was silenced by the hand of his king that raised itself.

“Can you take the first shift, Polites? I can’t stand anymore… I need to sleep…”

“Of course…” his best friend whispered in return, “You stayed up almost all night yesterday…”

“Thank you…”

Tiredly the king of Ithaca dragged his body to the end of the ship. His shoulders felt heavy…as if 72 more souls had hanged themselves from them; added to the already unbearable load of the lives of Troy….and Ismarus…

**

So here we have the first massive loss Odysseus suffered after Troy! 6 men from every ship perish from the attack of the Cicones.

In the Odyssey Odysseus mentioned how his men began a proper feast during their stay at the foot of Ismarus with slaughtering cattle and drinking wine, so that made me wonder how Odysseus would feel and what he would do. What would be his course of though and for one more time I thought the reoccuring memories of war will be swirling in him as well as the gloomy thoughts of his change. And of course some more violent reactions of his because of his state of mind and all.

The battle was once more inspired by Kapnisis music as I have said before to dear @dionysism this time the song "Μάχη στο Μανιάκι" ("Battle on Maniaki") because I love how the theme re-occures but with a sadder turn:

which again gave me this feeling of helplessness as the Greeks are literally trying to push back the enemy that caught them literally in sleep.

The share of spoils and the stripping of one's enemy are both mentioned in the Iliad as tradition. I also make Odysseus send Polites to defend the ships instead. This is so that for startes Polites is a powerful general in his army but also kinda wanted to show some double-standards on Odysseus part that he wants to get his best friend to a safe distance from the slaughter instead of someone else.

And yup for those who didn't get there yet, the helmet scene was inspired from Lord of the Rings! Hehehehe!

The tradition of clling one's name three times was also mentioned in the Odyssey as a form of a funeral ritual.

Forthe funeral I imagined again the soundtrack to its finale part! ^_^

As always my special thanks to:

@cjbolan @smokey07 @adrift-in-thyme @superkooku @marieisnothere12 @dilutedh2so4 @ditoob @tunguszka20 @fangirlofallthefanthings @cr4zy-cycl0n3 @hermesmoly @insomniphic @blueflipflops @venomspecs @simugeuge @tumblingghosts @theyugiohfanartistwritersblog @loco-bird @greek-mythology-lover @leynaeithnea @freetyphoonglitter

Also a very special thanks and a hug to @ellilyre

**

(Afternote)

“No…ahh…no…gods…Troy…run…no…no!”

He was not fully asleep, he was not fully awake as he was mumbling incoherent things in his disturbed sleep. He was constantly moving about in his sleep, constantly fisting his fleece blanket; sweat plastering his curly hair to his forehead.

“Ahh! No…! Argh…..no! Ismarus….Troy…no… Ismarus…Ismarus…”

His back nearly arched under him.

“No! Argh…no…the fire…knife…the knife…no…! Argh! Troy…Ismarus…no!”

The hand on his shoulder was warm and welcoming.

“ARGH!” he half-threw himself in a sitting position

“Odysseus…what’s wrong…are you alright…?”

It was Polites’s voice. That much he could tell but the dizziness of sleep and dream were still in his brain. He was too foggy to think; swinging between sleep and awake to fully comprehend. Polites saw him struggle, as if, to breathe.

“No…no…” he was mumbling half asleep, “No more…the blood… Ismarus…Troy…”

“Odysseus please!”

There was the scent of metal to his lips; someone had brought a goblet to them. It smelt like wine.

“Please drink this…”

“I don’t want it…” Odysseus mumbled half-asleep still, shaking his head, “No…”

“Please! I beg of you…drink it…” Polites begged, “It will help!”

The ruby liquid touched his lips and he subconsciously swallowed. It felt bitter to his tongue; it almost tasted like blood. Apparently fatigue and the cloud of sleep had not left his brain yet for no sooner had he finished the goblet up and he leaned back, his head once again hanging to the side; surrendering himself to Hypnos’s spell once more, however this time there was no moaning or twitching in his sleep. Apart from a tensed expression between his brows he seemed calm.

“What did you give him?” Eurylochus asked concerned

Polites took out his pouch and showed some dust into it.

“I got this medicine from a Scythian merchant at Troy. He advised me to mix it to wine for better sleep.”

“Are you telling me you are using this?”

“How do you think we sleep after Troy?”

“Good point…” Eurylochus had to agree.

His gaze fell upon his sleeping king. The one that a few moments ago was flapping like a fish out of the water, as if struggling with unspeakable things in his sleep.

“What in all hells of Tartarus happened in Troy…?” he mumbled, “We all have regrets from time to time and dream badly but…not like this! What the hell happened to him to break like this…?”

“I believe he saw the Queen Hecuba lose her mind before him. He didn’t allow anyone else in his tent at that time…” Polites whispered, “It must have been hard…”

“Undoubtedly when Zeus or Dionysus sends upon the illness of the mind it is terrifying but still… Is it just that…? Sure the taking of Troy the way it happened could shake anybody… But this? What on earth happened behind closed doors and away from our understanding?”

“I heard…” Polites mumbled, “I heard that there was a sacrifice involved…”

He made a protective sign with his hand as if the words he was about to utter would be enough to curse them all.

“…A human sacrifice that is…”

The word hovered…longer than it should be; something terrible no one dared to ask.

“But…” Eurylochus managed to utter, mouth agape, “That was…before… I heard goddess Artemis demanded it…”

“No…not that… At Troy…and perhaps, they say, the reason he is like that is exactly because the gods were not involved…”

“Are you saying...?”

“No! Absolutely not! I am sure these are just terrible rumors to hurt our king! They always do come up with those!”

“Are you saying Odysseus is incapable of that…?” Eurylochus challenged

“I-…” Polites hesitated, “I don’t know…but there must be an explanation! There always is…”

They remained silent. They could hear Odysseus’s breathing. On occasion his tongue seemed to chant again and again: Troy…Ismarus…Ismarus…

*

“Odysseus…wake up…”

The warm shaking hand on his shoulder drew him out of the world of sleep. He was drowsy and confused but he could remember where he was. They were sailing home again…that should be the only one that mattered. He had given instructions to his men and they would sail away… And yet why could he smell the rain so intensely to his nose? The sky was gray, dangerously turning black. However he knew he had slept all night. He could hardly understand a thing. He blamed the wine Polites watered him the night before but it was not the time to discuss that.

“Did everyone get to have some hours of sleep…?” was the first thing he asked

“Yes” Polites confirmed, “We all had our shifts”

“And you didn’t wake me up?” the king of Ithaca asked as he was helped back to his feet by his friend.

“No” Polites admitted, “We thought you needed sleep. You had stayed awake all night before”

His king chose not to comment on that for now. Instead he leaned on the parapet of the ship. What he saw alarmed him. The sky was dark and the winds were already howling and there was a drizzle rain. There was the sound of distant thunder from afar and the strong, northern wind was already rising more and more, making his eyes tearful with the bitter cold and the drizzle slowly becoming needles that almost felt like piercing the skin. Polites didn’t need to ask when he saw the horror in his eyes. Neither did Eurylochus.

“Captain…” his brother-in-law started

“Men…” Odysseus whispered, “We must prepare ourselves! A storm might be coming!”

“Oh shit…” Eurylochus mumbled

The sails were already snapping at the wind. Odysseus suddenly saw…the winds were pushing them back…away from the sores they wanted to reach… He knew then they were up for another detour.

“Gods…gods have mercy on me! I want to go home! I just want to go home! I shall repent for my sins! Just let me embrace my wife first!”

He looked up and then he drew a breath. He had to collect himself. Perhaps that would be a minor detour. He would have to endure it. He had to; he couldn’t break now that they were so close. He couldn’t let his 72 men die in vain like that!

“MEN!” He yelled the order, “Secure the sails! Prepare for a storm!”

“And gods help us…let us survive this ordeal and escape this thrall of storm to get back home! Athena…Athena I beg of you…”

He took the ring and chain off his pouch, the ones he removed from the queen and threw them into the sea; a silent prayer and a petty offering so that he could at least hope their ships would survive. He was up for another detour… Ithaca had to wait…somehow he knew… He joined the men and kept barking orders as the sailors; expert now in sea and storms, were already gathering the sails and rowing for dear life. Odysseus grabbed the steer himself, making yet another protective sign with his hand, one last prayer to the gods. And yet he could swear that the winds that howled in his ears, making the raindrops whip his face like tiny needles were chanting again and again.

Troy…Troy…Ismarus… Ismarus!

[cheritzteam]

[The Ssum] A Spooky Romance with Your Ssumone💕 2024 Halloween Event Announcement

Hello, dear lab participant.

We bring you news on Halloween events for 2024.

< ① City of Free Men : Celebratory Lab >

For the following period, a Celebratory Lab📚 celebrating Halloween 2024 will open in the City of Free Men.

Share your surprising😲 stories while playing The Ssum,

and try your chances at becoming a lucky lab participant(5 Korean, 5 international users) for a reward of 200 Aurora Batteries and 2 Time Machine Tickets!

Event Period: 24-OCT-2024 (Thu) ~ 6-NOV-2024 (Wed) KST Winner Announcement: 14-NOV-2024 (Thu) KST

< ② Seasonal Content >

Halloween🦇 is back, where you might discover a new side of your ssumone!

Lab participant, meet your ssumone who came to see you with a different appearance than usual!

Press the pumpkin button🎃 under the Day display to make a special call📞 and receive a memorable photo📸 of your Ssumone.

You will also earn an exclusive Trivial Feature for Halloween 2024 to add to your collection.

Seasonal Content open on: 31-OCT-2024 (Thu), for a day (Based on your time zone) Seasonal Content includes: Commemorative Call + Photo Memento + Trivial Feature

*The Celebratory Calls and Photo Mementos for Teo, Harry and June are the same as last year’s. *Commemorative Calls and Photo Mementos can be revisited at any time after unlocking in your Milky Way calendar and Gallery.

Also, don't forget to collect game-access rewards available throughout the event period for Halloween🎁.

Game-Access Rewards available through: 24-OCT-2024 (Thu) 9 AM ~ 6-NOV-2024 (Wed) 9 AM KST In-Game Access Reward: 10 Aurora Batteries + 3 A box of Snacks

< ③ What's the Halloween Costume This Time? >

What's your ssumone's new costume👻 for Halloween 2024?

Join your ssumone who prepared a romantic💌 Halloween with you lab participant!

The ssumones are very curious about your costumes too❤️

Check out the Halloween celebratory illustrations on X(Twitter) and share them on your social media. 10 winners will be selected with a drawing to receive 50 Aurora Batteries and 1 Time Machine Ticket🎁 

How to Participate (X/Twitter)

Search for the Cheritz Official Account (@Cheritz_DL) on X(Twitter) on October 31st, 2024.

Share the post uploaded on the Cheritz Official Account.

Event Period: October 31st, 2024 (Thurs) ~ November 6th, 2024 (Wed) KST* Winner Announcement: November 14th, 2024 (Thurs) KST

< ④  New Lab Participant Benefits >

PIU-PIU received Halloween🎃 energy and will provide 20 more batteries🔋 to new lab participants!

Lab participants who were hesitant to join the Forbidden Lab, ✔️don't miss this chance✔️

Event Period: October 24th, 2024 (Thurs) 9AM ~ November 6th, 2024 (Wed) 9AM KST*

​

Hope you spend a lovely Halloween with your ssumone this year too!

Thank you.

Cheritz