#Japanese Investors

[carlocarrasco]

Three major Japanese investors plan to expand operations in PEZA ecozones

With all the uncertainty and economic challenges going on, the economy of the Philippines could get a much-needed boost as the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) revealed that three major Japanese investors are planning to expand their existing operations in the country, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila…

[ikenagi]

"Lifetime Investor" by Yoshiaki Murakami

Yoshiaki Murakami wrote a book titled "Lifelong Investor" that describes his experience and investing philosophies.

It is well known that Murakami was previously detained and found guilty of insider trading in stock of the Nippon Broadcasting System. But underlying all of this was his profound understanding of Japanese company management and his firm confidence in investing.

The book describes Murakami's motivation for entering the investment sector, his past endeavors, and his perspective on Japanese businesses—particularly those that are publicly traded. It also discusses his leadership of the Murakami Fund, his investing style, and his goals for the advancement of Japan's economy.

Anyone interested in investing will find this book to be very helpful, especially if they want to learn more about company governance and corporate management. However, it is advised that you actually read this book in order to get the details.

[seat-safety-switch]

I don't know if you've ever been to Paris before, but I recommend going. Normally, I would not have gone, but I made a really rich enemy on IRC and he spent a lot of money to have me kidnapped and brought to his home country. While I was there, I got to try a bunch of restaurants (they're hostage-takers, not barbarians) and came away impressed. Something was missing, though, and herein is my genius idea.

In Paris you can get any kind of food. Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Thai: and it's all good. All of it. You literally can't find a bad restaurant. At one point, I walked into a convenience store and got a plate of one-Euro nachos that made me cry at the beauty of the arrangement.

Everyone around me was taking this for granted. Having lived there for years, their quality threshold had crept invisibly upwards until nothing could impress again. They needed something to re-calibrate their sense of truly bad food. That's where I came in. After I got kicked out of the country, I decided to come back with some investor support. I can burn cereal, usually by roasting it gently with a blowtorch on the top of an old gas can. Investors were easy to find.

Our first week of opening was tremendous. Hardened Parisians were discovering their first taste of truly incompetent food. The novelty of it all had captured them. There's just one problem, though: after making an entire lunch rush's feast of poorly-cut toast in reheated canned soup, my cooking skills began to improve from sheer experience. The complaints began to change tone. You got too good, they cried, you're not the same bad chef we once loved. Again, I was deported.

I looked out the window of the plane as it left De Gaulle, staring down onto the beautiful streets of Paris. Down there, I imagined, real gourmets were now eating food out of trash cans out of desperation to recapture what they had experienced with me. If there is one nice thing to be said, I now have two Michelin Stars here in my homeland of Canada, where my consommé-and-grilled-cheese recipe is now so much better than most of our restaurants that it made the Prime Minister Herself come and spit in my face for ruining the economy, before awarding me an Order of Canada. It's not the same.

[themenuland1]

Wingstop Menu – Flavorful Journey through the Irresistible Menu!

Wingstop is a renowned restaurant chain specializing in delicious, flavorful chicken wings. With locations across the United States and in several other countries, Wingstop has gained a loyal following for its mouth-watering wings and variety of tantalizing flavors. Here is complete Wingstop Menu

[natalievoncatte]

It wasn’t Kara that destroyed her.

In her secret heart, Lena craved that. She wanted Kara to give back everything Lena had thrown at her. Defeat her. Crush her. Cast her down and treat her like a villain. After all, why had Kara lied? Conspired? Tricked her and manipulated her? Why do all that if she wasn’t a villain?

In her quietest moments with Myriad in her hands or staring at the twisted visage of an alien murderer, a quiet voice from deep within her whispered the truth she could never let herself feel:

This is what you are. It’s in the blood.

If Kara would just treat her like a villain, it would all make sense. There would be no more nagging doubts, no more questions, no more hateful longing. Lena has done everything she could to carve it out of her chest, but it gave her no relief, only the raw throbbing pain of a ragged wound that wouldn’t close.

Then she had been at L-Corp when Jess ran into her office in a blind panic, shouting that she had to turn the television on now, that something terrible had happened.

Lena stared at her dumbly because she already knew. She could feel it somehow, a wash of graveyard chill that enveloped her from nowhere and froze the rotten lump where her heart had been. Her hand shook as she lifted the remote and turned on the screen.

The news chyron stuck her like a hammer blow to the chest and her pathetic excuse for a last meal -a cold half of a Big Belly burger she’d eaten the night before- leapt into her throat, trying to escape.

Supergirl Dead?

They hadn’t called her, and why would they? Why seek her help after all she’d done?

Lena pushed to her feet, almost tumbling to the floor in the process. The news was repeating a ten-second clip, showing a red-white beam slicing through the midday air, so bright that it distorted the image as it struck a tiny blue and red blur and knocked her out of the sky as if a giant hand had swatted her to the ground.

She was moving before she realized she’d taken a step.

“Cancel all my meetings,” Lena snapped.

“But the Japanese investors,” Jess said, lamely.

“Fuck the Japanese investors, cancel all my meetings!”

She pushed past Jess and stormed to her private elevator, twisting the key so hard it nearly snapped. She paced the full two minutes it took to to descend to the garage. There would be no summoning a driver. She ran barefoot across the parking garage floor to the Bugatti and threw herself inside.

When she arrived at the DEO, there was chaos. It took a moment before anyone noticed a barefoot, red-eyed Lena Luthor running into the lobby in a blind panic. When they did notice, she was immediately tackled by two of their goons and handcuffs slammed on her wrists.

“What the hell are you doing?” she demanded. “I’m here to help!”

“Shut up,” the agent growled.

They sent jolts of pain up her arms as they took her in. She thought they were going to take the handcuffs off, but instead they cuffed one hand to a chain locked to a ring in the middle of a concrete table in an interrogation room.

“What the hell?” Lena screamed. “I’m here to help her!”

The door slammed heavily shit and Lena raged, yanking at the handcuffs in a futile gesture that only left her wrist raw. She thought about trying to pick them, but at this rate they might shoot her if she looked to escape. Her stomach sank and she began to spiral.

She’s dead. She’s dead and they’re going to blame me.

Hot tears burned in her eyes and she willed them not to fall, holding them back with all her might, but it was inevitable.

Finally, after what felt like half a day, Alex walked in. Lena knew at once that something terrible had happened. Kara’s sister looked like hell, with dark circles under her eyes and a pained look. She regarded Lena as if she were some ugly thing that crawled out of a crack in the foundations.

“What are you doing here?” said Alex.

“I told your thugs, I’m here to help. You’re wasting time, I need to see her now.”

“Why,” Alex said, “why on God’s green earth would I let you anywhere near her?”

Lena blinked. “At least tell me what’s wrong. I might be able to…”

“You locked her in a kryptonite cage. You talked her into breaching her morals to carry out your sick schemes. You aimed a kryptonite cannon at her face.”

“I…”

“You what? You didn’t mean it?”

“Alex,” Lena began.

“Shut up. You had me fooled, Luthor. Kara always believed in you. I didn’t. I tried to convince her to be as afraid of her as I was. I just want to know, why now? She left you alone like you wanted. You’ve been quiet. Kara insisted we give you a chance and let you be, a choice I now deeply regret. So why now? What did she do to deserve this?”

The cold fury radiating from Alex choked Lena up for a moment. Her mouth worked silently.

“You think I did this?”

“Why not? You’ve hurt her twice already.”

“I didn’t. I would never. I didn’t want her to die. I just wanted to…”

“To what?”

Lena swallowed hard, speaking before thinking.

“I wanted her to feel what I was feeling.”

Alex’s eyes narrowed and her expression went dark and hard, something vicious twisting her lips. Her hand twitched towards the bulky alien gun on her hip.

With her other hand, she pulled out a phone and turned it to Lena.

Lena’s stomach flipped when she saw Lex’s grinning face.

“I hope you enjoy your new present,” he said into the camera. “A Kryptonite particle beam enhanced with a high-powered laser tuned to a wavelength that will instantly negate her powers.”

Lex’s grin widened.

“Lena sends her regards.”

Lena blinked a few times. She wanted to thrash, yank her chain, accuse, scream.

“That’s impossible.”

“Why, because you wouldn’t?”

“I killed him,” Lena breathed.

“What?”

“Lex. Lex is dead. I killed him. I killed him!” she was almost hysterical. “I put two shots in his chest and one in his head like he taught me himself. After he escaped last time I killed him.”

Alex’s expression faltered.

“You think I’ll believe that?” she said, but sounded unsure.

“When I was twelve and Lex was away at school, Lillian got drunk and threatened me. I was scared to death she meant it. Lex gave me our father’s gun and taught me to shoot.” A brief, weak smile cursed her lips. “I didn’t realize until a lot later how fucked up that is, but it’s one of my favorite memories of him.”

“You’re telling me you killed him,” said Alex. “After you went behind our backs and used the Hardin-El to heal his ‘cancer.’”

“He was my brother.”

“And you say you killed him.”

Lena looked down, away from her. Tears fell on the table with a soft patter and she choked back a hitching sob.

“She became his new fixation. He was never going to stop. I did what I had to do.”

Alex went silent. Her hand hung by her hip and part of Lena hoped she’d make it fast, the same part that flinched when Alex moved.

The key twisted in the lock and the cuffs ratcheted open. Alex gave her arm a sharp tug. “Get up.”

Lena wobbled to her feet.

“What are you doing?”

“Shut up and walk.”

Alex led her to the elevator, and down a corridor. Kara’s frail form lay behind a layer of plastic curtains, bathed in brilliant light from sunlamps.

“If she comes around,” Alex said, her voice flat. “You can never tell her. She’ll blame herself.”

Alex parted the curtains and led Lena inside. Kara lay n a stretcher with a layer of bandages wound around her bare torso, looking pale and drawn. Her skin shone with a cold sweat and there were dark circles around her eyes. She lay in a nest of wires and was on oxygen.

“My God,” Lena whispered.

“It was like he said. Some kind of particle beam combined with the laser. It’s like she was impaled through the chest with superheated Kryptonite. If Jon hadn’t caught her, the impact would have been fatal.”

Alex rattled it all off with a cold, medical detachment, except for the tension creaking in around the edges of her voice and the way her shoulder hitched.

“You’ve hurt her so much,” Alex whispered. “I don’t think I’m ever going to fully trust you again. But for the love of God, if you can fix her then fix her.”

“I will,” Lena said, the CEO creeping back into her voice. “I’ll need materials from my lab. I’ll give a Brainy a list. I’m not leaving her.”

Lena did not sleep for another thirty-six hours. She worked tirelessly alongside Brainy, who regarded her curiously as she hunched over lab benches and uploaded instructions to nanites.

Finally she said, “what? Why are you looking at me like that?”

He turned back to his own task without answering her.

An hour later, Alex stormed in.

“She’s getting worse. Whatever you’re doing, you have to hurry.”

Brainy turned from his lab bench and took Alex’s arm. He led her into the hall and they had a clipped, quiet conversation that Lena could not hear, except for Alex’s startled cry of “WHAT?”

It didn’t matter, she was finished. She took the devil in her hands and rushed through the door.

“Let’s go, we can’t waste anymore time.”

Alex openly gaped at her, then looked at Brainy. The expression of utter shock on her face arrested Lena in her tracks.

“What?”

“I,” Alex began, but Brainy grabbed her arm and squeezed hard.

“Let’s go,” said Alex.

Lena swept into the lab carrying the module in her hands as if it were made of precious gold.

“Turn off the sunlamps,” Lena ordered the technicians. “If the poisoning progresses, they’ll kill her faster than they heal her.”

Once they were off, Lena placed the device on Kara’s chest and stepped back.

Its sensors detected the Kryptonite and the system deployed. The pod unfolded like a delicate composite flower, and a wave of nanobots poured over Kara’s skin, instantly devouring and reprogramming the nanites in the wreckage of her suit while consuming the linens and bandages to grant the system more mass.

The entire process unfolded in seconds. It ensconced her in a protective layer and expanded, rapidly building an entire protective pod around her body. Dozens of tiny needles inserted dozens of cannulas into her arms and legs and began pumping her full of nanites, sending them storming through her bloodstream.

Lena bit her lip: there was nothing to do now except watch as the system’s AI administered rapid pulses of red and yellow light to balance the speed of her healing as the nanites in her bloodstream identified irradiated particles and consumed them, using them to make more of themselves.

She sat down. She knew this would take hours.

It ended up taking three days.

Lena slept in the side chair by the bed until someone brought her an uncomfortable recliner. Alex came in and out, as did Brainy and Nia, all of them looking at her oddly.

Finally the pod made a pleasant tone and unfolded. Kara lay on her side within, the nanites having formed a new suit top around her to preserve her modesty. She still wasn’t awake, but she was breathing normally and looked for all the world like her usual beautiful self. Lena was alone with her when it happened, and was glad of it. No one saw her brush the loose strands of gold from her face, and no one saw her rest her palm on Kara’s warm cheek.

They all piled on eventually.

Kara did not wake up.

“Why isn’t she coming around?” Alex demanded. “Why doesn’t she wake up?”

“She’s in a Kryptonian healing trance,” said Brainy. “It’s part of the healing process. She will wake when she is ready.”

“When the hell will that be?”

“We should give Lena the room.”

“What? Why?”

“Trust me,” Brainy said firmly.

Lean was as bewildered as Alex. What was she supposed to do?

When they were gone, she caught herself reflected in the monitors around the bed. She looked like shit, with barely one day’s sleep in four. As haggard as she looked, she didn’t care.

What the hell? It couldn’t hurt.

Lena bent over the bed, leaning on one hand, and took Kara’s in the other.

“I don’t know if you’re in there, but if you can hear me, it’s safe now. You can wake up. We’re all here for you. I’m here.”

It might have been the exhaustion, or the desperation, or the sorrow that filled her to bursting like a molten pain, but something happened and Lena let slip something that she’d held so tight she was sure her heart had long since crushed it.

“I love you, Kara. You don’t have to love me back. You don’t even have to like me. But I need you in the world. I need you. I need you, not Supergirl. I need Kara. I need my Kara. Please, if you’re in there at all,”

Kara’s eyes fluttered open. “Lena?”

“I’m here.”

Kara blinked a few times, and her hand closed gently around Lena’s.

“I had a bad dream,” she said. “It hurt so much, it felt like my heart was ripped out and I was in a dark place, and then I heard your voice leading me home.”

Lena grinned in spite of herself, tears stinging her eyes.

“I’m sorry, Kara. For everything.”

“Hush,” Kara whispered, her angelic voice full of quiet wisdom. “We can do that later. You’re tired. Lay down.”

Lena hesitated for a bare moment and then kicked off her shoes before climbing on next to her. Once she was lying down, sleep came crashing down on her like an avalanche as Kara threw an arm over her and tucked in close.

As she drifted off, Lena heard Alex, somewhere in the hall, snap, “Brainy, you knew this entire time?!”

[zvaigzdelasas]

[Nikkei is Japanese Private Media]

That's probably fine! :) [5 Aug 24]

[marieracingteam]

Ghost Writer/ Ghost Enemy

In recent years, what is considered the most important sport in motorsport’s history has noticeably lost its popularity. Its reach to the female public is at its worst, and social networks have stopped considering relevant what filled newspapers and magazines one day.

As expected, investors are not satisfied, but not surprised either. It seems that the pinnacle of motorsport has become untouchable and they are the ones who built their empire in the clouds.

Books and movies were written about its elitism, about how unattainable it was to get one of the prestigious seats in the single-seaters. Wealth, fame, luxury... everything kept pushing them away from the public until they reached this point.

What could be made now? Could one social media post change history? Or did they need to bring back the big weapons to revert the damage already made?

A Formula 1 and Max Verstappen fanfiction.

Masterlist.

Weekend 1. Formula 1 Pre-Season Testing.

Weekend 2. Bahrain Grand Pix.

Weekend 3. Saudi Arabian Grand Pix.

Weekend 4. Australian Grand Prix.

Extra. The week between the Australian and the Japanese Grand Prix.

Weekend 5. Japanese Grand Prix.

Weekend 6. Chinese Grand Prix.

Weekend 7. Miami Grand Prix.

Weekend 8. Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.

Weekend 9. Monaco Grand Prix.

Weekend 10. Spanish Grand Prix.

[leclucklerc]

Against the World SO17 - 00. Prologue

Pairings: Shohei Ohtani x Reader

Summary: Y/n and Shohei's journey started in high school. A place where the both of them found themselves thrusted into the spotlight without warning.

Word count: 2.8k

Masterlist Next

Her friends told her that their relationship work was because how busy they are.

It’s because the both of them are really successful in their own respectful field. That the both of them are both really dedicated to their own craft and realized that time and effort is essential to keep improving themselves. That both love their works so much, making them both really busy and in the end-

Their relationship works because of that.

They met in high school.

Y/n likes to think that it’s fate, their meeting that is.

L/n Y/n was born from a Japanese mother and an American father. She doesn’t know much of her dad, considering he left her mom when he realized she was pregnant with his child. Y/n doesn’t really care. It’s not hard to forget a man that had never been in your life to begin with.

The same thing couldn’t be said to her mother.

After all, the woman had been heartbroken. She had given her heart, her young adult years, her dedication, for a man that decided that she’s not worth it. She had given him everything, only to be left with a child that he doesn’t want.

Maybe that’s the start of her resentment towards the man that had never been there. To see the woman that had raised and loved her staring longingly at the only picture that she has of the man. To see the woman closed her heart tightly. Never letting anyone to enter anymore.

To see the woman who had been so strong to raised her as a single mother in the midst of the Japanese society that had never looked her situation favorably.

Born and raised in Iwate, Japan, Y/n thought that she will grew up in this small city forever. She never really has an ambitious or big dreams to chase. From the start, she’s content with her life. A loving mother, a comfortable house, and friends to play with.

That is, until she was scouted as an idol during her first year of middle school.

If she must be honest, she had never really had an interest to become an idol. Nor had she put much thought when she said yes to the guy that scout her. It was a spur of a moment thing, where Y/n doesn’t really have much going on about her life.

The idol industry in Japan started young after all. Much younger than any other idol industries all around the world. She figured there’s no harm in trying and if in the end she doesn’t really like it, she can just quit considering that she still have her whole life before her.

She really didn’t expect the world of glitz and glamour. The kind of world that she’s not familiar with where she’s nothing more than an object to be idolized by someone. Where she has to put up a smile 24/7 on her face as she dance and sing in front of a crowd of people that really should be doing something better than obsessing a 13 year old girl.

Though alas, Y/n fell in love with the stage.

The bright light, the light that shone upon her, and the screams of adoring fans. The way her voice resonated across the air as she captured every pair of eyes, all of them focusing on her. All of them, putting all their attention to her.

For a girl that always craved love and validation all her life – an absentee father and a mother that is too busy - It really doesn’t take her long before she starts to love all of those. To start loving that aspect of being an idol and her life.

The stage is her first love. It’s something that will never fail to bring out a smile across her face. Something, that she could see doing years onwards.

But of course, life is not that perfect. What with her debuting under a small company amidst the already packed idol scene in Japan, it doesn’t take long for the company to put her into a hiatus. A hiatus is the fancy term, considering the company is basically trying to find an investor that’s crazy enough to invest their money on the not famous idol Y/n . 

And well, no one wants to.

Her latest album sales are less than 1000. The same thing could be said to her most recent fan meeting where almost no one showed up. Her company too realized the failing potential of her idol career, that’s why they’re putting her in the so-called hiatus. 

Her dorm room was taken too, considering how tight money is. Not wanting her to live on the company practice room or even the streets, Y/n was sent home back to Iwate.

Compared to Tokyo, Iwate is a quiet town. It’s the town where she was born and spent her childhood in and yet, it feels almost unfamiliar. She’s not used to the dark streets without the colorful billboards and various advertisements. She’s not used to the mountain scenery without any tall building disrupting her sight.

She’s not used to this. 

This uncertain future of hers. These signs that keep on showing. Showing her that it's time for her to give up on her hopeless dream. That there's no way she can succeed as a celebrity and capture the heart of many.

"I don't want to go to school," she had said to her mother, finger playing with the food in front of her. "So many people knows that I left Iwate for Tokyo to become an idol... if I went back now people will laugh at me."

"And what?" asked her mother, voice a bit firm. "Leave your education?"

Y/n went quiet at that.

She knows that her already doomed future will become more doomed if she choose to leave her higher education without a good reason. A university graduate could hardly get a decent job after all. What can a high school drop out do?

"You finish your school," said her mother again. "Finish high school at least. We can talk about university later."

The start of her high school life is bleaker than ever.

Her earliest memory is of her and her mother watching a baseball game late at night.

She remembered being excited, considering for the first time ever her mother had let her to stay up way passed her bedtime. Her mother had told her earlier, with a pretty and yet secretive smile, that she has something to show her.

Y/n is excited. Practically bouncing at her feet as she stared at the bright television screen in front of her. There’s a baseball game in front of her. Of the cheering crowds and the colors of the teams splattered across the screen.

“Y/n-chan,” breathed out her mother, also entranced as her arm wrapped around the younger’s smaller girl. “Baby, look,” she said as she pointed towards one of the man who was walking to the field, bat in hand. “That’s your dad.”

Dad, is a foreign concept for the young girl.

She had never met her dad before, and yet, her mother had told her countless of stories about the man. Y/n practically knows almost nothing about the man and yet at the same time, she knows everything to know about regarding the man.

The man on the screen has a small frown on his face as he went into his batting position. His mother let out an entranced gasp as the crowd started to grow wild when the pitcher too, went on about his pitching motion. And without further ado, the crowd went absolutely wild when the man hit off a homerun almost immediatelt.

“Oh my god!” yelled the older woman, practically hugging Y/n. “Oh my god!”

Y/n blinked. “What’s going on?” asked the girl, turning her head towards the older woman. “Is it a good thing?”

“It is baby!” exclaimed the woman as she smothered plenty of kisses on y/n’s face. “Your father had just won the world series!”

That was the first time she ever heard about the world series and her early introduction to baseball. At first, she was excited. After all, who won’t be after discovering that your father is a world famous baseball player? That your father is just someone so cool?

And then she realized why she never see her father.

Y/n was nine when she watched an interview that her father did. An interview that he did with his family. His family that’s not y/n and her mom.

She watched as the little girl around her age sat on her father’s lap, smiling widely with a pretty dress that y/n wished she could own. She watched as the woman besides her father laughed, hand looped around the man arm as the woman who’s definitely not her mom gave her father a small peck on his cheek.

She watched this picture perfect little family laughed and joke inside her screen.

It made her felt a bit empty. She had asked her mother countless of time why they never sees her father. Something that the older woman had never answered directly. It was always a “we’ll see him soon,” or “he’s a really busy man.”

Well, now she knows why she never sees her dad.

Her relationship with baseball grows a bit complicated at that.

To be precise, she really doesn’t have any personal vendetta towards the sport. Though, being reminded about your absent father every time she see the sport is an unpleasant feeling. To know that your father doesn’t care about you or your mom every time she sees someone playing baseball is something that she hates.

Growing up trying to avoid baseball in a country like Japan is a hard thing. Baseball is a national sport here so encountering the sport on a daily basis is not something uncommon.

Y/n hates it. She hates the fact that her father made her hates baseball. She hates the fact that her father cheats on his own wife. She hates the fact that her father doesn’t care about her or her mom. She hates the fact that baseball reminds her of her useless existence. That y/n is an unwanted child born out of wedlock.

She hates it so so much.

Though, as she stared at her new high school, she started to question many things.

“Why did I choose this school…” she muttered as she saw the large banner being displayed in front of the school building. A banner that’s congratulating the school baseball team on entering Koshien.

Turns out, her new high school, the Hanamaki Higashi High School, is a school famous for their baseball team.

Y/n really does have a rotten luck.

"Didn't you go to Tokyo to become famous?" asked the girl in front of her.

Y/n let out an awkward laugh. "I'm on a hiatus," she said. "I want to pursue my education first before continuing my career," continue the girl, lying boldly.

The girl laughed at that. "Well it's great to have you back!" she said. "Can't believe we have a celebrity on our midst!"

Said girl let out an awkward laugh at that. The opening ceremony had just began and there's countless of eyes on her. She should've been used to this, all the prodding and curious stare that's being directed towards her way.

And yet, she can't help but hate the feeling.

She could almost feel all the judging look and the raised eyebrow. She doesn't know how many of them would belief her lie of deciding to pursue her education over her career but she hates it nonetheless.

Y/n wants to hide.

She first met him as they were assigned to sit together.

Before then, she had known who Shohei Ohtani is, considering his hulking height. The teen had stood out like a sore thumb during the new student orientation, towering every single student. Ema, who is considered tall in a Japanese standard, had to crane her head up to see his face.

Besides that, Y/n too, had heard the whispers about him.

Apparently, Ohtani-san is a really good baseball player. Like, really good. During his middle school days, it seems that he had set some kind of record that made many famous baseballs school wants to recruit him. The reason why Ohtani-san chose their school? Who knows. All they know is that the baseball club head coach had jumped in joy when he realized the potential that Ohtani-san has. While of course their school too boast an amazing baseball program, it can’t be compared to those from a big city like Tokyo or Hokkaido. 

All in all, Y/n impression on his is that Ohtani-san is a really quiet guy.

While Ema is all about cheerful greetings and wide smile, Ohtani-san is all about prolonged silence and deep gaze. If the both of them are colors, Y/n would be a bright yellow while Ohtani-san will be a drab grey. Not too bright, and yet, he’s not that closed off from those around him.

Admittedly, they didn’t talk much. Y/n had tried to talk to him, several times in fact, but the answer had always been short and clipped. During class too, he had only ever passively followed along the lesson. Never tried to answer an open question or be the one to come in front to answer a problem.

The only time she had ever see him alive is when he’s playing baseball.

When the bell rings, Ohtani-san would be brightened considerably as he almost immediately shot past the door with his bag. Once, she had asked one of the baseball club members about it.

“He’s always been the first one on the field,” answer one of them. “And the last one to leave.”

Y/n hummed at that answer.

She had thought their relationship will always be like that. The amicable seatmates that don’t really talk much with each other but didn’t bother each other as well. That is, until the next seat rotation at the end of the semester. 

“Oh,” said Y/n, arriving at her designated seat. “Ohtani-san, we’re together again,” she said with a smile.

Ohtani-san looked up from his phone screen before he’s scrambling to hide it from her point of view. He looked a bit embarrassed at that. “L/n-san,” he answered after managing to gather his bearings for a bit. “Yes, um…”

He trailed off at that, seemingly unsure on what to response. Y/n doesn’t really mind as she took her seat. The girl gave the male a polite smile before she reached out for her bag, taking a fashion magazine that she had brought today.

There’s a casting for this clothing brand model… Maybe Y/n could try that?

“-San,”

Or maybe should she audition as a voice actor? But she thinks it will be hard to transition back to a singer if she does that.

“-n-san,”

She really doesn’t want to give up her dream to become a celebrity though. Should she try online auditions? Like in South Korea or-

“L/n-san,” called out Ohtani-san, catching her attention. They had been sitting silently for almost 10 minutes at this point, waiting for the morning bell to ring. Y/n never thought that the baseball player will strike up a conversation with her.

“Hm?” she answered with a smile on her face, a bit distracted, looking away from the magazine in front of her. “What’s up?”

He looks hesitant at first, opening and closing his mouth afterwards before he thrusted his phone towards her. It’s a recording of a baseball game.

“I… I was watching a game last night,” he started before pressing the video to play. In it, someone is doing the first pitch. “I was wondering if this was… really you?”

She stared at the phone screen in front of her. Dark eyes staring at the girl who’s doing the ceremonial first pitch with her long dark hair half hidden with the team’s cap.

It’s her. Y/n knows it’s her.

After all, that instance had been one of the highest peaks of her career. One of the baseball teams, the tigers, had asked her to throw the first pitch on one of their home games. Truthfully, considering her popularity, the only reason that she had gotten that gig was because the general manager of the team is her company’s ceo cousin. Back then, when it was her that’s going to throw the first pitch, no one knows who Suzuki Y/n was.

The cheers were minimal, but Y/n doesn’t really care. After all, it’s an honor for her to do that. 

No matter how her feeling is towards baseball – or, like, MLB – baseball is, the number one sport in Japan. For a failed celebrity like Y/n, to be able to throw the first pitch in one of the first-class team league in Japan is a sign of success.

Considering how much of a baseball geek Ohtani-san is, she really should’ve expected him to realize her job.

Answering him, she let out a large grin. “Yeah, it’s me,” she answered, leaning forward towards the desk. “Really cool right?”

Ohtani-san flushed before he nodded his head. “… Yeah,” he let out. “I didn’t know you’re… famous.”

“Not many knows that” she let out a chuckle. “I’m a bit of a failed idol, you know.”

The other teen furrowed his brows. “That can’t be it,” he said, tilting his head. “You did the first pitch for the Tigers.”

“Eh, it’s all about nepotism, Ohtani-san.”

He still doesn’t look unconvinced. 

“… I searched for your videos,” said the baseball player after a while. “Last night, to make sure that it’s really you.”

Y/n raised an eyebrow at that. “You did?”

Ohtani-san nodded his head. “Yeah,” he let out before showing his phone screen towards her. It was one of her music video. The most recent one actually. “And, um… you were amazing. I really thought that you’re a famous star when I watched you perform.”

That- that warms here. Unexpectedly.

"You do?" she asked.

"Yes," replied the male without missing a beat. "I thought that it's amazing that you can perform like that despite so many eyes staring at you! I- um, I'm a nervous person naturally... so I really won't know what I should do if I were on your position."

She had heard people praises her performance many times. That if only she didn’t debut under such a small company, she would’ve been a star in the industry. Usually, she would’ve responded those praises with her automatic smile. Thanking them for the praise before humbling herself down.

Usually, such praise won’t make her heart skipped a beat.

Maybe it’s the sincere look on his eyes, or how he sounds as If he’s utterly convinced at that statement. She doesn’t really know. All she knows that simple praise opens up the gate of friendship between the two of them.

“Thank you,” she said, letting out a huge smile. “That really means a lot.”

Ohtani-san let out a smile at that too.

"Though, don't you have many people watching your baseball games?" asked the girl.

The male's cheeks warmed a bit at that. "Uh- um... if it's during games I would be too focused at the game itself so I won't notice anything besides it."

"I see," said the female. “So, who’s your favorite player at the tigers cause I got a lot of autographs from them-“

After that, Ohtani-san became Ohtani-kun. And Ohtani-kun, became simply Shohei.

[severinageto]

SILENCE - ONE SHOT

Silence.

Suguru thinks his life has been quite silent lately. Yes, the twins talk to him. Miguel and Larue too. In fact, they always talk to him.

Sometimes he thinks it might be too much, more than he can bear. “Perhaps adopting two five-year-old girls when I was 17 was a bit impulsive”, he thinks while brushing his hair for the first time that day.

However, those thoughts vanish once he has breakfast with them. Cereal for Mimiko, every morning. Nanako, on the other hand, insists on mimicking his traditional breakfast; not just the miso soup and rice bowl, but also the green tea and coffee. But she is too young for those stimulants. Orange or grapefruit juice is fine.

Sometimes, he looks at them with concern. He is not sure if he wants the same life for them. Perhaps a bit of normalcy is all they need.

And his life is anything but normal.

Once a week, he decides to take an afternoon for himself. As soon as he finishes teaching them what they should be learning in a traditional school, he leaves them with Miguel. He takes them to play, to different places. The square, the park, sometimes even drives to the beach. He knows from the photos and videos his loyal number two takes that they have an incredible time.

"Time to play leader," he thinks as he dresses in his gojo kesa. Meetings, exorcisms, more meetings, more exorcisms. Sometimes, photo sessions. The Vessel investors believe leveraging Suguru's charisma is good for business. They are not wrong. It has grown significantly since social media began.

Ugh, Facebook, Instagram, Line. They are not his style at all. Nevertheless, he pretends. And he is very good at it. Otherwise, he would not be the most sought-after exorcist in the Japanese archipelago.

But there is something he does like about social media. As if reading his mind, it suggested a contact for him. His fingers almost instinctively went to the profile.

"Of course, Satoru doesn’t have it private," he thought when he saw it. More than six hundred posts, all at his disposal. Some might think the albino did it out of egotism, but he believed he knew the truth. It was not just ego, but a desire to share. Perhaps, even a desire to share with him. His travels around the world, his selfies with his students (who were obviously there against their will), his meals. Sometimes, even reflections. Sure, maybe a comparison between Pepsi and Coca-Cola was not the deepest thing from his mind, but still; it was his mind. He laughed, noticing that he had not changed substantially. But that laugh was followed by a melancholy sigh. How he missed that way of thinking.

Nobody made him laugh like that.

Absolutely nobody.

On the other hand, Suguru knew he also viewed his profile. But it was not as personal as his. On the curse manipulator's Instagram, there was only room for his cult leader persona. He could not allow anything else. He could never show his vulnerability because, when he did, nothing good came out of it; even though it had been with him, he did not realize it. So how would he notice through a screen whatever he tried to communicate?

"Get over it, Suguru, get over it," he told himself as he left home. "You don’t have time to think about this. You don’t want to, either."

Or did he? Again, he found himself going to the station where they used to meet. Why was he doing this? He knew quite a bit about Freudian theories on unconscious acts, but this was too much. The third time, in less than six months.

"I’ve got some time to kill," he thought as he sat in the same spot. It was a public place, after all. He crossed his legs and took out Runaway Horses from his bag. He began reading, his hand resting on the bench. Suddenly, his gaze shifted to the corner of it. His heart literally stopped for a second. A camellia, his favorite flower, lay there, almost as if it had always been part of the place. Unchanging, beautiful, and eternal.

Coincidence? He did not know, but nobody else knew that was his favorite flower.

He tucked it into his book, sighing.

Perhaps in his blue life, silence also reigned.

—————————————————-

Image by @12eeeeco on X.

[theesirenteller]

𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐫

ＷＡＲＮＩＮＧ ! ! DO NOT READ WHAT'S STATED BELOW IF YOU"RE TRIGGED ➷ ➷

【 This chapter contains Gun Violence, Abuse both psychological & physical】

Chapter Five; 𝕴𝖓𝖈𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖎𝖛𝖊 | Masterlist

"We have a problem."

"We? No, you have a problem."

"Oh no, we have a problem."

"And how does my cousin banging some stripper affect me?" Nick questioned with a chastising grin. 

Over the last month, Christopher and Epiphany had been more friendly in the public eye. It didn't take a genius to figure out they were seeing one another or at least messing around. Annie had yet to tell Beth about Epiphany's casual bragging about her and Christopher's sex life. Despite Beth being her older sister, Annie didn't want to be seen as a rat or lose someone she had considered a friend. She liked having Epiphany as a friend and didn't want her relationship spilling into her sisterhood. On the flip side, Beth took notice of just about everything Rio did. He wasn't one to be flashy or make a scene. His behavior over the course of the three years she'd known him was either consistent or spontaneous. Nowadays he'd drop by the club more often and never on the days when Epiphany wasn't working. Drop and pick-up days were whenever Epiphany worked. The two would share smiles at one another from across the room. He would stay to watch her perform solos on stage and then they'd share a drink at the bar. Or Beth would see him leave and then Epiphany would leave right after. If not that, it was the shared touches. His hand would pat her back on his way out or if he was close enough, Epiphany would kiss him on the cheek.

And Beth loathed it all.

Keeping your friends close and your enemies closer was something that Nick learned and lived by. After Beth had set him up to be locked up and he'd gotten her back 'where it hurts' things were back to 'normal'. Well, as normal as he and his brother wanted things to be. The blonde councilwoman at her beck and call, open to being bent in whichever direction they could push her in. The brothers were still playing the long game with her. Beth was the perfect spokesperson to appeal to rich, white, privileged investors in across states better than Nick could. And when things go to shit, Beth is set to have a hard time. Both Rio and Nick would be sure of it.

"It affects you because it affects me," she hissed, "I'm not close to him like that and I doubt you two are close after…last year's events." A teasing glint in her eye and a smug smirk laid across her thin lips as she saw Nick's smile slowly diminish. "Anyway," She started off with a higher pitched voice and chirpy tone, "Your cousin, brother, whatever is involved with the Japanese. I don't know what the details are but I want in. "

"You want a percentage of that deal." Nick clarified while he relaxed back in his office seat, "How do you know he's even in business with them?"

"He moved eight SUV trucks filled with Japanese yen through my strip club and my second dealership." She informed before shrugging her shoulders with a subtle hair flip, "We're partners, it's only fair that I'm cut in."

Nick looked at her with amusement in his eyes. He was amused but still impressed with how far she had come. She was more like him than she could ever admit, if not worse, "Right," he replied casually with a slight nod."I can't be involved, that'd be a conflict of interest-" 

He was quickly cut off by Beth, "How? This affects you because then we have nothing to pin on him with the feds!"

"It's personal. I don't know how close they are or how he feels about this chick. So either one of us removing her without motive causes unnecessary heat. You can't just kill her because he'd banging her," Nick replied with a raised voice and sharp tone. He didn't miss the way her eyes widened, or how she gulped and clenched her jaw. Her discomfort was loud without words needing to be said,  "You're gonna have to create a shadow. Set her up in some way, get photos, and then you get rid of her. That'll be your reason and he'll have to understand because it's just business. Take a page out of his book." he advised.

Beth quickly grabbed her designer tote bag and stood up, "Well thank you, councilman, I heard you loud and clear." and with her passive-aggressive statement she spun on her heel and strutted out of his office.

"Happy to help, Councilwoman!"Nick ridiculed behind her with a chuckle just before the door shut.

When she arrived at her home, Beth had done exactly like she was told but not without adding her own details. Beth had a four-bedroom, two-bathroom luxurious home in a more upscale area of the suburbs of Detroit. She lived in luxury now with her new position and she enjoyed the space that was solely hers. Seeing her children every other weekend was good enough for her, nowadays. Her old life felt like another world but she couldn't deny that she didn't miss it. She was powerful now. She was somebody who people either loved or feared. She felt invincible. "Annie, could you come down here for a second?!" 

"What's up?" the short-haired dirty blonde questioned a few minutes later. 

"Hey, do you think you could set up lunch between your little stripper friend and me?" Beth asked, " I'm thinking that Ruby and you need to be there as well."

"Yeah sure, but uh what for?" Annie replied as she raised her bushy eyebrows.

"Just lunch," her voice softened as her eyes lowered to a more 'saddened' look, "I have to talk to her about Rio. He's dangerous and I don't want her ending up like Lucy," she sighed with faux-sorrow.

"Or is it that you're jealous." Annie smirked and wiggled her brows. 

"Oh please, Annie," Beth rolled her eyes, " I am not jealous of some bimbo stripper hooking up with him. Believe me, she's keeping him out of my hair."

"Mhmm, whatever you say," Annie teased with a sing-a-song tone, "But yeah I'll set it up."

And she did just that. Annie had set up a lunch date the following weekend with Epiphany at Tony's diner. Saturday afternoon to be exact. Epiphany had gotten ready at Christopher's apartment. It'd become a routine for the pair to hook up in the middle of the day instead of grabbing lunch. Sometimes, a quick lunch date was after an hour of indulging in each other's bodies. As usual, Christopher had left first then thirty minutes later, Epiphany had left. 

She had gotten into an Uber and two of Christopher's henchmen weren't far behind. They tailed behind unbeknownst to her, all the way to the diner. As soon as she walked in and the suburban mothers spotted her, almost immediately judgment flashed across their eyes. Their eyes ranked her attire thaat consisted of; A short green-camo mini skirt with green sequin scattered across it,  a tight-fitted white cropped camisole that read 'AS IF' in big bold gold letters, a dark green jean bolero jacket, and knee–high heeled boots hugged her thighs.

"Oh hell no…"Ruby scoffed. 

"Geez, you can take the girl outta of the strip-club but can't take the club out of the girl,"Beth added.

"Wow…uh…that's a lot for lunch," Annie cringed and bit at her lip.

Epiphany raised her left eyebrow as she looked at the three women before her eyes narrowed in on Annie, "I thought you said we were having brunch. As just the two of us."She proceeds to take a seat in the booth seat across from the trio. Her arms soon folded under her ample breasts as an expression remained unmoved.

"I know and I'm sorry I didn't clarify there would be more than just the two of us but-" Annie was cut off by Epiphany in the midst of trying to apologize and explain herself.

"But, you wanted to ambush me." Epiphany stated in a matter-of-fact tone, straightening her shoulders back as she sat up straighter,

"We're not here to fire you," Ruby stated.

"No. Not at all!" Annie protested.

"Look, we're just here to talk to you," Beth sighed, "To warn you."

"Oh? About what? Is the club shutting down?" Epiphany questioned them, her eyes moving across the three women back and forth until they settled in on Beth.

"Look Epiphany, I know we haven't exactly seen eye to eye-" Beth attempted to reason but was cut off.

"We haven't?" Epiphany mocked with a higher pitch to her voice and a slight head tilt, "...Why would you think that?"

"Well we haven't had a full conversation over a cup of cof-" Beth giggled before she was cut off once again.

"And who's fault would that be? I've never thought we had beef. In fact," Epiphany licked across her bottom lip as her eyes swept up and down the Detroit council woman's face, "I don't think of you at all."

A look of bewilderment washed over the three women's faces. The nostrils of Beth's nose flared and her peach lipstick-covered lips curled. Before anyone could utter a word, the waitress came trotting over, "What will y'all be having?" she asked with an impatient tone.

"Well, all have Cobb salads." Beth ordered for everyone but Epiphany quickly jumped in after to switch her order, "I'll just take a black coffee."

"Look here, we're trying to warn you that you're getting involved with a very dangerous man." Beth hissed before rambling on, "You don't know the vile, horrible things he's done to people. Like our friend Lucy, he seduced her with his kindness only to kill her when she was no longer of use to him. And me, he's used sex and exploration to control my every move. It took me outsmarting him many times to get out of being murdered by him."

"And he kidnapped me!" Annie was quick to mention.

Epiphany's lips stretched at the sides into a tight smile before she started to laugh. her laugh came off as a subtle and serene giggle, "Who are you even talking about? Who is he?"

"Oh for the love god, the gang leader that's going to pound town on you!!" Ruby sighed in annoyance.

"Rio."

"Gangfriend!"

Annie and Beth both said different names at once. That was when Epiphany knew it was time to go. She had heard enough. "Sounds like you ladies have got whoever's fucking me mixed up with whatever you've got going on." She said as she stood up from her seat, "If the person you know is so horrible, why not get restraining orders? and dip out? Or I don't know…get rid of the person?" Epiphany suggested as she got out of the booth. She then proceeded to turn around and start heading out of the diner.

"Girls a lost cause." Ruby sighed.

" Good riddance." Beth scoffed.

"What do you think we should do now?' Annie asked as they watched Epiphany walk down the street from the window. 

"Plan B," Beth smirked before pulling out her phone.

Their words didn't fall on deaf ears. Epiphany thought of what they had said throughout her day on campus. She sat through her lecture in airplane mode. Denting her pen with bite marks she stared aimlessly out the fourth-floor window. These claims…these accusations…they sounded familiar. Eerily familiar. 

'Watch yourself'

'Cassius did a number on his last girl, Está locõ. Un Díablo.' 

'Do you even know what his family does to people? You don't wanna marry into that.'

The images of Cassius's brown skin covered in black and blue reddened flesh from fingernails that broke his skin. The screams and cries of men being burned alive, of it replayed in her mind. Or how the boys who spared her glance and shot her a smile at The Kitty Box ended up disappearing left & right.  'Was Chris similar? Or was he worse?' Epiphany wondered to herself throughout the day.  Why was it that she attracted dangerous men? And why did she find such jovial comfort in that? A sense of security and importance. After all, it's what she always dreamed of. She dreamed of having the life of women like Elvira Hancock, Carmela Soprano, and of course, Ginger McKenna. 

The remainder of her time in lectures blew by in the blink of an eye. Since she couldn't be bothered to pay attention in class, Epiphany decided to settle herself in a cafe on campus with a series of notes that she brought from one of her classmates.

"Hmph…I always thought you only looked best on your back but this is a slightly nicer view."

Cassius. Surely, Epiphany must've been hearing things. She didn't dare peel her eyes away from the notes that laid against the table. Her mouth grew dry. Then her palms grew sweaty. The underneath of her breasts began to moisten. Only hot air escaped her lips as she breathed outwards. He wasn't here. He couldn't be here. But he was here. In Detroit. In a cafe on the campus where she attended. And he sat right across from her. His sandy-brown-tanned hand reached over and laid upon hers. Epiphany let out a choked moan of pain, of agony. It felt as though he had burned her with a hot iron. His skin was always hot. Very hot as if he had a furnace built within his body. As she snatched her hand away, Epiphany's eyes finally settled on him. He looked exactly the same as the day she left him. Shiny bald head, Smooth, poreless brown skin, and a full, thick goatee that nearly covered his lips. He was dressed like a reaper, in all black from his leather parka-jacket to his Timberland boots.

"What the fuck are you doing here." Epiphany had finally gotten the courage to say, with her shoulders back and a sharpness to her tone, "Better yet, who told you I was here? My mother?" 

To this, Cassius scoffed, "A whore like that doesn't care for her child overnight, don't flatter yourself." He then folded his large hands together on the table. The diamonds within his chunky rings reflected off of the silverware on the table, "You called me."

"And why would I do that?" She questioned with a tilt of her head slightly to the side, her eyes nor her face gave away that she was shocked. Epiphany sat there with a stoic expression. Never would she have called him. She left Las Vegas behind and everyone in it for a reason. To be normal. As normal as a girl with a not-so-stellar past could be. But, she was only twenty-three and tried to remind herself that life was only just starting. Her childhood felt like adulthood but this era of her was her freedom. 

"Because you need me. You said it over the phone. You said what I already know. You can't live without me, you and I both know you can not function in a civilized world without being taken care of. Look at your job now, A whore on a pole." He tsked and shook his head. Cassius as always thought so low of women. Especially those who worked in the sex work or entertainment industry. Yet he and his family endorsed it all. They funded all if not the majority of the clubs in Dubai and Los Vegas. Or at least that's what he and her mother told her. 

And his words angered her. It made her blood boil and her skin crawl. Her teeth dug into the meaty flesh of her bottom lip as she stared across the table at him. Her mouth was no longer dry as she collected spit from the sides of her mouth before she hawked spit in his eye, "Hijo de puta! Even with all the money in the world, you're still a useless trick with nothing to offer but your money. You're lower than a whore."

Cassius's ears grew reddened as the corners of his jaw tightened in. His bushy brows started to narrow in as he got up at the same time she had. Only, he flipped over the cafe table causing a squad of campus security to bum rush into the spot. The man began cursing in Arabic as he lunged for her but Epiphany was quicker than him. She ran behind security and they tackled him to the floor. Her day had gone from annoying to bad. How did he find her? He said he had spoken to her and that she discussed needing him. These were the questions that plagued her mind as she was placed in the counselor's office alongside the police. She filled out various forms before the restraining order was put in. 

None of the day's events made sense. Beth, Annie, and their friend had no business 'warning' her about Christopher or as they called him, Rio. Rio had no knowledge of her and Epiphany wasn't important enough for his enemies to track down her ex to 'take her back'; Somehow, she felt like Beth was involved. Why, other than petty jealousy? Epiphany had no clue. It all overwhelmed her. The web of backstabbing, sex, personal gain, and who knew what else. Everything that transpired within the last three hours had caused Epiphany to form a severe headache along with body pain. Stress started to take a toll on her body. And after questioning and fillings were done, she was driven to her apartment and taken upstairs by police.

The moment that she got inside, she flopped herself across the couch; and let her mind go numb.

The scent of sewer water, shit, along with the feeling of a warm hand against her cheek had awoken Epiphany from her deep slumber. Her groggy eyes slowly opened and as her vision became clear, Christopher stood in front of her. She was seated on a wonky metal chair in an underground area that looked like a sewer storage locker. Epiphany, winced at the sight of her new setting and instantly latched her hands onto his forearms and stood up on her feet, "Chris? Chris what's going on?" she whimpered in fear.

His usually big brown eyes were dark. And the subtle smirk on his lips made her grow weary with fear. This was the first time she felt truly intimidated by him. His stature; The way he towered over her five foot two frame with his six foot one. Tears started to form at the corners of her eyes as her chest began to rise and fall quickly, "P-please..please don't hurt me." she begged. Not him. Anyone but him. He was the only aspect of her life that made her feel alive. His gentleness, The romance he brought to her life in such a short amount of time was overwhelming and she feared that ending more than her own death.

"Shh, relax. I'm not gonna hurt you, baby," his tone was mellow as he raised his left hand and laid it against the sides of her face. Christopher dipped his head down, his narrow nose brushing along her button one. His fingers gently caressed the side of her chubby cheek and side of her jaw, "But you tryna hurt me." his once gentle tone darkened, lowering to a baritone octave that sent chills down her spin. Before Epiphany could protest, she felt the coolness of metal riding up the middle of her breasts. His signature golden Glock kissed her bare skin, firmly pressed to the side of her temple. This caused a sequel to escape her lips and before she could utter any type of rebuttal, he hushed her with his lips placed on hers. The kiss was gentle, sweet, and slow. His right arm wrapped around her waist.

Epiphany didn't know whether to grasp him closer or fight him off. But what she could feel was his heart pounding like a punch against hers.

It all felt so surreal. Like a nightmare and wet dream all at once. Gentleness mixed in with the threat of violence. All she could feel was fear and confusion. Epiphany's body trembled against his. And she knew he felt. He had to have felt her. Her fear, her anxiety, her heart.

"Why do I got the feeling that…you're gonna be the bullet that puts a hole in my head, hm?" he hummed against her mouth with the slickness of a snake. He moved the barrel of the gun from her temple to his when he mentioned 'hole in my head' before laying back to her temple. Her tears sprinkled onto his cheek, "Did you get enough info on me to run it back to those bitches?"

"Wha-? You think I'm Beth's rat?"

Her pushing up into a frowning pout as she looked directly into his eyes. Her eyes of uncertainty changed to a look of disbelief, "Why?"

"I could ask you the same thing. That little lunch date looked real interesting,". Christopher hissed and with each movement his lips made, she could feel the brush against her mouth.

"Oh, Rio it was." she rolled her r's when she seethed his name, "Annie set me up with Beth to warn me about you."

He stood still and the menacing look he once possessed of narrowed eyes, a tightly clenched jaw, and striking eye contact had slowly begun to relax. The crease between his brows slowly smoothed out. His eyes flicked back and forth between looking at her and looking above her head. Christopher was debating. Not only with her but with himself. "And what did she say?" She, Beth. He didn't care for what the other two stiffs spoke about because it usually was a rehearsal of what she said.

"The short version? You're a fucking serial killer who uses sex and manipulation to exploit and get what you want, the long version? a lot of secrets were spilled out in the open." Epiphany replied, she spoke through her nose with a slight whisper to her voice.

An ounce of a smirk peeled on the right corner of his lips as he rolled the gun along the side of her neck. He didn't confirm or deny but he coyly asked, "What you think about that mama?"

"I'm thinking what the fuck does that have to do with me and you and why you have a gun to my head?!" she cried out, anger laced in her outburst. Her hands shook at her sides as she didn't push him away due to the gun. The fear of it going off in her face or throat was far greater than her anger. "I'm not involved!" she protested.

"Oh no, see you've been involved sweetheart." Christopher argued, "It's just a matter of whose side you're on."

Fool him once, shame on them. Fool him twice, shame on him….there wouldn't be a third time. Christopher was no fool and the moment the Boland woman walked into his life was when he realized he'd gotten a big…soft. And Epiphany just seemed eerily close to business for his liking. He needed undying loyalty, control, and if she was truly for him then he needed her in line. Love could come later…after sacrifice.

"Unless…" Christopher began to chuckle but the sound wasn't from happiness, "Unless you don't wanna be involved then you can leave right now." he took a few steps away from her and aimed the gun at the dark, wet hallway to the left.

Epiphany's eyebrows knitted together as she looked up at him in confusion. His play on words and attitude switch was causing gears to twist and bend in her mind. They spent every day together. If not day then night. Leave where?

Blinking rapidly as she stood there. She didn't move. She only stared at him. "What do you mean? " she questioned before licking at her lips, "Wi-...will I see you later?" uncertainty in her voice. And his smile made her stomach twist and turn, "You do mean I don't have to be involved with the club right or with whatever shit you've got going on with those women…right?"

She needed clarification and he gave her none of that. "Nah darlin, I'm afraid this is the end of line for us. You're off the hook." He dismissed her casually. His tone is deep and delicate. It was almost like a goodbye kiss. But he never moved, his eyes still settled in on her like a lion waiting to be challenged. Which let Epiphany know he wasn't done.

"No."

"No?" He challenged with a slight head tilt as his eyes looked her over.

Despie how fearful, how anxious she felt, Epiphany still chose to stand her ground and challenge him, "The moment I turn around you'll put a bullet to my head. Because you don't believe I'm not involved con esa perra concejal" (with that bitch councilwoman)

Sassily, she crossed her arms against her chest and cocked her hip slightly to the side as she stared at him. "Even if you don't kill me-"

"How bout you kill for me?" He proposed.

Epiphany's eyes widened as Christopher stalked towards her. "Come on champ." His hand latched to the back of her neck, forcefully making her walk in front of him down the dark tunnel. She followed him with stumbling feet and squinted her eyes in an attempt to see where they were going.

And then Christopher began to whistle and a light turned on in one of the rooms. Epiphany was led into that room and came face to face with Cassius. He'd been hung upside down with his hands and feet taped up. His left eye was swollen shut, shaded in dark plum purple and blue. His right eye was completely gorged out, by the looks of it…he'd been burned. "Actually, I shouldn't have said to kill for me. It's for you, a gift." he chuckled, "I thought the unmarked SUV was the fed tailing you but turns out it's this sorry looking Hijo de puta."

Epiphany cried as she looked at her ex-lover in horror. Sure, he was fucking vile. And everyone eventually would die. But, she couldn't take a life. "Chris, no. Please no, I can't." She weeped.

Christopher tilted his head back and inhaled deeply before he slowly straightened up and eyed her, "You will." he swiveled the gun around his finger and then offered it towards her. "He's your problem and you gotta get rid of em'. "

"You think he's gonna let you go? A girl like you…" his eyes trailed her body from top to bottom in admiration with a sinister smirk, "Ain't easy to let go."

"Someone will come looking for him!" She protested, "He's well connected in Vegas, his parents own everything."

"He ain't shit but a bootleg con artist. A janky ass car salesman at best." Christopher revealed with a dismissive tone. He then grasped her jaw in his hand with a gentle touch. Once Epiphany looked in his eyes, he leaned his head down and whispered "Do it. You don't gotta worry bout nothing else, I'll handle it. I take care of what's mine." His tone was reassuring.

"And I'm yours?" She sniffled with a flustered, wet face.

"Only if you wanna be." He rasped as he laid the gun firmly in her hand.

Breathing in deeply, She held it with two hands. Christopher switched from being beside her to standing behind her. His hands laid over hers as he steadied her arms up. His feet nudged her legs open and pushed one of her feet forward.

"Come on mamitá, show me how much you want this." She could feel his warm breath in her ear, a gentle caress of his nose nudging at the side of her earlobe. "Make me proud."

Her head hurts so bad, her chest aches as the vile metallic taste jumbles up in the back of her mouth. Christopher, Rio was all that they said he was but worse. But, she wanted him. She wanted him to stay. She wanted him to keep making her feel seen, wanted, cared for, and maybe even loved. Cassius was right. She couldn't function in a world without being taken care of. Not because she lacked the skill set or had any type of disability holding her back. No, it was because she didn't want to. Her hands gripped the base of the gun. Its heavyweight in her small hands felt as though she was holding someone's heart in her hands. And in a way she was. She was holding someone's lifeline.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

[alatuswind]

Attack on Titan Nintendo 3DS game translation (#13)

This is a translation I did for fun as I was curious to know what this scene from the game was about. As I couldn't find any translation I decided to share the one I did. There are probably mistranslations as I don't speak Japanese, but, once again, this was just for fun. I accept any corrections

(Door opens and closes, and steps are heard Hange appears in Erwin's office, glasses up and angry, talking loudly.)

Hange: Aah! No more! I can't do this! At all!

Levi: It's noisy, be quiet.

Hange: (still talking loudly, now with the glasses) But hey! Can something like this happen!? Sonny, too! And Bean too! They were cute children that I cared for with great care! From now on! For humanity! A lot! It was supposed to be helpful! I can't even look into those round eyes anymore!? Who could have done such a thing!

Erwin: (ignoring Hange) Levi. What are the tea leaves today?

Levi: It was diverted from the centre. Not bad.

Hange: (angry and talking loudly) Hey, you two. Are you listening!?

Erwin: (looking at Hange) Calm down, Hange. Why don't you drink it too?

Hange: (in a more calm voice but still bothered) I'm not having tea. It isn't the time for a drink.

Erwin: Well, don't say that.

(Erwin makes a cup of tea and gives it to Hange)

Hange: (sighs, calm) ････････････, phew! I see, it tastes good.

Levi: So, You still don't have any idea who did it?

Hange: Not at all. Not even a clue. We've been completely outwitted. The only certain thing is that the crime was committed using a three-dimensional mobile device.

Levi: ･･････ I see. ････････････････････････ Erwin, are new recruits also eligible?

Erwin: Of course, this year's 104th training corps seems to be full of people with strong habits.

Hange: Ah, some kids are really smart, right? That's interesting.

Erwin: (agrees silently) ���･･･････････････････････

Hange: (silence) ････････････････････････

Levi: ････････････････････････It's been 5 years

Erwin: Yes, that would be a reference point. It seems like it would be a good idea to exclude those who have been there for a while before that.

Hange: Five years. Now that I think about it, it was around that time that Levi joined the Scout Regiment. 5 years ･･････ or was it 6 years ago? When he first came in, he was like "I don't care about anyone!" So it was hard to get close to him.

Levi: (rudely) Shut up, damn glasses.

Hange: Yeah, like a wounded cat! But now, we're so open to each other. Well, you know, from the very beginning I knew we'd definitely get along!

Levi: ･･････ Who's good friends with whom?

Hange: Of course, it's me! However, Levi is loved by everyone. I was surprised at how strong he was right after joining the Scouts, but now he's the captain who brings everyone together. I think it's amazing that it's only been 6 years.

Levi: Even after 6 years, your annoyance hasn't changed. I think it's a big deal.

Erwin: (approaching) ･･････It's about time, both of you. (with a more serious expression) Levi. Next outside the wall check, you will be in the centre of the fifth row.

Levi: ･･････ Understood.

Hange: Take care of Eren. Because the fate of humanity depends on him.

Erwin: (still serious) Hange, how are you preparing?

Hange: (starting to get enthusiastic) Do you want to hear it? That's right, it's the best feeling. We have strengthened the elasticity of the wire. Efficacy testing has already been completed. The results are as expected. All that's left to do is wait for that time. Well, it was worth hitting the investor's ass until there was no dust left!

Erwin: That's why we need results.

Levi: You just have to put it out.

(Cups and spoons are heard. Everyone appears with a cup of tea. Erwin is with a teacup in his hand looking at Levi. Levi is drinking his tea and looking at Hange. Hange is happily pouring tea into the cup.)

Levi: Erwin, are you sure that he will definitely come?

Erwin: Yes.

Hange: (distracted and starting to sound creepy) Well, I have to treat them well, after all, they took Sonny and Bean from me. I need to deal with them in place of those children. I'll leave aside the question of whether they're human or non-human for now. What should I do?

Levi: ･･････ Erwin. I feel a little sorry for that guy just for now.

Erwin: What a coincidence, Levi. Me too

Hange: (didn't hear) What, what are you two talking about?

Erwin: No, it's nothing.

Levi: I'm talking about the tea being delicious. You should taste it too.

Hange: Hmm, let's see. ･･････

(Cups and spoons are heard. Hange drinks.)

Hange: Oh, it’s true. It’s delicious——

[dasha-through-the-snow]

Barely a day passes when I don't think about how widespread conspiratorial thinking is. And I'm not even talking about the popular conspiracy theories everyone knows about.

Like I remember a post floating around either here or on Twitter, that attributed very specifically American, Japanese and Singaporean economic success on widespread adoption of ACs.

And this is such... A weirdly funny thing to me.

Because it's the same impulse as the one behind conspiracy theories. You're trying to find an easy explanation very complex social, historical and economic processes.

Because if you actually try to grasp why shit is the way it is, you will go bananas.

It can't be because America has a surplus of natural resources, an early start on industrialization and was left profiting from WWII instead of being devastated from it, like the rest of Europe.

Can't be because Japan was propped up by America and became a proto-China wit cheap exports of industrial goods.

Can't be because Singapore is a small country with a culture built on not tolerating corruption, low taxes making it appealing to foreign investors and a very advantageous geographical location.

Can't be because Europe today is far too focused on internal problems and worker's rights to chase raw GDP numbers.

Can't even be because you don't know shit about Europe, how Netherlands is a critical part of the semiconductor supply chain or how Germany still has a strong industrial sector, despite largely shifting to service economy, like all developed countries.

No. It's just ACs. ACs are magic and make economy good. That's the only explanation you need. It's simple and you don't need to understand shit.

[ruanbaijie]

During the Republican Era, Shen Zhiheng, a member of the Tianjin gentry who happened to be a vampire, offended the Japanese and became the target of an assassination attempt. He was saved by a blind young lady, Mi Lan, and his best friend Situ Weilian. When he went to repay Mi Lan for saving him, he discovered the terrible family situation that Mi Lan was in, and so began to pay more attention to her. Meanwhile, Shen Zhiheng’s plan to take revenge on Li Yingliang, the mastermind behind his assassination, fell short of success thanks to Li Yingliang’s Japanese superior, raising suspicions about his identity. Since then, Li Yingliang and the Japanese were in hot pursuit of Shen Zhiheng, determined to dig out the truth about his secret.

Please do not repost this anywhere else or retranslate it!

MAIN DIRECTORY ☾ READ ON AO3 ☾ PREVIOUS CHAPTER

The journey from Tianjin to Nanjing, and then from Nanjing to Shanghai, was to Shen Zhiheng, like a chaotic nightmare.

Mi Lan continued to burn with a high fever in his arms. Occasionally, she would be clear-headed for a short while. She neither ate nor drank, and didn't even ask where she was. When Shen Zhiheng asked how she felt, she only said that it did not hurt. By the time the train arrived in Nanjing, her throat was so hoarse that she could not even say the three words “it doesn’t hurt”.

In his arms was Mi Lan, who despite being on the verge of death, still had to comfort him by saying “it doesn’t hurt”, while beside him was Situ Weilian, who was grinning as if nothing had happened. He only felt like everything had been turned upside down, as if he were in a dream; Mi Lan who was alive was about to die, while the Weilian before him was no longer Weilian.

Late at night on that same day, Shen Zhiheng reached his house in Shanghai.

Before reaching, he had first sent Mi Lan to the hospital. Mi Lan’s wound had already worsened and was festering, and her forehead was burning hot. Without enough time to make any other choice, after getting off the train, he had hugged Mi Lan, and like a drowning man grasping at straws, he had rushed to the nearest hospital. Fortunately, this hospital was not small and was not some subpar hospital. The doctors were also zealous, and had immediately arranged an operation for Mi Lan. 

After learning that Mi Lan had escaped from the jaws of death, Shen Zhiheng had dragged the large tail that was Situ Weilian and had hastily returned home. His house here was located in the French concession zone. In Shanghai, the Japanese did not have that much influence yet. In addition, the French concession zone was the territory of the French, so compared to the dangerous circumstances in Tianjin, it could be said that Shen Zhiheng was now doubly protected.

The house was a small two-story Western-style house. It was new, and since its doors and windows were usually closed tight, it contained neither dust nor human life. After entering, Shen Zhiheng first turned on the light. The light was a large luxurious crystal chandelier, shining so radiantly that every corner was filled with brilliant light and vibrant colours, truly painting an atmosphere of cold and cheerless wealth. This atmosphere was originally one that Shen Zhiheng had grown used to and had even grown tired of. These recent years, he had lived so swimmingly, his social circles all filled with the likes of politicians, plutocrats, investors, and even the wealthy literati who had both fame and fortune; he had almost believed that his life would forever be filled with peace and splendour.

However, as he looked around his surroundings now, he suddenly felt strangely disoriented, as if he had fallen into another dream. The dungeon, the massacre, the rainy night, the pursuit… different scenes took turns to flash before his eyes. He did not know if his peace and splendour could still continue, he only knew that Mi Lan was in the hospital, clinging on to life, and he also knew that Situ Weilian…

When his thoughts touched upon Situ Weilian, it felt as if his fingertips had touched fire. He shivered, as if his entire soul had been scalded. He turned around slowly to face Situ Weilian, seeing the dishevelled youth before him, with his bloodless face and two hands stuffed into the pockets of his jacket, his greasy curls plastered to his scalp. His expression, however, was one of light-heartedness. When he saw Shen Zhiheng look at him, he smiled back at him with half-closed eyes.

Situ Weilian was smiling, but he was not. Under his heavy black eyebrows, his gaze only held a speck of cold light.

Shen Zhiheng was playing a waiting game, so after the two of them stared at each other for a while, in the end, it was Situ Weilian who could not continue smiling and had to admit defeat.

“What? Do you want to settle the final score with me? I’m not scared of settling, it’s not like I bear you any ill will. But before settling the final score, I suggest that we both take a bath. If not, we’ll disgust each other with our stench and won’t be able to talk.”

Shen Zhiheng admitted that what Situ Weilian had just said was reasonable. He really ought to wash himself up, or with such a dishevelled appearance, he wouldn’t have the confidence to negotiate with Situ Weilian.

“Go,” he said. “Then wait in the study for me.”

Situ Weilian was familiar with the location of the bathroom. He made a sound of agreement, and jogged the short distance there. Turning his head to look at his receding figure, Shen Zhiheng realised for the first time that he really lacked humanity.

Originally, he had believed that this young brat was merely thoughtless.

He strode up the stairs, where there was another bathroom. He was used to being decent, and now that he sniffed the stench on his body, he also felt that he could no longer endure it.

After taking a bath, Situ Weilian found a long-sleeved shirt and a pair of long pants and put them on, and then walked to the study.

The study was located at the end of the corridor on the first floor. On a pleasant day when the sun was shining, when the windows were opened, there would be flowers and trees outside, and the atmosphere would probably be quite good. Situ Weilian stuffed both of his hands into the pockets of his pants, looking at the large bookshelf that covered the entire wall. Not finding any interesting book, he walked to the back of the desk and sat himself down onto the black leather sofa chair there. It felt quite comfortable, but that was just about it.

Everything was quite interesting, and everything was also “just about it”. Everyone had a passion they were obsessed with, while he did not. He always had a three minute passion [1] for everything , but he did always quite like money. He always extended his hand to Shen Zhiheng asking for it, but, actually, neither was he very passionate about money. When he received it, he would spend it, never accumulating it. When he spent it, he would ask for it again, and if he did not receive it, he would feel suffocated.

Besides money, what else would allow him to grow a long-lasting love? Ah, there was a beautiful woman, he had loved her one-sidedly for a very long time. Now, that flame of love was still burning; she was the beautiful Second Young Mistress Jin. The second he thought of Second Young Mistress Jin’s affecting frowns and smiles, a smile bubbled onto his face, as if she were sitting right before his eyes.

However, the room door opened, and the person who walked in front of his eyes was Shen Zhiheng.

Shen Zhiheng was dressed in a dark changshan, his hair meticulously combed.

Situ Weilian did not get up, sneering at him from behind the desk, “Shen-xiong, from now on, should I call you ‘da-ge’ [2] instead? Today, the two of us brothers have recognised and acknowledged one another. Aren’t you happy?”

Although he knew that Shen Zhiheng wanted to “settle the final score” with him, he was truly quite happy. In the past, he had planned about the timing to come clean to Shen Zhiheng about his identity, but the more he planned, he could never quite figure out a good day, and now that the truth had finally been revealed, it actually saved him the trouble of planning it. After getting along for three years, he was fairly satisfied with this older brother. He had both status and wealth, and was qualified enough to be his older brother.

While Situ Weilian sneered, Shen Zhiheng said, “Why did you lie to me?”

Situ Weilian lifted his hand and caught his curly hair. “At the beginning, I didn’t know if you were a good or bad person, and I wanted to study you first. In the end, once I started studying you… I lost track of time… but in my heart, I’ve long acknowledged you as my older brother.” At this point, he looked at Shen Zhiheng gleefully. “These three years, you’re the one who has treated me the best.”

Shen Zhiheng stared at him fixedly. “You clearly knew that I’ve always been looking for you. I’ve been looking for you for not just three years; I started looking for you a very long time ago. I’ve gone far and wide just to look for you. You knew all of this, but yet you didn’t say anything. You hid it from me.”

He nodded at Situ Weilian. “If not for how you want to stop me from seeking revenge this time, you would continue hiding it from me, continue watching as I look for you everywhere, wouldn’t you?”

The rims of his eyes were red, which surprised Situ Weilian. As he stared vacantly at Shen Zhiheng, he still didn’t think that he had done anything wrong.

“Da-ge, don’t be like this. I have my difficulties as well. Firstly, I thought that it was a little fun this way. Secondly… I was afraid that you would hate my mother and me, so I never dared to tell the truth. What if you wanted to find me so that you could take revenge? I like you, I just want to be brothers with you. If I can’t be brothers with you, then it’s also okay if we’re friends. In any case, I don’t want to become enemies with you…”

The more he spoke, the smaller his voice became. In the end, Shen Zhiheng cut off his mumbling, “At the juncture between life and death, you were still unwilling to tell me, right?”

“Juncture between life and death? When you saved me and Mi Lan?” Situ Weilian was truly puzzled. “I didn’t know that was a juncture between life and death! I thought you would be able to do it by yourself, so I waited for you together with Mi Lan.”

Shen Zhiheng walked towards the front step by step, circling around the desk, and stopping in front of Situ Weilian.

“You didn’t know?” he asked in a low voice. “Or did you want to continue hiding your identity, and simply didn’t want to take action?”

Situ Weilian gave a forced smile, lifting his hand and holding Shen Zhiheng’s arm. “Da-ge, I–”

Shen Zhiheng flipped his hand around and gripped his wrist tightly. “Weilian, on this earth, I have neither family nor friends. You are the only one whom I dare to trust, and whom I dare to rely on. Before jumping off the train, I once thought, that if I could only save one person between the two of you, I would save you. If I died, it wouldn’t matter. I’ve already signed the documents with the lawyer, you will be my only heir, I have left all of my assets to you.”

He lowered his body slightly, staring at Situ Weilian straight in the eye. “These are my feelings for you.”

Hearing him speak till this point, Situ Weilian finally felt the gravity and seriousness of the situation. But before he could open his mouth, Shen Zhiheng suddenly released his hand, letting go of his wrist.

“Our feelings will end here. From now on, you walk your broad and sunny road, I’ll cross my single-log bridge [3] .” Straightening, he cleared the way, “Take care, I won’t see you off.”

Situ Weilian stood up slowly. “I lied to you and I hid from you, I’m the one who’s wrong. But other than that, I’ve never done anything to let you down. Why do I keep going to Keats Hospital to dawdle all day long? Isn’t it for you? That night when you were assassinated by Li Yingliang’s people, when you were nearly dead, do you know how much trouble I had to go through to find blood for you? Do you think that the hospital has so much blood to supply you? I very rarely kill people, but those days, I didn’t even sleep at night, I was going about finding live people for you. That weasel demon, that was me!” He extended his hand and knocked Shen Zhiheng in the front. “Just think about it yourself, I have not let you down.”

Shen Zhiheng grasped his hand and shoved it away.

“No,” he said to Situ Weilian. “I have not kept anything from you. If you wanted to understand me, you wouldn’t have needed three years. I think you were just watching me like you were watching a show. Because I am a monster created by you and your mother, you just like to watch me being kept in the dark, watch me going around in circles. Watching me being this ignorant and helpless, in your eyes, don’t you feel it’s very interesting and very funny?”

Situ Weilian sighed, “Are you crazy?”

Watching his resigned yet innocent expression, Shen Zhiheng felt that this person was simply innocent to the point of shamelessness. A sudden surge of violence engulfed him without any warning, and he grabbed Situ Weilian’s collar with both of his hands, lifting him and about to hurl him at the glass window. Situ Weilian’s feet left the ground, but nearly at once, he dropped onto the ground with a sharp struggle, pulling Shen Zhiheng’s hands aside. Without waiting for Shen Zhiheng to take action again, he held Shen Zhiheng’s neck in a vise, turning around and pressing him down.

When Situ Weilian really demonstrated his power with no holds barred, even Shen Zhiheng was not his match. As he involuntarily staggered a step backwards and raised his head, his back crashed against the desk. Particularly dissatisfied, he lifted his two legs, which had been dragging on the floor, in an attempt to exert some force, but Situ Weilian violently pressed down onto his throat, knocking the back of his head into the desk as well.

“You dare to fight me,” Situ Weilian said softly, a little breathlessly. “You’ve really got guts now huh! When I speak nicely to you, you don’t listen, do you really just have to force me to speak the truth? Let me tell you, you’re nothing but an inheritance that my mother left for me. To us, you are a lowly mixed breed that got transformed from a human! It’s your honour that I’m willing to recognise you as my older brother!”

Speaking till this point, he slowly let go, letting Shen Zhiheng straighten and sit up bit by bit. But when Shen Zhiheng got up to a halfway point, he suddenly moved, pressing Shen Zhiheng down again and knocking the back of his head against the desk with a dull thump.

Lowering his eyes to look at Shen Zhiheng, he said, “I still think that there’s a misunderstanding between us. If not, I don’t harbour any ill intentions towards you, but why must you treat me like a bad person? Let’s sit down and talk, okay?”

  With his throat restrained by Situ Weilian, Shen Zhiheng could neither make a sound nor nod his head, and could only close his eyes heavily at him. Seeing his expression, Situ Weilian immediately smiled radiantly, holding his collar and pulling him up.

“Let’s go to the dining room, and also find something to eat. I’m hungry.”

In the dining room, the two of them sat across the dining table, facing one another.

A glass of tap water sat in front of Shen Zhiheng, while Situ Weilian had found a tin of biscuits. He had bought these biscuits when he had come here with Shen Zhiheng in the beginning of the year to take refuge. Fortunately, he had not opened it, and the biscuits were still crisp and dry, and had yet to go bad.

Stuffing his mouth with biscuits, he chewed messily, ignoring Shen Zhiheng’s stare that was directed straight at him.

He said, “We are not the same. I can eat a little of everything, and can live more easily than you. And you? Do you want a cigar? If you do, I’ll get one for you.”

“There’s no need. You know everything about me, now talk about yourself!”

“Me?” Situ Weilian bent forward and took that glass of water in front of Shen Zhiheng, raising his head and taking a gulp. “That year, the Shen family wanted to burn my mother and me to death, do you remember?”

“How could I forget?”

Situ Weilian smiled again. “My mother only liked our father, it was not like she was a fool, how could she have not realised the Shen family’s plans? That night, she had already sent me to the woodshed and asked me to wait for her. I waited and waited, and she finally came, but she had already been burned by the fire, in such a bad state that I nearly couldn’t recognise her. She carried me and escaped from your Shen family, running so fast it was as if she were flying.”

At this point, he looked upwards, his posture one of hard thought. “After that… after that we stayed in a dilapidated house. There was nothing outside, it was a barren ground, and there was also nothing inside, and it was so cold during the winter. Mother cried everyday, crying and crying, so much that her skin, fingers, eyelids, and lips seemed to grow out, and yet she kept crying everyday. She didn’t care about what I ate or drank, and only cried. At first, I thought she was in pain. It was only when I grew up that I knew that she had been heartbroken.”

His smile vanished, and he shrugged at Shen Zhiheng. “It turns out that to be so heartbroken you would eat your heart out is no exaggeration. In the end, she really cried herself to death. Creatures like us can’t be killed, but we can cry ourselves to death, how strange.”

“It’s not strange.” Shen Zhiheng stared straight at Situ Weilian. “When I found out that you had been lying to me for three years, I was also heartbroken, and also wanted to eat my heart out.”

Situ Weilian stuffed another biscuit into his mouth. “Then let me apologise to you in advance, because after hearing this next part, you might be even more heartbroken.”

“Go ahead.”

“When my mother cried herself to death, I was twelve. I told her that I would take revenge on the Shen family, but she said that this revenge was one that she had already taken. The people who should die were already dead, and those who did not die, she had left for me. I think she still hated the Shen family, and so she wanted the children of the Shen family to serve her own child.”

Listening to this point, Shen Zhiheng also remembered the large fire that night.

The woman had dashed out of the fire like a crazed demon, running around the entire Shen mansion. The first person she had caught was him. He had been scared stiff by that woman’s horrific condition, and when her teeth had just pressed against his neck, he had lost consciousness. When he had woken up, the masters of the Shen mansion had been either dead or injured, with not a single person spared.

His neck had been left with teeth marks of mangled blood and flesh, and there had been a few people who had been bitten like him, including his father. Merciless Old Lady Shen had been, on the contrary, safe and sound. Everyone had said that the old lady had been fortunate, and even the evilest of demons had not dared to get close to her. But, eventually, everyone had realised that this evil had been no ordinary evil; she had particularly left Old Lady Shen unharmed so that she could hold funerals for her descendants.

Those who had been bitten all developed high fevers after waking up. That high fever had burned harshly, and some people had not even managed to last through the first day and had drawn their last breath. Biased, Old Lady Shen had realised that her descendants could not be saved, and so she had only taken care of her most beloved eldest son and eldest grandson. Master Shen had endured for three days before passing away, which had already been quite a long time. Shen Zhiheng had been the only one who had displayed signs of the fever receding after three days, but when Old Lady Shen had personally wiped his head and face, he had, with his eyes closed, turned his head and bitten her wrist. Old Lady Shen had shivered in pain, but she had held on without a sound, and as her fresh blood had flooded into her eldest grandson’s mouth, she had watched as he had drunk desperately for his life, and she had held her hand there without pulling it back.

That was the first time he had drunk blood.

His grandmother’s fresh blood had helped him to stabilise, and during that period of chaotic upheaval and ceaseless death, Old Lady Shen had concealed the truth from everyone, killing chickens and ducks for their fresh blood so that her beloved favourite grandson could get better day by day. When the wound on Shen Zhiheng’s neck had completely healed, and when all the funerals had mostly been completed, relatives of the Shen family from all walks of life had flocked to them, eyeing this elderly old lady and her sickly grandson. They had each played to their own strengths, swearing to plunder some spoils from this Shen family that was on the brink of being wiped out.

Given the unreasonable and stubborn old married woman that she was, Old Lady Shen should not have had let these random people take advantage of them, but in the face of the Shen family’s tragic condition, and thanks to the psychological burden from worrying over her eldest grandson, she had finally been completely exhausted, and could no longer fend them off no matter how formidable she had been.

Shen Zhiheng could not remember the things after that clearly, he only remembered that he and his grandmother had moved in with a distant uncle. By this point of time, Old Lady Shen had no longer been obsessed with driving out evil spirits, and her nerves had been highly strung all day long, finding blood for her grandson to drink while having to keep his secret. She had become nervous to such an extent that she would panic over the smallest matters, seemingly on the verge of going insane.

Fortunately, such days had only lasted for a year. A year later, in spring, she had suddenly suffered a stroke, and besides Shen Zhiheng, no one else had been willing to accompany her to the hospital for treatment. Right before her death, she was paralysed and could not say a single word. She had stared straight at Shen Zhiheng, thousands of unspoken words held back in her eyes, to the point that her eyeballs had bulged out. Eventually, when she had passed away, she had died bearing unspoken grievances and had not gone in peace.

Old Lady Shen had been extremely selfish and arrogant her entire life, and all the wives and concubines in the Shen family had been bullied so much by her that they had not dared to even breathe. When her son had brought a concubine home, she had been like an ant in her eyes, and she could easily crush her to death with a finger. The ant had curly hair and large eyes, a slender waist and long legs, and had been the very picture of a flirtatious female Western devil [4] . She had already been an eyesore to the old lady, and later, with her shady comings and goings and the accumulating suspicious points about her, she had seemed very much like a demon or monster, and that old lady had become even more determined to put her to death.

Old Lady Shen had never thought that this ant would have had the ability to wipe her entire Shen family out.

After the old lady’s death, Shen Zhiheng had been left behind with his distant uncle to hit it off together. When the distant uncle had inherited the assets that Old Lady Shen had left behind, he had immediately thought of chasing Shen Zhiheng away. Meanwhile, hiding such a large secret and without the protection that his grandmother had once given him, as long as his distant uncle did not speak a word, Shen Zhiheng had also made up his mind to leave.

To a normal person, events of the past were like wine; the more time passed, the mellower the aftertaste. Yet, although Shen Zhiheng’s past had a history of more than a hundred years, after recalling them over and over again countless times, they had all faded, and they could no longer emotionally move him. He actually very much preferred if he could completely forget these events of the past. As a person who believed in pragmatism and who was only focused on looking forward, he did not like to linger in those blood-soaked memories.

“I,” he asked Situ Weilian, “was something she had left behind for you?”

Situ Weilian nodded. “Yes, all of us always do this.”

“All of you?”

Shen Zhiheng rested his elbows on the surface of the desk, propping up his chin with a hand as if he had suddenly become interested, although his gaze remained cold and stern. “Just what are ‘all of you’?”

Situ Weilian lifted his sleeves and wiped the biscuit crumbs on his lips. “We are not gods.”

“I can see that.”

“Neither are we ghosts or humans. People of our kind exist all around the world. Some families are large and illustrious, with extraordinary power, while others are like me, wandering around alone. Humans have given us many names, one of them is the one you hate the most, called ‘vampire’. But I don’t care, I naturally do not bother about trifles.”

Shen Zhiheng nodded once, “Mm.”

“We need blood, human blood is the best, but we can make do with other blood. We are not like you. It is easy for us to live, if not, we would have been hunted to extinction by humans a long time ago. Unfortunately, we’re not great at reproduction. Although we can have children naturally, and can have children with humans, my mother told me that births are rare. We don’t know why either.”

Shen Zhiheng continued nodding, “Mm.”

“I don’t know my mother’s origin, and I don’t know why she came to China. In any case, just like how I fell in love with Second Young Mistress Jin, she had fallen in love with our father. Sigh, I’ve even forgotten what our father looked like. Do you remember?”

“The old man’s appearance is more or less like mine.”

“Ah, no wonder I immediately felt close to you when I saw you for the first time. It turns out that seeing you is like seeing my birth father.”

“I don’t deserve the honour. Please continue talking.”

“Where have I talked until? Having children? Oh, right, I’ve talked until our relationship. My mother said that those in the Shen family who did not die were the ones she had left behind for me. She probably never guessed that the people of the Shen family would be so weak, and you were the only one who survived. But you’re very good, one of you is like ten other people, and I’m very satisfied to have one of you.”

“She left me behind for you… to do what?”

“To be my–”

Situ Weilian paused, swallowing the last word that he had wanted to say. Then, he replaced this with a gentle smile to Shen Zhiheng, “If I say that she left you behind for me to be my slave, you will definitely be angry again. But I’ve never treated you like my slave, and we’re in the civilised age now, everyone is equal, and no one can enslave anyone, isn’t it? I understand this principle, I’ve been to university before.”

Shen Zhiheng could not help but sneer, “Just where did you mother and son get the self-confidence to believe that I would willingly be your slave?”

A blank look appeared on Situ Weilian’s face, as if Shen Zhiheng’s question had made him stupid. “Why? Of course that’s because you need something from me!”

“What do I need from you? All these years, aren’t you the one who has always depended on me?”

Situ Weilian snickered, “Really?”

He tilted his head, smiling and asking again, as if wanting to force an answer out of Shen Zhiheng, “Really?”

Shen Zhiheng felt that between his smile and his question, was hidden a kind of innocent yet sinister peril that was simply impossible to defend against. On the surface, Situ Weilian definitely relied on him; he had so much wealth and influence, while Situ Weilian was only a little doctor with neither future nor ambition.

On the surface, indeed, it was like that.

Out of some instinct of self-preservation, Shen Zhiheng stopped his thinking only at this surface, and was unwilling to think any deeper, preferring instead to let Situ Weilian say the truth himself. 

Meanwhile, Situ Weilian examined his expression while saying softly, “The purer our bloodline, the better. My father was human, and my bloodline cannot already be considered as pure. But compared to you, I still have many advantages. For example, my lifespan is longer and I’m stronger. In particular, I am complete and my body is sound, and will never lose control. When you lose control, I can still subdue you, save you.”

Shen Zhiheng suddenly recalled the dungeon in the Yokoyama mansion. Yes, he had indeed lost control in the past, and he who had lost control had been like a demon, unthinking and emotionless, unable to even tell friend from foe, blindly thinking of nothing but killing.

“Da-ge, we have always been like this, finding outstanding humans to cooperate with. I’ll give you strength and let you live long, while you will be responsible for providing for me, protecting me. It is mutually beneficial for us and we can cooperate happily, isn’t that good?”

“I don’t want to cooperate with you now. Can we end this relationship?”

Situ Weilian looked at him. After looking at him for quite a while, finally, as if he could not help but laugh, he shook his head and smiled, “That’s not possible. There’s no way for you to regain a human body. It’s either you continue living like that or you kill yourself, but judging based on the condition of your body, your suicide won’t necessarily be successful!”

“Then I’ll just continue living like that by myself, I don’t necessarily have to cooperate with you.”

“That’s still not possible, your condition will keep worsening. Remember when we just met, you could still eat some fruits or something, but now, you can’t even drink a cup of light tea. Li Yingliang said that you had gone on a killing spree in the Japanese prison and had killed a lot of people. I think, given your brains, even if the Japanese had forced you into a corner, you shouldn’t have killed so indiscriminately without any rhyme or reason. So, when you had been killing people, you had actually been unconscious and unfeeling, right? My mother once told me that people like you are called the turned. You can only continue living on fresh blood, and the older you get, the stronger you get, and the easier it is to lose control. Without me taking care of you, sooner or later, you will go crazy one day, perhaps you might even run onto the streets to bite people and suck their blood. At that time, the police will be activated, and the newspaper reporters will also be present, they’ll catch up and even take pictures of you. Other people will stand by the sides and ask, ‘Isn’t that Mr. Shen? Why has he become a monster?’. Tell me, how humiliating would that be? How would you dare to face anyone in the future?”

Speaking to this point, he stood up, “I’ve spoken so much I’ve grown thirsty. Do you have any soda in your house?”

Shen Zhiheng stared fixedly at him, not replying.

Situ Weilian looked around and did not find any soda, and so he returned to Shen Zhiheng’s side.

“Da-ge, don’t be angry with me. For you, I was caught by Li Yingliang and became a hostage for a few days. I even got shot three times, but I don’t bear any grudge against you. I know that you still can’t get your head around this, so just now, you wanted to sever ties with me and drive me away. Fine, I can go and leave you alone to calm down. But I don’t have a single coin on me, and I don’t even dare to return to Tianjin now. If I leave the house now, wouldn’t I starve to death?”

He extended a hand towards Shen Zhiheng. “I know that you have money here too. Give me five hundred dollars, I will go and stay in a hotel, I swear I won’t be an eyesore to you.”

Shen Zhiheng still remained unmoving. After waiting a while, Situ Weilian could no longer wait, and patted the pockets of his pants through his changpao. 

“Do you have any cash? A cheque is fine too, I have enough time to go to the bank tomorrow morning to exchange it for money.”

Shen Zhiheng grasped his hand and shoved it away.

Then, he stood up and faced him, saying, “Situ Weilian, I have always treated you like my best friend, but you betrayed my trust, and the friendship between us no longer exists. If you must insist that the relationship between us is one of so-called ‘cooperation’, then I’ll declare now that I withdraw from this cooperation.”

He extended an arm in the direction of the door, “Please.”

Situ Weilian frowned, “Da-ge, do you know what you’re saying? You can’t leave me, you need me, and you will only need me increasingly. I said, your body is not sound!”

Shen Zhiheng’s thin lips moved, spitting out two words lightly, “Get lost.”

SItu Weilian let out a long sigh, “I can get lost, then you have to give me five hundred dollars.”

“The two of us have severed ties, I am no longer obligated to give you money.”

Situ Weilian glared at Shen Zhiheng, and after glaring for a while, he flicked his hand, turned his head, and left. Shen Zhiheng thought that he had grown a backbone, but the honking of a car horn quickly came from the back of the building; the little rascal had actually found the car key, and had driven the car out of the garage without permission.

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

A passion that does not last long.

As a reminder, 大哥 (dà gē) means “older brother”.

Basically “you do you, I’ll do me”. I just left it as a close to literal translation as a little treat for the MDZS fans.

The term used here is 洋毛子 (yáng máo zi). 洋 refers to Westerners, while 毛子 is a slur against Russians, although it literally just means “fur”.

[shifting---patterns]

Wearing Time: Carpe Diem and the Artistry of Anti-Fashion (Pt. 1 / 2)

In today's article, I want to tell you something about what I consider the most important and influential artist collective in avant-garde fashion.

A collective whose artists, their labels, and their design language have impressed me so much that it has completely changed my perspective on how clothing is created, what its purpose really is, and the impact it can have.

/// Carpe Diem, an avant-garde designer collective, was founded in 1996 in Perugia, Italy, by Maurizio Altieri. There are conflicting reports on the founding year, with sources mentioning 1994, 1998, and 1999 (the latter mentioned by Maurizio Amadei of M.A+ in a podcast with Lucentement). The visionary minds, particularly Maurizio Altieri, initially specialized in leather design, working with materials such as horsehide, cowhide, and anaconda.

These materials underwent intricate hand treatments, including washing, distressing, crushing, and burial in the ground for months. Carpe Diem quickly established itself as an avant-garde trailblazer, gaining recognition for its commitment to quality and craftsmanship. Originally concentrating on shoes, the brand later expanded its offerings to include clothing.

In 2006, Carpe Diem disbanded due to its increasing mainstream popularity, paving the way for other brands to follow its innovative path. This marked the peak of Carpe Diem's fame, with celebrities like Brad Pitt seen wearing their leather shirts. The surge in investor interest eventually led to Maurizio Altieri abandoning the label.

In recent years, Carpe Diem has been acquired by a Japanese company, resulting in the reissue of some designs and the introduction of new ones. However, signs indicate that Altieri and his colleagues are no longer actively involved in the design process.

Carpe Diem's influence extends to avant-garde brands like Carol Christian Poell, Boris Bidjan Saberi, Layer-0, and others, incorporating designs such as twisted seams, dropped-crotch trousers, asymmetric plackets, and J-cut pants. The brand's collections, including L'Maltieri (knitwear), Sartoria (made-to-measure), and Linea (jackets, pants, and T-shirts), aimed to diversify offerings.

The Linea collection, utilizing a 3x3 modular system, features interchangeable and conceptually connected laser-cut jackets, cotton pants, and T-shirts.

Sartoria, a customized line derived from Linea, maintains the "arte povera" aesthetic with crumpled, washed, and treated leather. Custom items required visits to a Parisian garage for fitting and digital photography, and delivery took 60 days, utilizing leather buried in the deserts of Afghanistan.

The distinctive feature of hanging garments on meat hooks pays homage to the label's origins as a leather house. The Sartoria line has evolved into the fifth line named Anatomica, propably my favorite collection of Carpe Diem.

Now, let's introduce the creative minds behind Carpe Diem in detail: Maurizio Altieri Maurizio Altieri, the visionary founder of Carpe Diem, is a perfectionist who brings an academic background in business and law to the world of fashion. His professional journey began at Chrome Hearts, where he honed fundamental skills in craftsmanship and leather treatment. In 1996, Altieri departed from Chrome Hearts to establish Carpe Diem, driven by a philosophy to craft timeless, useful, and handmade pieces from the finest materials.

Altieri's unique approach materialized through the application of distinctive treatments and washes, setting his creations apart. Notably, Maurizio Altieri rejects traditional editorials and advertising, firmly believing that the craftsmanship and quality of his pieces should speak for themselves. This commitment to craftsmanship is vividly demonstrated through a series of collections known as the "Continues Collection," showcasing an enduring dedication to the art of craftsmanship and the creation of timeless fashion experiences. Post-Carpe Diem, Altieri embarked on various projects, including m_moriabc, active in the fashion world since 2012.

Beyond demonstrating Altieri's exceptional talent for creating memorable brand names, m_moriabc is renowned for its handmade footwear crafted through special Norwegian craftsmanship. Altieri's ambitious pursuit involves capturing the essence of time itself in his creations, symbolized by the names A, B, and C, each representing distinct lines that embody aspects of the past, present, and future.

Avantindietro, launched in 2009, stands out as another notable project, offering a minimalist response to Carpe Diem's initial collection. In a collaborative effort two years later, Altieri partnered with Alessio Zero, the Italian designer behind Layer-O, to produce a small offering of shoes made from leather buried years earlier, adding a fascinating narrative to the creations.

Altieri's current venture, the art project Vnapersona, further underscores his dedication to pushing artistic boundaries. Through these endeavors, Maurizio Altieri continues to leave an indelible mark on the fashion landscape, weaving together elements of time, craftsmanship, and innovation.

Maurizio Amadei Maurizio Amadei played a pivotal role in shaping the distinctive identity of Carpe Diem's leather products, encompassing accessories and jackets. During his tenure as a designer at Carpe Diem, Amadei demonstrated a unique exploration of human anatomy, sculpting pieces to follow the lines of the body's muscles. This innovative approach not only left an indelible mark on his designs at Carpe Diem but continued to influence his subsequent work.

Following the conclusion of Carpe Diem in 2006, Maurizio Amadei founded M.A+ as a spiritual successor to the renowned "Continues Collection." The unmistakable parallels between the two collections are evident in Amadei's inaugural M.A+ collection, where a standout piece was a large shoulder bag crafted from a single seamless piece of leather—a hallmark reminiscent of Carpe Diem. The introduction of the cross motif in this collection became the emblem of Amadei's design ethos, defining sought-after pieces like the 925 Sterling Silver Cross Belt.

M.A+ seamlessly carried forward many of the distinctive design techniques for leather while integrating cozy cotton fabrics into seamless one-piece silhouettes. Amadei's deliberate use of blunt knives for cutting and processing garment hems serves as a nod to Altieri's design philosophy. The overarching objective was to envelop the wearer in a second skin—an uncomplicated construction that is seamless yet refined.

In the present day, M.A+ stands out with flawlessly crafted garments in an array of materials such as silk and satin, garnering significant attention for their luxurious functionality. The allure extends to the patterned garments within the M.A+ collection, complementing the outstanding leather and shoe products. Amadei's design DNA is deeply rooted in principles of simplicity and minimalism, with stitches employed only when necessary. This commitment to minimalism is further emphasized by the absence of tags conveying fabric or size information—a testament to Maurizio Amadei's sophistication and meticulous attention to detail in his designs.

Simone Cecchetto Simone Cecchetto, during his tenure at Carpe Diem, brought an exceptional perspective and creative flair to the realm of shoe and accessory design. Influenced by his background in body art, Cecchetto delved into the "Second Body" project of Sartoria or Anatomica at Carpe Diem, an exploration of the concept of leather as a second skin on the human body.

His visionary approach extended to innovative ideas such as integrating chips into leather jumpsuits, enabling the tracking of digital images and movements—a seamless fusion of traditional craftsmanship with modern technological elements.

Despite Maurizio Amadei's primary responsibility for leather goods, Cecchetto collaborated directly with Altieri to optimize their products. Despite lacking formal training as a shoemaker, Cecchetto's deep passion for shaping leather led him to assume the role of footwear design at Carpe Diem, allowing him to preserve the brand's legacy in shoe design.

Following the closure of Carpe Diem, Cecchetto sought refuge at Rick Owens briefly, only to realize a misalignment with Owens' avant-garde aesthetic. This experience served as a catalyst for him to chart his own course, resulting in the establishment of his label, Augusta, later renamed A Diciannoveventitre and A1923. The name Augusta pays homage to his grandmother, embodying the brand's principles of simplicity inherited from her. A1923 revolves around the principle of Wabi-Sabi, a Japanese philosophy seeking beauty in natural irregularities.

Cecchetto's unwavering dedication is evident in the meticulous sourcing and processing of leather, compensating for his lack of formal training with experimentation and craftsmanship. A1923 stands out with its niche offerings, featuring handmade leather shoes and bags for men. The collection includes distinctive elements such as boots with double zippers and sneaker-boot hybrids, adorned with worn-out laces and intense colors. This testament to Simone Cecchetto's ability to preserve creative integrity while forging his own path underscores his continued contribution to the creation of influential and unique designs.

/// Part two is coming in a couple of days!

Davis Jahn