#The perks of living next to a railway line...

[u-friend-or-ufo]

Bruv...I'm trying to sleep...

[masterserris]

Submas Fic: "We'll Meet Again" CH.3

My friend @eusouomar (Ingo) and I (Emmet) have been working together on an rp timeline!

This timeline is based on the concepts of Yin (Ingo) and Yang (Emmet) reincarnating through the ages, much to the surprise of the twins, and how to move forward knowing this and getting their lives back to normal after bringing Ingo home from Hisui. Shenanigans and fluff and angst ensue. Let it be known a happy ending is always the goal and the inevitable future. Enjoy!

Notes: NO SHIPPING in this fic.

General Warnings for the fic as a whole: strong language, depictions of mental illness, addiction, grief, violence/gore, character death, self harm, suicide mentions

MASTERPOST (TBD)

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Emmet doesn't play nice with nasty people.

Yes, for the first time in a long while people were smiling genuinely. Emmet could perk people up but only so much. Ingo was the heart of the railway; Emmet was more of the brains. Or logistics, rather. He had a lot to do. Employee reviews later, but first he had a queue of battles to run through while he was on the tracks. Sometimes he would be in the HQ room monitoring the stations from the screens, other days he had to do the leg work. This was definitely a leg day. Emmet pulled out Electross and Archeops and tipped his hat at the first trainer. 

“You’ve done verrrry well to get this far, but I’m afraid this is your last stop. All aboard!” The doors shut and the crowd watched from the seats as the first battle of the day began. Emmet was…. Merciless. He didn’t go easy on anyone, not anymore.

Thankfully one had to beat 20 depot agents before earning a fight with a subway boss so no beginners could get totally destroyed. Still, Ingo felt like something was off. His brother liked winning, sure, but there was something wrong in the air around him as the next challenger stepped forward to fight him. Ingo looked at the rest of the passenger's faces to see what they thought of the fight.

Emmet smiled fiercely and hit the opponent with thunder wave to pin them in place, then followed up by ferocious rockslide to slam into their poor paralyzed Pokémon. The crowd winced at the impact, Archeops often got carried away in battle and Emmet was not leashing him back. The opposing trainer

's Wartortle was no slouch but even it couldn't take the barrages of attacks. It, the last pokemon in a varied team, finally fainted leaving Emmet the winner. Ingo carefully watched Emmet's face. Was he really enjoying this?

A thunderbolt fried it silly. Truthfully, even with a smile on his face, the joy did not reach his eyes. He was not being challenged here and this was just going through the motions. He had much more volume since only the double lines were open for a boss challenge. Everyone wanted to try and beat the undefeatable Subway Boss Emmet. He was notoriously challenging and had only grown more so as he had to face everyone all of the time. Still, he clapped for the boy. “You tried your best! More hard work like that and you might just come back here someday for a rematch! This is your stop, have a nice day!” The doors slid open to let the passengers out. 

Everyone exited the train. Ingo stood up to talk to Emmet. "Are you okay?" He tried to keep his voice down so that others wouldn't hear. "I just have a feeling."

Emmet glanced over at this brother. He could just tell him he was fine, but he had been doing that for years now and it got him nowhere but strained relationships with family and friends. He couldn’t lie to Ingo either. It was time to heal and be honest. Like his therapist told him to do. 

“You’re not wrong brother!” He said shyly. “I haven’t been myself for a long time either, like you. These battles… aren’t much fun anymore. Not like this at least. I’m sure things will get better when you start working again, yup! It’s just a lot of routine and going through the motions. Sucks the life out of everything, you know?” 

Ingo was glad that Emmet could feel honest with him. "You know that never gets old? I thought it would but it doesn't." He told Emmet truthfully.

“What doesn’t get old?” Emmet asked not fully understanding what he meant.

"You calling me 'brother'." Ingo answered truthfully. "I like when you call me that."

Emmet snorted loudly. So silly. “Well, get used to it!! You’re gonna hear it forever now!” He patted his back and smiled broadly. For real this time. Emmet would have more challengers after this, but his Pokémon didn’t tire. He healed them after every battle and they were used to this by now. They always trotted over for pats and nuzzled up to Ingo as well for praise. 

Well, he could be a little too sentimental for people's tastes. Ingo sat on the chair and watched as a shadow. When one of them, Eelektross, came over he smiled and stroked his head. "Hey boy. How are you doing? You're getting quite the workout today, aren't you? You usually work this hard?"

The eel nodded and snuggled against his leg until the next challenger would come in. Yes, this was their new normal. A stern looking trainer was next and tossed out their Hydreigon and Leipard without saying anything. Emmet just smiled more as a “bring it on” kind of vibe, but his smile faded quickly as the battle grew fierce. He knew that fighting style. “Shouldn’t you be in jail?” He asked kindly. “Not many Ex-team Plasma members run free anymore.” She froze, ah shit. Caught.

Ingo froze at the mention of Team Plasma. There were painful memories that name brought up for him. Those people had tried to kill his uncle, tried to kill them, and had killed a few of their depot agents. He clenched his jaw at the sight of them.

“Galvantula, bug buzz!” The spider knocked the Hydreigon down with a powerful sonic blow and she was finished as Eeletross hit both of her Pokémon out with discharge. He would let her run off the train, but she didn’t seem scared, “I did my time.”

 “Hmm. Was it enough? For everything you all did? Or is this a way to vent your frustrations? This is your stop.” The doors opened and she glanced back at him before departing. Sometimes dangerous folks came aboard. Or just lost ones.

"At least I didn't murder my own brother." She spat back at Emmet before turning and leaving to get off the train car. 

Oh no, not with that attitude. Emmet scruffed her and hoisted her off her feet. He was stronger than his thin frame looked. “Oh really? Wanna eat those words?” He made her face Ingo. 

"Let go of me!" She growled at Emmet as he hoisted her. When she came face to face with Ingo, part of her stiffened at seeing his unsmiling face. "Nice Zoroark." She told Emmet in defiance.

“Nope! Wrong! Eelektross? Do me a favor and use thunder wave on this one. She is banned from the premises and I would like for the police to check her record in case she has not, in fact, done her time.” The eel glared at her when Emmet dropped her before it and gave her a hell of a shock. “Sorry brother! Unruly passengers! Boss has to take out the trash!” 

"What a shame for your beautiful train." Ingo had an urge to kick her while she was down and paralyzed but he was too professional for that. Zoroark indeed. Bitch. 

"But I suppose it's one of the few downsides of the job. Does that happen often for you?"

One of the agents came to carry her away, "Not often but vandalism is common. There was another this morning before you two showed up." 

"Vandalism?" Ingo asked.

“Ugh, again?” Emmet rubbed his brow. “They like to write verrrrrry nasty things about me, brother. And they take it out on the subway itself. Awful, really. Defacing such wonderful trains with their paint. Blech.” 

"Why!?" Ingo demanded standing, "What has Emmet ever done to them?" 

The agent looked uncomfortable but answered, "Everyone thinks that White Boss killed you. Everyone blamed him for that." 

"The news said that the police cleared Emmet of that crime." 

"Well, yeah officially." The agent nodded, "But most people believe, unofficially, everything the Unovan Enquirer tells them. The story is that White Boss got rid of you and stuffed you in a tunnel somewhere to be the only Subway Boss."

A memory flashed in Emmet’s mind as he frowned. Back to when he had gotten ahold of that damned paper. 

This was a little dramatic, even for her. Sarah got up on the train but it was empty save for two depot agents: Stefan and Isabelle and the man himself. The White Boss Emmet Kudari Gray of the very illustrious Gray family. Oh, how the mighty had fallen. Made for an excellent paper. 

"Very smart." She complimented, "Getting two witnesses here with you. Very, what's the word? Strategic, but then again, I've been told you're a very calculating man, Mr. Gray. Have to be to get so good at doubles battles."

“Enough snark, miss. I’m here for business since your secretary keeps dodging my calls and tossing my letters. I thought I would go straight to the source. I want you to retract those headlines. It’s verrrrry rude, you know. Verrrrry mean. And verrrrrry much wrong. You could get sued for such things, you know! It could end your very paper if you aren’t careful!” He held up his finger with a smile at that, “I’ve had a verrrrry rough time because of you! Two trips to the hospital in fact!!” It was hard to keep his voice under control. Oh yes, he definitely blamed her for the riot and the incident. 

"Well that truly is unfortunate." She replied, "But people have a right to the truth no matter how unpleasant it is. Unless you have actual evidence stating that any...theories the Enquirer prints are wrong, there's no compelling reason for us to print a retraction."

“The truth. Hah. So verrrrry rich coming from you. You also have no evidence for any of these accusations, no one has ever found any bones down here and yet here you are claiming someone saw them. Fuck. You.” He wasn’t smiling. He was done with her shit entirely and didn’t care the mask was gone. 

"Look, I'm just trying to get by, same as you." She replied unfazed by his anger. This wasn't the first time someone had been pissed about an article her company published, "These things fade with every new scandal. People will move on but positions don't. I'm still the Queen of the Gossip Scene and you're the sole ruler of the Subway. The unbeatable Emmet Gray. As soon as some celebrity gets arrested for dope or some politician gets caught with his hand stuck in the cookie jar you'll get everything you ever wanted. My sources tell me you like winning more than anything else. If that's not winning, I don't know what is."

“You just can’t help yourself from LYING, CAN YOU!?” His fists balled in rage. “You bring up this ridiculous story all the time, you can’t stop beating a dead horse for every worthless penny! You don’t care who gets hurt, who even gets killed because of you! A man is DEAD, Sarah, because of your bullshit! We are not the same! I serve the public, I work hard to make life easier for people, and all you do is spread lies and misery! You could get money by sticking to the facts just fine, you don’t need the rage bait, but your greed demands it! You and your diamond earrings and Kalosian handbag, you make me sick!” Never had the agents seen Emmet fly off the handle at someone like this. It was different from a scolding, different from an emergency or an attack. This was personal. This was rage. “Retract those damned stories or I will sue you into the ground. That’s an Emmet Gray promise.” 

"Boss." Stefan put his hand on Emmet's shoulder in case he tried to take a swing. That wouldn't help their case at all and would just give those bastards more ammunition.

 "Those are dangerous words, Mr. Gray. Dangerous and unsubstantiated. My paper just prints theories. You're the one who knows this subway inside and out. You're the one who's killed people. You're the one who benefits if your loud, obnoxious, idiot of a big brother suddenly disappeared off the planet. We don't espouse or encourage violence of any kind. As for calling me a liar." She got up right to his face when Isabelle stepped in to get between them. Isabelle was daring Sarah to even try it. 

Sarah just stopped and smiled before looking over Isabelle's shoulder, "Why don't you prove it?" After a beat she added, "This is my stop. Thanks for the ride." Sarah moved to get off the train.

“Cunt.” Emmet was so mad it didn’t even register on his face. He needed to be away from people right now. What she said about his brother made his blood boil unlike anything else. If there was one person in this world he wanted to actually kill, it was her. Not even the man who attacked him deserved his fate as much as this bitch did. The doors slid shut and the car moved on. “Isabelle, could you do me a favor?” 

"Yeah boss?" Isabelle asked, turning to Emmet, "You want us to put her on the no ride list?"

“Nah. She’s going on the Shit List.” A rare list. One where nothing was done to the passenger, but everyone everywhere in the service industries knew of. They were all connected. And knew to give that person hell everywhere they went, and not just the subways. Diners, stores, hotels, everywhere. People hated Emmet, but the Shit List was a cut above. An unspoken rule, a line not to be crossed. “Please make sure she gets on the most packed rides with the people coming home from the gym. Good and smelly. Oh, and I’d hate for her lovely white handbag to get hit with coffee. Or maybe pomegranate juice. Perhaps Megumi could help with that.” 

Isabelle nodded, "On it Boss." People may hate Emmet but he wasn't the only one in the service industry. If it came from her, the others would be more likely to uphold it especially when Isabelle repeated what she had said about Ingo. 

Stefan let go of Emmet's shoulder. "Boss, you okay?" He asked.

“No. I’m not. I need to be left alone tonight. Radio me if you need me, but I will be in the maintenance tunnel for now.” 

"Got it. We'll cover." Stefan said. 

"But." Isabelle wasn't so sure if leaving Emmet alone was a good idea or not. 

"Izzy. Give him some space. He'll pop up again." She looked at Emmet worried as the car pulled into the maintenance station.

He would salute to them with a frown and disembark. Emmet waited for the car to pull away before going to the cans of spare parts and kicking them with all of his might and screaming at the top of his lungs. He pulverized a few tins under his boot with ferocity, pretending it was that bitch’s skull. Oh how he wished to crush her into pulp beneath his heel. Pistol whip her. Grind her nose against Ingo’s tombstone. Her fault! It was all her fault! He was so mad, so angry. Hot tears ran down his face and he set up some target practice to shoot. He pretended it was her, silently. In an enclosed space like this the gunshots were so deafeningly loud and the bullets ricocheted around if he wasn’t careful. He emptied all six chambers into the can and threw his gun at it to knock it completely over, stand and all. 

“Fuck you..” He cried as he slumped against the far wall. He tucked his legs into his chest and hugged them. Emmet buried his face against his thighs and sobbed quietly, letting it all out. Alone in the dark with only the lights above him for company. He would kill her, one way or another. Maybe not physically, but he would ruin her reputation and business so far she would never find work ever again and go bankrupt. If it gave her even a fraction of the pain she had given him, he would make sure it would happen. Emmet would return to the main station an hour after this, his hair combed and his attire back to normal. He would be quiet as he worked and his eyes puffy, but that was all. It was all he could do. 

In the present Ingo stared at the depot agent, "Emmet would never hurt me." 

The agent nodded, "I know, Boss." 

Ingo shook his head, "I'm not your boss."

Emmet walked over and quietly put his hand on Ingo’s shoulder. “Relax brother. Everything will be alright. I will get my name cleared soon enough. And you will earn your job back. I know we can do it together, yup.” His voice was low and soft. Distant, but still full of care. Emmet glanced up as the train approached the next station. “It’s break time brother, why don’t you go on with Peters to get something to eat?” 

"Come eat with us." Ingo said, turning back to him trying to get a hold of himself, "We can all get something together."

“No can do. This train must keep running. I brought a snack, now all aboard!” The doors slid shut and the train rolled onwards without Ingo. Peters went to Ingo’s side. 

“C’mon boss. This way. White Boss has it covered.” The agent would lead him to the cafeteria to grab something to eat. There were new faces who had never met Ingo before. How was everyone reacting to him?

Of course, they knew the story- that he had disappeared for five years. And they knew the rumors- that Emmet had done it. Killed him and hid the body in one of the tunnels. Maybe chopped Ingo up and fed him to his Pokémon. So of course, they stared at him like he had come back from the dead and speculated what could've made him leave for five years. It made Ingo feel like he was under a microscope. He reached in his pocket and squeezed the Light Stone for self-comfort. Turning to another agent they were with, Ingo asked, "Does Emmet seem different to you?"

“Shoo, ya Mandibuzzes, can’t a guy take a break in peace?” He made the more annoying folks piss off for a bit. “Different? You mean compared to before? Yah. Way different. But you seem out of it, so I guess it’s hard to tell huh?”

"Yes." Ingo confirmed, feeling grateful for less people, "Could you tell me in what way please? I've got a bit of an idea but I feel it's been the more censored version. But then again it could be my brain trying to fill in gaps that aren't really there. 'Not everyone is a major character in a story'." That last bit was a quote someone had once told him in Hisui.

“Hm. Well. He is short with people. He used to love to yap, but now he always has to go from one thing to another. He doesn’t always mean it, but he can be verrrrry stern, hah!” The agent grew serious again. “Some people called him Killer Boss, at first it was part of the rumors but only us old hands call him that now. We’ve reclaimed it from the gossipers. Buncha twerps.” He took a drink before continuing. “He doesn’t ask for help but we know when to step in. It’s a lot more body language. Some days are worse than others. Like he’s just a passenger in his own body going through the motions.”

Ingo took a drink from his own cup as the depot agent spoke. "Did a lot of people give him problems? Like any old Plasma team members?"

"Boy, you don't know the half of it." He said wide eyed and adjusted his cap. "Shit, I damn near got killed one day. Plasma didn't go softly after being defeated, there were always groups of them running around, especially in the big cities. Especially in the dark corners. So bingo, that means here. You and Emmet kept 'em pretty far off but when ya... vanished, they got bold. Reaaaaaal bold. They tried hijacking the trains a couple of times. Boss had to pack heat so he wouldn't get jumped and we got batons and tasers."

Hmm, interesting. Could this be a power play or was there something more to this? Suddenly, Ingo saw someone over the depot agent's shoulder. No, impossible. "Excuse me!" Ingo said a little too loudly standing up and rushing out the door. A turn down the corner and he was gone.

The last incident with Plasma was over two years ago thankfully. They ran outta steam for the most part. The depot agent followed him. "Huh, what was that about? See someone?”

"I thought I saw..." But that was impossible, wasn't it? He'd have to be over two hundred years old by now, "Apologies...I thought I saw someone from long ago but it appears I was mistaken. It must be the stress from returning. I didn't mean to disturb your break."

“It’s alright boss, you have it too, huh?” He sat back down with Ingo.

"It?" He asked, sitting back down again.

He glanced around and lowered his voice. “You know… seeing things? White Boss was real bad with it.” 

"Emmet had hallucinations?" Ingo made sure to keep his voice low but he had a tendency to go loud if he didn't consciously think about it. Emmet had mentioned it to him, but it was different coming from someone else now. It was sinking in how far it went.

The depot agent clammed up, realizing he had put his foot in his mouth. "Er... Well." Shit. "Y-yeah. He does."

There. He knew people were keeping things from him. "You say 'does'. Is it still current?"

"Well, yeah. It never went away, he just is... better with it than before." Cat's outta the bag. "He even smoked for a stint there, he would go to a slow station and take a break, muttering to himself as if someone was there. It was.. really sad. He would say he would see you and go running off. We would take care of things until he came back a half hour later looking like a mess. It was... bad."

Ingo made no face or noise of judgement. He just nodded his head listening along.

"Is that why that one depot agent thought that I was Emmet?"

“He sometimes dressed up as you, Boss.” He confirmed and looked down. “He would try and mimic your mannerisms but it was really bad. Sometimes you’d think he really fooled himself to play the part, but he would come back the next day sullen and in his white clothes. He would always apologize and just wanted to keep spirits up, but it did the opposite. That and it made the gossipers go wild. Thinking he was feeling guilty for gutting you. He broke, he went completely mad. I don’t know how else to say it. Sometimes he never left the station for days. He would wander the tunnels a lot looking for something. For you, I guess. He would wander the same routes over and over like some ghost possessed him. Really spooky when he was wearing your outfit.” 

"He looks so put together." Ingo gasped. He had a feeling that Emmet was trying to hide his hurt, that he was shielding Ingo from something, but he had no idea how bad it had gotten.

"You know I'm not upset? I'm just sad he felt the need to hide this from me." He admitted, "I wouldn't judge him for it, ever. Emmet's been through so much because of me. Thank you for being honest with me. I will keep our conversation confidential. I don't want to reopen any of Emmet's old wounds. I do have one final question and I hope you will continue to be candid. Did Emmet...did Emmet throw himself in front of the train?" They had talked about it this morning. He had seen the notes. Ingo wanted confirmation.

“Well, he has been doing better this past year and especially in recent months, so there is that. And… I don’t know. He always looked so worn out, I wouldn’t be surprised if he fell, but the timing was spooky. Maybe he was so tired he was even tired of living. I dunno. White Boss is strong, so very strong. Anyone else would have keeled over 6 months in. And he really cares about everyone. He’s tried so hard to hold everything together, he lost hold of himself. It’s good to have you back, Boss Ingo. We all… really really missed you.” He offered his hand to shake before it was time to hop back on the trains. Emmet’s train. 

"Thank you." He gave him a good firm handshake and prepared to put on a happy face when he boarded Emmet's train. Well, as happy as Ingo looked anyway. To the untrained eye he always looked like he was frowning. He smiled at Emmet. His brother had been so strong and went through so much.

"You sure you don't need a break? I wouldn't mind battling. It's all I did back in Hisui."

“You’re not on payroll yet, bro.” He laughed and shook his head. “Not allowed! Against the rules! I don’t want to throw you off of my train, now do I?” Still, he welcomed his brother aboard. “Refueled and ready? All Aboard!” The doors swung shut. The battles were almost over, they had a set cut off time at 5pm, but he still had to man the car like a depot agent might. Ticket checking, general presence to keep hooligans from running amok, and a smile for the passengers' sense of ease. Well. As much ease as they could get from him. “After this, it’s time for some safety inspections.” 

"Your train?" Ingo teased back, feeling himself chuckle despite it all. Still, he remained at Emmet's side like a shadow. He nodded at the mention of safety inspections.

"Make sure everything's in working order and that the tunnel tracks are cleared."

"I am the Boss, aren't I?" He gave Ingo a coy look. "I'm in charge, and don't you forget it!" 

He had to push and tease him around a little bit. Though some people would shift uncomfortably. Ya know. Because that's why Emmet killed him in the first place. Were they hallucinating a dead man too? No.. it was just so awkward. 

"Precisely," Emmet nodded. As the last passengers disembarked, the train went down a separate track for daily cleaning while they got off and would walk the tracks. He handed Ingo a lantern. "Now don't you dare get lost. Stay next to me, ok?"

"Do we need these?" He asked Emmet, "I remember in Hisui I can see very well in darkness. Can you as well?"

Still, he took one and didn't argue. The tracks...this was where Ingo had disappeared five years ago wasn't it?

"No, we don't. But it will help us see any little bit of debris. And more importantly, someone will see us if they are heading down the track our way. It's for our safety and theirs." Yes, he had disappeared along the tracks, that was true. Which ones exactly? Emmet had a guess but never an exact location. Lots of ghost types like to live down here which wasn't much of a problem because they could just go through walls and not be hurt by the trains. Chandelure liked these walks and popped out with a little sound of happiness.

Ingo gave one of his not-smiles at Chandelure. His oldest and first Pokémon. Even Ingo couldn't remember where exactly he disappeared. Still, he kept by Emmet's side and looked out for debris.

The firelight from the lanterns and from Chandelure made the shadows dance around them. Cling to them. Ingo was Yin, the black, he melded with shadow. Emmet was the Yang, the white, but he emanated shadow, not melded with it. Emmet casted shadow. Ingo emerged from it. Still, they were being watched by Pokémon as they passed. A little Dreepy nuzzled up to Emmet’s side for a pet, glad to see him again and Ingo. They had lots of friends down here. The tracks were clear. No one was lost down here and nothing was broken. All of the sensors worked too. Goody. As they walked the light of the next station came into view slowly. “And here we disembark. Thank you for coming with me. Now I have some interviews to do and paperwork, but after that we are going home. It wasn’t too bad of a day, was it?”

"Not at all!" Ingo agreed, "It was very pleasant. He'd stay with Emmet at the office while he finished up the last bit of paperwork and interviews for the day. He didn't mind the wait at all.

During the interviews he was doing performance reviews for the agents. Emmet had to put his big boss face on. Most were good, some were… not. He went into a separate office to do those, but it was glass so you could see inside. Verrrrrrry serious when he had to be, but when the last person was done, he looked so burnt out. “I was never good with those,” he muttered to Ingo before plopping the paperwork down into the filing cabinet where it belonged and was later saved to the servers. A few Joltiks tried to climb up his legs but he had to shoo them away. He couldn’t play much anymore, unfortunately. 

“I’m sorry, Joltiks, but this train is heading for the maintenance station! All passengers are to disembark here. I will see you tomorrow!” He gave a little salute to the tiny pokemon who skittered away with a happy squeak. He sighed. 

“Let’s go home.” Man it felt good to say that. His days were verrrrrrry long, it was 9pm almost. He worked 6 days a week. Three days of work, one day of rest. Rinse and repeat. That way it was always different days of the week he had off, so he could rotate shifts and keep an eye on all things, never neglecting any one shift. Rarely he did the night shifts. That was more of a bi weekly event. The night air felt so cool and brisk when they emerged from the tunnels. He sighed in relief.  And held his coat under his arm. 

Ingo was by his side walking with him although his coat was still on.

"Is this your normal work shift or did you have to pick up more because of my disappearance?" He asked him as they started the walk home.

“Ah...er... Well! It’s normal for me now, but when we worked together, it was less. We could go on separate tracks and keep an eye on things more consistently, we could have two days off every week and would be done by dinner time.” 

Good, then when he was hired, Ingo could really help take a load off.

"Are you hungry? I could make you dinner." He offered.

"Nopenopenopenopenope!" Emmet wouldn't have it. "Not a chance!" 

"Why?" Ingo asked, giving him a bit of a pout.

"One! It is my treat. You have returned home. I have already planned to make an old favorite! Two! You come from Hisui! I don't exactly trust you around a stove yet! Not until you show me you remember how to use it! Three...! I want to!"

"I'll have you know cooking over an open fire is a lot more difficult than a stove." Ingo huffed but relented, "Oh you do? And what is my old favorite?"

“You have several! I’m not going to tell you. You will have to guess it while I make it! You can help, if you want.” They reached their building and took the elevator on up. Emmet unlocked the door and tossed his coat and gloves on a chair. Ahhh it was nice to be back. He washed his hands and would get started right away. Most of the Pokémon came out to relax too. They had lots of Pokémon food and berries for them all the time, they never went hungry. 

Ingo let out all of his Pokémon to relax, even his friends from Hisui that were still new to this place.

“Hello, I am Emmet!” He waved happily to all of them as he got out the flour, some eggs, and a bit of salt. A little olive oil and some water too. He was busy, yes, verrrrry busy, but he was happy! So many new friends. And Ingo! Thankfully their condo was plenty big enough for all these Pokémon. Emmet… had a lot of cash. He didn’t do anything with it except pay his bills and research. Not until now at least.

Things seemed to be going well. The three groups of Pokémon, Ingo's old team, his new team, and Emmet's seemed to be getting along well so that was one thing they didn't have to worry about.

"Are you making a cake?" Ingo asked moving into the kitchen and watching his brother go this way and that with ingredients.

"Hahahahah, nope. This is dinner, silly." He playfully flicked a little flour at him and kneaded the mixture together with such force and vigor. He had to.

Ingo took a little flour and flicked it back again laughing. "Okay, you're mixing the dough...are you making pizza?"

"Hm, closer! I'll give you a hint. It's potato flour."

"You do like to keep me guessing...Gnocchi?"

Emmet blinked. "How the fuc-" Well shit! He got it! "Yes, yes, it's gnocchi. Now would you mind making the sauce for me? Recipe is in the book."

"I thought you didn't trust me near the stove." He teased but got out the book anyway.

"I trust you enough now that you have an idea what we are doing," he smirked. He was doing the hard part at least. He had strong arms. Emmet was lanky and thinner than before but it was all lean muscle. Ingo however... he was a real survivalist now.

Climbing cliffs and battling off alpha Pokémon did that to man. Ingo began to hum a tune as he worked Crustle rubbing up against his leg like a cat. She had really missed him.

Galvantula had a web hammock in the corner of the room she liked to nest in. They all had their special spots. Archeops wasn't small but he liked to park his ass on Emmet's shoulder and watch him cook. And beg for scraps of course. Emmet hummed with Ingo. Man it felt like the old days. Even though it was getting late, making good food always did lift the spirits. It would be ready and it would be so good.

"Perfect! Bravo!" It was so good too. Emmet hadn't felt this happy in... Well, he couldn't remember! He kept waiting to wake up, for this all to be just a dream.

It was no dream. It truly was him and Ingo and all their Pokémon reunited again. The older twin smiled at Emmet's use of his usual phrase.

"Thank you, Alakazam." He told the psychic Pokémon as he poured the sauce on top of the gnocchi. Alakazam had been using his mind to set the table.

"Smells delicious." He told his brother.

One last pokeball wobbled on Emmet’s belt. Dialga. It whined a bit, wanting a taste of gnocchi. “Even immortal dragons cannot resist pasta.” He laughed. 

"Will Dialga and Palkia be able to fit in here?" Ingo asked. It wouldn't be fair to give some to one and not to the other.

"Not really!" But the dragons were pushy and they pushed out of their pokeballs, instead emerging outside, hovering by the window.

"Hey! You're gonna scare someone!" Dialga chirruped and nudged his arm. Emmet relented and let them have a portion, which they gratefully accepted.

Not wanting Palkia to feel left out, Ingo put some in a little bowl for the dragon to eat as well.

"Thank you again, for taking us back home." He told the pink one. Despite being embodiment of concepts in many ways, the two legendaries were like any other pokemon. Then again, Ingo supposed he didn't have any room to talk about being an embodiment of a concept. 

Palkia reached down and placed their hand on his head gently. Their claws were like steak knives, but the water dragon was as gentle as could be. After their little snacky, the dragons returned to their pokeballs, satisfied. It was getting late, real late, so after a little cleanup they had to go to bed.

Fine with Ingo. He was absolutely exhausted. A quick shower to be clean for bed and he would just collapse in a deep sleep Chandelure hovering at the foot of his bed. How well did Emmet sleep?

He passed right he heck out, he was very worn out from the day and while his brain was buzzing happily, he needed the sleep. Hopefully no nightmares would bother him here, it was the last thing he needed. He would sleep soundly that night. If they did have nightmares Chandelure was more than happy to eat them.

Chandelure was a very well-fed dream eater indeed. But they could rest. Dawn broke and the boys got up. Doing his routine with Ingo again put a pep in his step. It was real, he was really here with him! 

“Alright, Ingo! Ready for round two? Today should be smoother, I don’t have as much to catch up on.” 

It would probably take a business week for the paper work to get through for Ingo to get his job back. Until then he was happy just to shadow Emmet for a while.

"I'm ready!" He told him happily. For now, he was fine with just following Emmet as he did his usual.

“Alrighty, all aboard!” Entering the station, the agents were happy to see him again. Like they needed the reminder that this was real as well. 

“Hiya boss! Boss one and boss two!”

 Emmet smiled and waved. “Alrighty, today, you are going to be in the command center! I will come by after some battles, but these maps will help you get used to the layout.” He would leave Emmet under the care of Peters before saluting and departing on the battle train. 

"Wait! Where are you going?" Ingo asked. If Ingo was supposed to stay in the command center, then what was Emmet doing? What the hell was he even supposed to do in the command center?

“Brother! You must learn the train routes again! And keep an eye out for hazards on the tracks through the monitors! Don’t worry, Peters will give you the tutorial! See you later!! All Aboard!” 

Oh dragons. Hopefully Ingo could remember this. Thankfully Peters was a very patient teacher. The cheat card he made Ingo helped as well. By midafternoon Ingo was beginning to get some confidence when...there he was again. How?? 

By about two pm Peters hit Emmet up on the phone sounding like he was going to piss himself. "Um...Boss? Could you come back to control? Please?"

“Hmmm?? Peters, I am in the middle of the battle. It’s verrrrry rude to interrupt! Is something wrong?” Emmet hoped not. 

"I've lost Black Boss. I can't find him anywhere!" Peters told him. The others could hear that over their work radio and the noise that came over was like all hell broke loose.

Emmet froze entirely as his heart literally stopped for a few beats. “You… What!? How!? He didn’t just wander off! You’ve checked the cameras, right?? Where was he seen last??” Emmet pulled away from the radio quickly to apologize to the trainer and cancel the double battle. He would award them their allotted BP as if they won as a consolation prize and hopped off the train towards the command center at once. Everyone was going to cycle their shift to cover him as he left his post. Someone to cover him, someone to cover the person who left, someone to cover them, so on and so forth. This… was a common occurrence when things happened.

Most of the agents were shaking as Emmet came in. Peters stood in front of them ready to report. "Boss, he went out one of the side exits. The cameras lost him after that. I thought he just went to lunch, but he never came back."

Emmet swore loudly. “Get a hold of city surveillance and see if they have seen anything. DAMN IT!” He clenched his fist in frustration but then let out a breath. Breathe. “We will find him. We will. He probably just got lost on the way back, yup!” Emmet forced himself to be positive, to smile, even if it clearly pained him. His silver eyes were not happy at all.

 “I will go up top and see if I can spot him, okay? I trust you to keep things running smoothly down here.” He placed a gloved hand on Peters’ shoulder. “I trust you.” 

Was that sincere or a threat? It was hard to tell with his mask on so uncannily. Emmet trusted you, Peters, and now Ingo was gone. Again. He is trusting you to keep things on track too. It would be good for Emmet to head up, away from the others as he was clearly distressed. He didn’t want to take it out on his agents, he had worked so hard in therapy to keep a lid on things. Emmet marched to the surface with his radio still on. He had been trying to stay on the bright side about Ingo just losing his path, but as time ticked by, he grew more and more frantic, and his composure was leaving him quickly. He grit his teeth. 

“Not again. I can’t even have two days of my life back, can I?” He muttered to himself. Emmet was clenching his fists now and then he got an idea. “Dialga!” 

He summoned the god of time in the alleyway, which was thankfully large enough to accommodate it. “Show me the past, where did he go?” Dialga’s eyes shone brightly and their crimson glow dominated the light as their gem began to emit light as well. Like a ghost, Ingo was shown: his exact movements as he had left the station. What happened to him? 

"Boss..." Peters face said it all. He didn't mean to lose Black Boss like that. He saluted in response.

Ingo had seen a man, a blonde, and followed him out of the station and onto the sidewalk, "Excuse me, sir!" The blonde ignored Ingo and continued walking, weaving through the crowd. "Sir! Volo!" 

Ingo called out but he lost him. Maybe...maybe he was mistaken. After all, if that was Volo, he'd be well over two hundred years old by now. Ingo should head back. As Ingo turned around he felt something strike his back shoving him into the road. He froze as he looked at an oncoming truck but then fell backwards into his own shadow as the truck slammed onto the breaks. 

From the sidelines, the vision showed Volo watching with a serious look on his face. "So it's true. You were right there under my nose the whole time. Guess I'll have to wait until you can crawl out of your shadow world. Don't leave me waiting, Warden. We're gonna change the world together." Then the vision ended.

Emmet ran after the spectre and saw his brother get pushed in front of the truck to his horror. 

“NO!” He reached out, but it was just a mirage, it was in the past. He stared at the ground. Oh dragons, he was killed! But…. There was no blood here. What the fuck? He would radio his team about what he saw and had the cameras pull the footage from this street corner for the police as well. 

“Agents, I want the man in blonde put on the no ride list. I want him found, if he shows his face in this city again, have him arrested. Our search continues, but if I see him again, I’m going to…” He was going to say kill him but he couldn’t be doing that over the radio. “Apprehend him.”

He would make sure the security systems AI would flag him with a red alert if he ever came back. Emmet marched down the streets for a while before returning to the tunnels. “How did he just… vanish!?” What was all this about? He had his hackles raised like nothing else and his aura ran foul as he returned to the station. What else could he do other than alert the authorities and keep a look out? 

As for Ingo he found himself in what looked like a dark tunnel littered with stars. No, not stars, windows. Catching his breath after that close run in with the truck he began to explore looking for a way to get out. These windows of light looked out into different sections of the world covered in shadow. He didn't know about Emmet's aura but he felt a pull to a particular window...the station! Gear Station. He could see Emmet and the other depot agents!

Emmet had friends in high places. If Volo showed his face in Nimbasa City again it would be known.

"Yes sir, White Boss!" 

Emmet was storming about with a frown on his face. He would not leave the station until he found Ingo. He had called Elesa and the whole subway was on high alert. No one liked this. It wasn’t the first time White Boss had gone off his rocker with a red alert, but if it was true that Ingo had been there yesterday and this morning… Maybe he had a reason to. This was bizarre. Ingo going missing twice out of the blue. Emmet wouldn’t let it happen again. Well… it had happened again, but he hoped this time he could do something about it and save his brother from years of isolation like he had gone through in Hisui. Dragons… Ingo had been gone for 30 years then. Would he even survive another round of that? Emmet tried to shove these paranoid thoughts out of his mind, but the fact of the matter remained that they were surrounded by supernatural events whether they liked it or not and he had to deal with it. Fix it. Emmet would march down the tracks with his lantern, clutching it with a death grip. He was furious. 

The track tunnels were nice and dark. "Emmet!" Ingo called out his voice echoing off the subway walls.

The boss whirled around at the sound, casting the light and searching through the darkness. There was nothing. He was about to call out to his brother, but the realization struck him and he felt sick and angry with himself. How was he supposed to search for him like this? When he could hardly trust himself. Emmet stopped in the middle of the tracks and picked up a rock, throwing it with all his might against a wall with a scream that tore his throat. The rock shattered into tiny bits on impact. He clenched his teeth as hot tears ran down his face. He tried to stay calm. He tried to keep it together, but he couldn’t right now. He breathed heavily and glanced at the far away track to see if any train was coming, not that he would be willing to move. 

A few days. He had Ingo for only a few days and then he was torn from him again. Was this some sick joke!? Bile rose in his throat and he slammed his fist against the wall. Ow. He could hardly feel it over the roaring in his heart and mind. His soul. He wanted to tear every brick down in his path to Ingo. If he was gone again, he just wanted to die. And that man. He wanted to watch the life leave his eyes as he strangled him to death. He crouched on the tracks for a moment, putting his arms over his head and wailed out his frustrations into the empty air. Vent it, then breathe. Breathe. Remember your lessons. He would have to up his dose for sure today when he got back to his desk. He caught his breath and stood again, adjusting his tie and mask before continuing his patrol down the tunnels. 

"Emmet, listen to me! I'm stuck in here!" Ingo called out. He remembered what the agent had said. Hallucinations. He thought that Ingo was his own brain playing tricks on him. "Emmet, go get Stefan or Isabelle and bring them here! If they can hear my voice you're not hallucinating!"

No one else could be the subway boss, no one was better at it than the twins. But still. It made some people wonder if the city should fire Emmet for all of this chaos. Not that Elesa would allow it, but she couldn’t protect him forever either. He wasn’t in much danger of losing his job, but if he really cracked publicly, he might get suspended again. Emmet paused again and listened. This was…. Hnnnrrrghhh. He turned and looked again, dreading what he would see, but there was nothing there. 

“Stuck where!? I can’t see you! I-if I leave how will I know where to find you again!? Wait!” He pulled out his radio and called for the two agents to meet him here in the tunnel. No. Emmet would not wander off. He would stay and wait. “Ingo, what the hell is happening?”

All of the usual ghost Pokémon fled from Emmet when he was like this. He scared them. His aura bled pure hatred for the blonde man and sorrow at the loss of his twin. Again. Reopening a fresh wound just recently stitched together. Still, Emmet didn’t give into it. Not completely. He still had hope in him, somewhere. That tiny light that would never die. 

"Someone pushed me in front of a truck. I thought I saw someone from my past so I went to track him down but I fell down here." Ingo knocked on the window with a frustrated growl. Stefan and Isabelle met Emmet on the track. 

"Boss, what's up?" Stefan asked, "You find Black Boss yet?" 

"Agent Stefan! I'm here!" Ingo cried out. 

Stefan whirled the flash light, "Where? I don't see you! You in the walls?"

Emmet was stunned. Holy shit, he wasn’t just tripping. That changed everything. Emmet had texted Elesa to track down the blonde man and get any information she could on him. From his past, eh? From Hisui?? This was a meditated attack. This was some bitch who knew Ingo back then and then came here to stir up more shit. Oh, he was extra dead now. Volo. From the Gingko Guild. Emmet palmed the dark orb in his pocket as a stress relief. What do we do? 

“How are you on the other side of the wall? The sewers don’t run through this area at all. Still, we will shut down this section of rail, yup.” Hearing Ingo’s voice was at least a comfort. 

"No, don't do that. I don't think I'm physically on the other side of the wall." Ingo explained, "I'm somewhere dark with lots of these pockets of light-" 

"Oh no! Boss! Don't go into the light!" Isabelle called out.

"Ah, I don't think it's that kind of situation. All these pockets look out onto the world. I can see the three of you for-" Ingo cut himself off as Isabelle turned her flash light towards him and the window disappeared. "Boss? Boss?"

“Ingo? INGO!!” Emmet yelled and pounded at the wall. He swore in anguish as his brother had been cut off from him AGAIN! How many times could a man take this? He waited for a response but there would not be one. Not while Isabelle had her flashlight pointed at the wall. Bitter and angry he turned on his heel. “He HAS to be somewhere! Keep searching the tunnels!” 

Isabelle moved, going to continue to search with Emmet. "That's it!" Ingo's voice called out again, "It's connected to light and shadow! Emmet, remember when we went to the temple?"

Emmet whirled around again at the return of his voice and trotted over to the wall, leaving his lantern behind. He pressed himself against the wall where his voice was the loudest. Ingo had always been a big mouth, heh. 

“Brother! You…” He shook his head, it was all so crazy. “Well, what the hell are we supposed to do if you’re stuck in a shadow??? Can’t you reach out from it?” 

"I'm trying!" Ingo huffed. Honestly if Ingo could, wouldn't he by now? "This might take me a while. Emmet, you and the others have to get out of the tunnel and get back to work."

Emmet belted out a laugh. “Yeah right! As if we are gonna leave you behind, brother! Nope! Not at all, I am staying right here, yup! Stefan, Isabelle, go head back to the command center and brief the others on what is happening. And no, it’s not a case of the white boss days. It’s real this time. You know that.” Emmet, despite wearing all white, plopped down against the wall and sighed. “I won’t leave you,” he promised. 

"Emmet." Ingo sighed but Stefan shook his head, "It's no use. You know once White Boss makes up his mind there's no changing it."

"We'll make sure the trains reroute so that this tunnel isn't used." Isabelle said, "But Black Boss, you need to figure this out as fast as possible! We need you both back." The two would turn to head out unless Emmet had anything more to say.

No, Emmet would nod to them, grateful for having such good agents. No. Friends. Hours would pass. Elesa had told him who this blonde was and now he had a name for that damned face. But Emmet was not much for words right now and cut their conversation short. It was approaching 2am now. He was still sitting there with Ingo, lantern on the ground and bags in his eyes as he rubbed them. He felt himself getting dizzy and nodding off. 

Emmet heard his name and his head snapped to her direction hoping to see... Well, you know as he awoke.

 “Ah Elesa. I suppose you’ve come to collect me like last week’s trash, hm?” 

Something was wrong, he was no longer in the tunnel, he was in the maintenance station and it felt like days had passed. Like he wasn’t himself. A passenger in another body. His memory was all jumbled too. Ingo was missing, they had no trace of him, none at all after he vanished. Three days had gone by. 

"Emmet, have you eaten anything? Have you slept at all?" 

He just blinked at her and sighed. "We both know the answer to that one." He put his head in his hands. "I don't know what to do, Elesa. I can't do this again. I can't. Dialga showed me where he went and I'm... I'm too scared. I feel like I'm dying all over again, Elesa." He lowered his hands and stared forward unfocused into the darkness. His back was hunched and his hair was frazzled. "You don't have to put up with me, you know. You have plenty to worry about other than coming down here." He rubbed his knuckles, still sore from when he smashed them days before on the tunnel wall. 

"Don't say that." Elesa said going to his side, "You're my friend. I stayed by your side then and I'll do it again. Ingo would want you to take care of yourself. What happened to your hand?" She asked looking at it. 

“Busted it on the wall. It’s not broken, just the skin got scraped." He let it go limp in her hand as he stared forward. If Ingo was there, he would be choking on the rancid aura of Yang here. It was like a miasma. “Ingo, where the fuck did you go..?”

She didn't know about Ingo but Elesa could sense something was different. Emmet's whole aura seems to drag this place down. "Emmet, don't do this to yourself." She sighed. His hand didn't look too messed up. She would let it go for now. 

He reached into his pocket for his smokes. He still had some in his desk from a long while ago and decided he needed a light.

 "You are not smoking again." She glared at him. 

He flicked on the lighter to ignite it. “I know you don’t want me to, Elesa. I’m sorry to disappoint you, again and again.” Maybe she should just leave the man to his demons and not get dragged down by him. 

“I’m afraid I’m not much of anything without Ingo.” He blew a cloud of smoke away from her. Emmet couldn’t help it, his mood was in the gutter. He didn’t want to hurt her seeing him like this. She really was a good friend.

 She was very quiet, "Promise me that you'll call me if it gets too much, Emmet." 

He glanced up at her. He didn't want to scoff, it was so mean. "I'm.. I'm sorry Elesa. But it already is. Please, I don't mean to bring you down. I want you to be happy." 

"Okay, then how about we see the doctor again?" She suggested, "We can have him adjust your meds." She wasn't going to touch on how she couldn't be happy seeing him so miserable like this. 

"Later." He showed her his bottle of meds. "Don't worry, I'm still on track. I haven't fallen off the wagon or done too much. Only the prescribed amount.” 

"Okay, I'm going to check on you later. The book I special ordered is coming in. Emmet, don't go where I can’t follow, okay?" 

“I’ll be right down here if you need me.” He gave her the thumbs up and would finish his cigarette as she left. Once she was gone, his dry eyes bled themselves of a bit more tears, hitting the concrete at his feet. Fuck, man. Just. Fuuck. He doused the cigarette and picked up the lantern. He had burned down the candle to the stub, so he needed to get a new one. That meant walking the tunnels alone in the dark. Whatever. If it happened it happened. He just hoped the sensors would do their job. 

Then he felt something else. A rumble. Shittttt. He ran in the opposite direction, booking it as fast as he could, tripping almost on a few of the tracks. He narrowly escaped getting run over by a train as he dove head first back onto the station he had been resting at earlier. His heart was pounding and sweat beaded down his face. The train kept going onwards as if nothing happened, of course. He screamed a curse and hurled the empty lantern against the far wall, shattering glass all over the tracks. He was having a breakdown. He was on his hands and knees sobbing and crying out in pain, his body wouldn’t let him do anything else. Thank God this was a maintenance station that no one went to. Christ. 

"Ingo, where THE FUCK ARE YOU?!" He screamed and sobbed. His body was tired. He was tired. He laid on the ground for a bit as he tried to breathe. The world around him was irrelevant to him. The night would wane on into the next day.

The depot agents knew White Boss was alive because he would update tasks and respond to work emails like normal, but they knew he was far from normal. They never hardly saw him besides the office or locker rooms or vending machines. He kept going to the tracks. One day he wouldn’t come back, they knew it. He would be gone, somewhere in the darkness, split to pieces. They were just worried about when.

 He lit a cigarette in the shadows, his only light for now. He hummed a tune as he walked in the dark, his ears on keen alert for any sounds of trains. He had his gun, yes, but he wasn’t going to use it. He had no intention of that, really. It was too easy if he did. No, he walked and then he stopped. He was crying but no tears were there. After a moment, he continued walking, shakily continuing to hum from where he left off. 

Ingo felt weak. It was part from Emmet's distress, part lack of food, part lack of water. That didn't stop him though from finally crawling out of the hole in the wall. He stumbled onto the track in front of Emmet finally clawing into dirt. No, he had heard everything. This was his. His darkness and it wasn't going to control him. He was going to control it. He crawled until he felt the cool metal and saw a distant light up ahead, small like a cigarette?

"Emmet?" 

What the fuck was that? Emmet pulled out his gun. 

“Who goes there? These tracks are off limits to the public.” Ingo swallowed. His throat was so dry. 

"Ingo." Ingo replied, trying to push back on his legs so he could sit up properly. 

Emmet squinted in the darkness and continued walking. And walking. And walked right past him with a glance. 

"Hnnngh," he sighed. 

The hell? Ingo wasn't expecting that. Maybe for him to yell at him or shoot him but he just walked past. 

"W-" He coughed, "W-wait." He pushed himself up to stand. Ingo wasn't going to give up. He started to follow his brother. "Wait!" 

Emmet ignored him and would keep going. There was a station ahead at least, he could sit there for a bit. He must really be having a bad day. Everyday was a bad day without Ingo.

Ingo still wasn't giving up. Even if he had to follow Emmet all the way to that station. Were there other people in that station or was it just them? 

It was just them. The maintenance station. Emmet hopped up onto the platform and sat on the bench in a sad heap. He kept his eyes on the darkness waiting for the figure to emerge. 

Ingo then crawled up onto the platform. This must be the hallucinations he was talking about. Maybe Emmet thought he was just seeing him and not that Ingo was right there. "You...you're a hard man to get to." Ingo chuckled darkly but continued to head towards Emmet, but he didn’t move. He just watched Ingo walk. How he just materialized from the shadows. He didn’t respond, he just… watched. That was fine. Ingo could come to him. He knelt down to Emmet and placed his hand on his knee. 

"Emmet, it's me." 

“No,” he muttered. “You’re not real,” he sighed and pulled out another cigarette to continue his chain smoking.

 "You were so strong for me." Ingo said not bothering to argue with him, "I'm going to be strong for you now." Fuck but he couldn't lift him not as famished as he was. Maybe he didn't have to. Ingo drew out his pokeball and tossed it out.

"Come to me Haxorus." The Pokémon popped out looking between the two twins. His human and his brother looked like a wreck. 

That was it, huh? Emmet stood up and began pacing around. He started giggling, then laughing like a madman. 

“It was never real, was it? I just. Imagined this! I never went to Sinnoh, I never found him, it’s all just been in my head, I can’t tell what’s real and what isn’t, I’ve really lost it, huh? I’m gone! Gone!” He held out his arms and swung his head back as he paced in a circle, his hat hitting the floor. 

"Haxorus, go pick him up. Try to be gentle." Ingo said going over and picking up his hat. Haxorus made a sound and went over to try and scoop up Emmet bridal style. 

"Nuh uh!" Emmet dodged away and pulled out his gun. "I might not know what is real or not, but I won't be ushered away." His hands shook as he aimed between Haxorus and Ingo. Haxorus growled at the gun pointed at his human. 

"Okay, okay." Ingo said both to Emmet and Haxorus. Any sudden wrong moves might end badly for everything involved, "We'll do this your way. What do you want, Emmet?"

“I... I want… I want my brother back. I want my life back. This is my, our subway. I just want him b-back...” He cried miserably, but didn’t lower the gun. “B-but… but I caaan’t! He’s gone! He’s gone and he’s been gone and I’m never g-gonna see him again. He’s never coming back, I’ve just been lying to myself all this-this time.” He hiccupped. “I don’t want to live anymore. I don’t want to live without him. I don’t… I don’t!” He put the gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger.

…But nothing happened when the gun was fired. It was unloaded. He must have known that too as he slowly pulled it out and holstered it. He stood there, wavering, staring at the ground. Silently, he walked forwards and took Ingo’s hand to go walk back to the main station. He didn’t say another word. In reality, he hadn’t trusted himself with his firearm for a long while and unloaded it. It was just a show of force, even if there was nothing in it. They would come back to the main station.

 "NO!" Ingo shouted but it was too late and there was the terrifying sound of the 'click' from the hammer and nothing more. Oh thank Arceus. Emmet slowly put it down and took Ingo's hand. The two walked back to the main station in silence but Ingo kept a tight grip on Emmet's hand like he might lose him at any moment. The agents froze when they suddenly saw the two of them together. 

"Black boss? Wh- Where-" One of them began to ask but Ingo cut him off. 

"Could you please go and call an ambulance?" Ingo asked before pulling on Emmet's hand to come sit with him on the bench. Nobody said anything but one of the agents ran off to do as Ingo requested. Ingo sat with him and rubbed his hand with his thumb. He would get taken to the hospital and have time to recover. 

The dream faded and Emmet found tears on his face. What was that just then? Another world? Another timeline? So similar and yet it was different. Yin and Yang… so much to consider. Time and space. Light and dark. The existence of powers that could bend reality. It was so much to try and understand. He was just a subway boss! Him and Ingo! And yet, this was their lives. There was no turning away from it, only accepting and moving forward armed with this new information. It felt so real. Deep in his heart, Emmet knew it was real. A real possibility if Ingo never had called out to him in the tunnel, never heard his brother’s voice. Yang was time, and so he saw a vision. It wasn’t just madness. It was something trying to guide him to a better future. Maybe himself even? Bah, now was not the time to ponder such thoughts. Emmet was still sitting there alone in the tunnels. Well, not completely alone. “...Ingo?” He called out softly to his brother, hoping he was still there in the shadows, just out of sight. He was never scared of the dark, in fact he found it rather comforting, even as a child. It reminded him of Ingo.

———————————————————————————

End of chapter 3

[sonubuilders]

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Neral, once considered just a quaint town near Karjat, has, in recent years, risen in demand due to its strategic location and affordable yet scenic living options. Many real estate developers, including us at Sonu Builders, see potential in this growing hub. But why is Neral attracting homebuyers?

Proximity to Mumbai and Pune : Neral is located perfectly between Mumbai and Pune, making it an ideal spot for those who need to travel for work or leisure. The Neral Railway Stationconnects to the Central Railway Line, making connectivity to Mumbai completely hassle-free.

Serene Environment : Unlike the congested suburbs and urban areas, Neral offers a breath of fresh air—both literally and figuratively. Surrounded by lush greenery, hills, and valleys, Neral provides a peaceful and tranquil setting for a home. It's perfect for nature lovers and those wanting to escape the hustle and bustle of city life.

Affordable Real Estate : Compared to most Mumbai suburbs or even places like Kalyan and Dombivli, the property prices in Neral are extremely affordable. A 1 BHK in Neralcan provide not only affordability but also good returns on investment in the long term, given the rapid commercial growth taking place in the region.

Location Matters: Finding a 1 BHK in Neral Near the Station

If you're considering settling down in Neral, proximity to the station will likely be at the top of your checklist. Why? Because whether you're commuting to work or visiting the city on weekends, staying near the station can save you time, energy, and, yes, money!

Ease of Transport : Living close to Neral Railway Stationensures that you are never too far from convenience. The station provides numerous local trains heading towards Mumbai or Karjat throughout the day, making your daily commute a breeze.

Increased Value : Properties located close to essential transit points, like a train station, tend to have a higher resale value and strong rental potential. A 1 BHK in Neral near the stationis an excellent investment if you're thinking about the long-term value of your home.

Access to Amenities : Areas near the station are typically well-developed, with easy access to shopping markets, groceries, healthcare facilities, schools, and banks. Whether it’s essential supplies or attending to daily errands, it becomes incredibly convenient to live near the station.

Attracts Tenants Easily : If you're planning on buying a home in Neral as an investment, a 1 BHK in Neral near the stationwill be highly appealing to renters, making it easier to find tenants who are looking for ease of commute.

Quality of Life: The Perks of Living in Neral

While connectivity and investment potential rank high on the checklist for potential homeowners, let's not forget the quality of life that Neral offers.

Green and Peaceful Atmosphere : In today's fast-paced world, finding a home in a pollution-free, green environment can significantly enhance your quality of life. With impressive views of the Sahyadri hills and surrounded by nature, Neral offers plenty of outdoor activities, whether it's trekking in the nearby mountains or simply enjoying a calm evening walk in a quiet neighborhood.

Low Cost of Living : Due to the affordable property rates in Neral, the cost of living is much lower than in urban centers like Mumbai and Thane. Whether it's for groceries, transport, or utilities, expenses here lean towards being budget-friendly.

Development Potential : Neral is in its growth phase, which means there’s immense potential for further development. With more commercial spaces, malls, schools, and hospitals being planned in the region, the move to Neral right now can place you ahead of the curve once the locality truly booms.

Closeness to Weekend Getaways : Another huge perk of living in Neral is its closeness to famous hill stations like Matheran and Lonavala. If you're someone who enjoys weekend getaways, being based in Neral will make exploring these scenic spots incredibly easy.

Why Sonu Builders Is Your Perfect Partner

At Sonu Builders, we aim to create spaces that resonate with your dreams while staying within your budget. We specialize in building 1 BHK apartments in Neral, and many of our projects are strategically located near the Neral Railway Station.

Here’s why we stand out:

Affordable Luxury : Our homes are not just budget-friendly, but also come equipped with modern amenities and smart designs that elevate the standard of living.

Proximity to Key Locations : We understand how important saving time during the daily commute is. That's why our apartments are strategically located close to the railway station and daily necessities like schools, hospitals, and retail spaces.

Future-Ready Homes : With every property, we ensure modern infrastructure suited for both current and future needs, with sustainable designs and high-quality construction.

In Conclusion: Your Ideal 1 BHK in Neral Awaits!

If you’re looking for the perfect combination of convenience, affordability, and comfort, buying a 1 BHK in Neral near the stationcould be your best decision yet. With a focus on green surroundings, connectivity, and access to urban amenities, Neral offers the best of both worlds—a peaceful lifestyle that doesn’t compromise on convenience.

[buckybabybaby]

Mr Hollywood (Chapter 13)

Summary: Bucky Barnes, an underpaid teaching assistant in a small English village, dreams of a movie career back in his home country of America. He finally gets the break he’s always wanted, and if it wasn’t for you, his best friend, he wouldn’t have been able to take it.

But is that fact enough to save your friendship when it’s tested by the pressures of Hollywood?

Pairing: Bucky Barnes/Reader (Gender Neutral)

Word count: 1954

Chapter summary: Classic only one bed dilemma ‘cos I’m a sucker for a cliché…

Warnings: none!

Previous: Chapter 12

Mr Hollywood Masterlist | Main Masterlist

*****

After your star-studded weekend, the normality of school is refreshing. You’re not sure how you would cope with fame yourself, even one evening surrounded by such wealth and excess had almost been too much for you. It’s a completely different world from the one you know, and as Bucky has demonstrated, it is incredibly easy to get caught up in the wrong side of Hollywood. Your greatest wish for him now is that his new team keep him safe as far as they can.

Peggy finds you early on the first morning back, keen to get all the gossip.

“So how was it? Your date with James?”

You roll your eyes. “It wasn’t a date. And it was good. Fun.”

“Just 'fun’?”

“Yes, Peggy.”

“So, he didn’t invite you back to his hotel room, and, you know?”

“No, Peggy.”

“That’s disappointing.”

You scoff at her. “You’re ridiculous. And anyway, there was no hotel room because he was travelling for more promo up north.”

“Oh of course, the breakfast show. Did you watch it?”

You had, heart in your mouth as Bucky sat rigid in front of the cameras. As the interview progressed he had relaxed into his chair, joking along with Sam and his other cast mates, and by the time they wrapped it looked like he was actually enjoying himself.

You nod. “He did well, didn’t he?”

“Just make sure he doesn’t hurt you again Y/N.”

“What? You were the one who was pushing me to make up with him.”

“Yeah, but, still. I’m not scared of him.”

Shaking your head in amusement, you send her away as you try to focus on your marking. You’re glad she’s on your side if you ever need her, and you hope you won’t where Bucky is concerned, for his sake as well as yours. Not many have survived the wrath of Peggy.

*****

Bucky next calls you ten minutes after the last bell rings that Friday afternoon.

“Did you get my email?”

“Err, I don’t know?”

“Check it now, I’ve just sent it.”

Clicking away at your computer as he waits impatiently on the other end of the line, you find the message and open it, scrunching your face up as you hover over the many links.

“What is this?”

“Your tickets.”

“My ticket-” You stop as you recognise the airlines logo in the corner of the page, and when you download the attachment and the itinerary it contains, you understand what he’s done.

“Bucky, I can’t-”

“Yes you can Y/N.

“This is far too much.”

“No it’s not. It’s what we always said I’d do if I ever made it.”

“But we were only joking!”

“I wasn’t.”

Sighing, you read through the travel plan as Bucky chats away in the background about all the ideas he’s had about what you can do together when you’re there.

“And Dayton and Sophia are coming too! And little Benjamin. Adding you on didn’t cost much more.”

“That’s not how it works, Bucky.”

“Please Y/N.” The excitement drops from his voice. “I want to show you where I grew up, let my parents finally meet you, and just spend some time with my best friend. Proper time, not a few stolen hours when I’m in the country.”

You’re silent as you think over his request, and he takes it as agreement.

“So do you accept?”

“It’s very kind of you, so yes. But next time it’s on me.”

“All right.” He laughs. “This will be amazing, just wait. No adverse weather conditions or manipulative managers are going to get in our way this time.”

*****

The last weeks of the school year fly by as usual, and the first morning of the summer holiday is spent hurriedly throwing clothes and shoes into a suitcase, all too aware of the ticking clock counting down to the taxi’s arrival. It’ll be the first leg of a very long journey, down to the railway station where further along the line you’ll meet Dayton, Sophia and Benjamin, and then onto the airport express.

Your door bell rings as you’re zipping up the bag, and you drag it down the stairs as you run through your list of essentials one last time. Your passport, tickets and phone are all definitely there, so you hand your case to the driver and decide that if you haven’t got anything else now then you’ll just have to go without it.

The taxi is a lot, lot, nicer than the ones you’re used to. Bucky had booked it along with everything else, clearly not sparing any expense despite you insisting economy would be more than enough. You still don’t know how you feel about him paying. It’s one thing you buying a plane ticket for him a year ago, when there was the understanding that it’d be repaid, but this was a 'gift’, as Bucky said. You’re torn between thinking of it as a perk of his new life, and feeling like you’re using him for his money.

Hauling your suitcase on to the train as Saturday shoppers bustle around you, you find the first free seat and drop into it, texting Dayton the letter of the carriage you’re in. The rest of the journey is a bit of a whirlwind, all the connections on time but it is still a close call with a toddler in tow. Once you are on the aeroplane however, it all calms down. Benjamin is fascinated by the clouds out of the window, and you volunteer to sit next to him whilst his parents get some much needed rest. You feel especially bad for Sophia, travelling at nearly six months pregnant, but you know how important it is for her to go home before the new baby arrives, her own parents living just a few hours north in Massachusetts.

Your flight is one of the last to land that evening so passport control is virtually empty, and Dayton’s families cases are the first ones unloaded to be collected. Standing there as the last few bags come up and the carousel stops, you stare at it as the realisation of what that means causes your shoulders to slump.

Shrugging in defeat when Dayton questions the wait, you scuff your trainers against the floor, eyes burning with the combination of lack of sleep and stress of lost luggage.

“I’ve let Bucky know we’re here so- oh, there he is.”

Turning around, you watch as Bucky flashes a grin at the security, who let him through the doors and into the baggage claim hall, jogging over to welcome the others first. Then he’s in front of you and picking you up in a hug, his infectious smile making you forget your exhaustion for a moment.

“You made it!”

“My case didn’t.”

He puts you back down, pulling away to frown at you. “What do you mean?”

“That’s the last of the bags. Mine isn’t here.”

“Okay.” He lets you out of his arms, already searching through his phone for the relevant number. “Don’t worry, I’ll sort it out.”

A dozen calls later, he finds your bag. Currently it’s enjoying the sunshine of southern Italy, having been mislabelled and sent completely the wrong direction at first. Bucky ensures you it’ll be on the next flight back to London, and then on to America as soon possible, no later than the end of the week.

You feel guilty for causing such a nuisance. “I’m so sorry Bucky. I’m such a pain.”

He shakes his head. “No you’re not. It’s not your fault. Come on, you can borrow something for tonight and I’ll take you shopping tomorrow.”

“Thank you.”

You all slowly make your way to the taxi rank, the rows of yellow cabs blurring into one as the bags are loaded into the boot and you climb in behind Bucky, so tired you ache. Luckily the roads are quieter at this time of night and the trip is short, and as he pays the driver you stare up at the townhouse in awe, feeling like you’ve already been here from all the stories you’ve heard.

The front door is unlocked, the main luggage dumped by the front door to be dealt with tomorrow, and you unlace your shoes as you smile at the photos of the twins hanging on the wall. Further along the hall you can see Sophia’s also in the pictures with them, and in the most recent one at the end you come face to face with yourself. It’s only you and Bucky in the frame, neither of you are looking at the camera, laughing at something you can’t remember. Dayton must have been the photographer, but how it ended up here you don’t know. It’s something you’ll ask about in the morning, you decide as you follow everyone else through the house.

Being as it is his childhood home, Dayton knows where to go, leading his wife and son down the corridor and into a side room, leaving you and Bucky alone in the hallway.

He turns to you awkwardly. “Looks like you’ll be sharing with me.”

“That’s fine.”

“Err, don’t know if you’ll still be saying that when I tell you there’s only one bed.”

“Oh,” You say, eyes widening at the thought.

��Sorry, Y/N. I didn’t even think. It’s okay though! There’s a hotel on the corner, I’m sure they’ll have rooms-”

“It’s fine Bucky. Really.”

You stop him from reaching for his phone by catching his hand in yours, then, opening the door to what you’re guessing is his room, you pull him in after you and close it behind him. It’s cosy, the night light already on and casting a warm glow across the bed. You try not to look too relieved as you see that it’s not a tiny single but a large double or even king, with more than enough room for the both of you.

“Do you want me to take the floor?”

“No, Bucky. Don’t be silly,” You whisper, aware of the late hour. “It’s been a long day. I’ve been awake for nearly twenty four hours, I’ve lost my bag, and all I want right now is to sleep until my limbs stop hurting.”

He smiles softly in sympathy. “I’ll leave a t-shirt for you to wear. Do you think you’ll need anything else?”

“No. This is great, thank you.”

“There’s some of that moisturiser you use in the bathroom. The one you made me buy too. I know how you like to use it after you’ve washed your face at night.”

Nodding gratefully, you excuse yourself to his en suite. You’d packed a clean set of underwear in your carry-on just in case something like this happened, and after a brief shower you dress yourself in his top, feeling a little more human.

Stealing a new toothbrush out of the cupboard and giving your teeth a thorough clean with the floss you also find there, you cleanse and moisturise, then shuffle back into his room.

Turning down the bed as Bucky uses the bathroom himself, you slide under the covers on the left side. When he lies on the other side of the bed, careful to leave space between you, you smile sleepily across at him.

“I’m so happy to finally be here.”

“Yeah.” He agrees. “You haven’t met my parents yet.”

“It can wait 'til morning.”

“They’re going to love you.”

“You think?”

“I know. Just like I-everyone does.”

You can’t keep your eyes open any longer. “That’s kind.”

“It’s true. You’ll see.”

“Thank you for bringing me,” You murmur as you make your self comfortable, tugging the duvet up to your chin. “I think this is going to be a trip to remember.”

*****

Chapter 14

[shiieldmaiden]

Y’all I never post my own shit on this blog but this is Important

i’ve got an amazing dnd group and because we’re Super Invested a bunch of us made playlists for our characters

feat. a Very Long playlist write-up under the cut 💫

The Adventure Zone: Amnesty Theme by Griffin McElroy

This is the true start to this playlist, even though it’s not on Spotify. I had to start off with something from my Good Good McElboys. I imagine Bardrynn’s hometown of Quarrycrest as something of a fantasy Appalachia, all beautiful smoky mountains and close-knit families and communities living and working together. Everyone knew everyone and everyone helped everyone. What better way to set that scene than the Amnesty theme?

Woman by Kesha

Bardrynn is so. goddamn. independent. She’s impatient, she’s impulsive, and she’s not one to let just anyone tell her what to do. She’s a motherfuckin woman and this song captures her attitude, especially before she got more familiar with the darker parts of the world. She takes responsibility for herself, does things for herself, and doesn’t like asking for help. She’s got this.

Mess is Mine by Vance Joy

That being said, she’s a fiercely loyal friend. Bardrynn is a Gryffindor through and through and she will do anything for her friends. Well hold on, my darling. This mess was yours, now your mess is mine. She is someone who will shoulder her friends’ troubles without a second thought. You know you gave me all your time, but did I give enough of mine? Even though she gives so much to her friends, she still worries that it might not be enough. She wants to be enough for her friends, to be there whenever they need her, whatever they need her for. If she can’t be there for her friends, what good is she to them?

Mountain Sound by Of Monsters and Men

No matter how far she travels, Bardrynn’s heart lies in the mountains. She knows that whatever happens, she has the mountains to go home to. And as brave as she is, she’d be lying if she said she’d never considered running away from her problems and running home to those mountains. Heard them calling in the distance, so I packed my things and ran.

Map of the World by Monsters of Folk

She may be a small town girl, but Bardrynn has a streak of wanderlust to her. She wants to see the world, she wants to explore, she wants to see and experience new things. That far-off feeling, that up-close kind of ache - she tries to fight it, she denies it like hell, but Bardrynn is homesick. She has been for awhile, but she’s just ignored it. Having friends helps. Exploring new things and going on exciting quests helps. She’s doing what she wanted, she’s doing good and seeing the world, so why isn’t she happier?

Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles

A little self-explanatory, your girl tries to keep a positive outlook. She knows she’s not the brightest and doesn’t always notice things, but one thing she does notice is that if she keeps up a positive attitude, the people around her tend to perk up too. And I say “It’s alright”

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell

Wow, is that Bardrynn’s Saving People Thing I see?? Holy cow, that’s Bardrynn’s Saving People Thing I see!! I told you you could always count on me darlin’. From that day on, I made a vow - I’ll be there when you want me some way somehow. Bardrynn will do absolutely anything for her friends - from taking the blame for ruining the publicity campaign in Dragon’s Brawl and getting herself fired so that Mori could keep her job to throwing herself into harm’s way to protect her party members. She’ll move heaven and earth to help her friends, drop anything to go to their side, hell she’ll take a killing blow if it means her friend will live.

Maps for the Getaway by Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness

Leaving home to go fight for Dragon’s Brawl was hard. It was really fucking hard. For all her life, Bardrynn had lived in Quarrycrest. Her family lived in Quarrycrest. Her ancestors were buried in Quarrycrest up in the family plot at the top of the Oakburn holler. (If she has anything to say about it, she’ll be buried there too, when her time comes) No cash in the bank, no paid holidays, all we have - all we have is gas in the tank, maps for the getaway. She had a dream and a plan and a metric ton of uncertainty, but she did it anyway and she was so proud of herself when she was able to write home to tell her family that she had done it. She was a professional fighter.

The Boxer by Paul Simon (Mumford & Sons cover)

When I left my home and my family, I was no more than a boy. In the company of strangers, in the quiet of the railway stations, running scared. The mood of this song, the story of a fighter doing what they love in the ring and then struggling with loneliness outside of it is just - it’s so perfect. It took Bardrynn awhile to regain her footing with her new job away from home. Even with Mori there, it wasn’t the same as being able to just walk down the holler a bit to say hello to her brother or strolling into town and saying hello to everyone she passed on the way. Plus, Mumford’s sound is so Appalachia to me, it suits Bardrynn really fucking well, all strings, bluegrass rhythms, and tight harmonies.

In the clearing stands a boxer and a fighter by his trade, and he carries the reminder of every glove that laid him down and cut him til he cried out in his anger and his shame “I am leaving, I am leaving,” but the fighter still remains.

Applause by Lady Gaga

Once she got her footing though, once Bardrynn got comfortable, she was fucking ecstatic with her life. She practically got high off of the crowds and their reactions to her, their applause and their cheers. Nothing could bring her down when a stadium of fans were cheering her name. I live for the applause

Jenny by the Studio Killers

OOF. Bardrynn’s bad at feelings. She didn’t plan on catching feelings for Mori. She really didn’t. She didn’t even realize it was happening at first, she’s terrible at reading feelings from anyone, including herself. She was her best friend! She couldn’t feel like this about her, she was just a really close friend! Jenny darlin’, you’re my best friend, but there’s a few things that you don’t know… Once she figured it out (it took her an embarrassingly long time, looking back), she tried to just shove it down, ignore it. Telling her would just ruin things. They had a good thing going, the two of them being best friends in and out of the ring. That was, until their bosses decided they needed to stage a rivalry between them.

Little Lion Man by Mumford & Sons

Bardrynn carries a lot of guilt over fucking up that fake rivalry. It was just one slip-up, they’d been doing so well. But Mori had made a really funny joke and Bardrynn couldn’t help but laugh and someone had to go and catch her looking at her like that… and the next thing they knew, the two of them were being threatened with losing their jobs over the way they handled that “publicity strategy,” or whatever the fuck the boss had called it.

So Bardrynn took the blame.

She couldn’t let Mori get fired too. But it was not your fault but mine. And it was your heart on the line. I really fucked it up this time, didn’t I my dear? It was her fault, not Mori’s. Only one of them should lose their job over this and if someone had to take the fall for it, it was going to be Bardrynn. Mori tried to argue when Bardrynn told their boss that it was her fault, but she wouldn’t hear any of it. Bardrynn couldn’t fix the damage she’d done to Mori’s image as a fighter, she couldn’t fix any dips in popularity her fights might suffer, but she could make sure she kept her job.

And now, she’s terrified of letting her friends down. She doesn’t want to fail them like she did Mori. She can’t let that happen. Let’s be real, Bardrynn would die for her friends or her family without a second thought.

Bastards by Kesha

After her fallout with Dragon’s Brawl, there were a lot of people who started bad-mouthing Bardrynn. People who accused her of ruining the Dragon’s Brawl story because she couldn’t just play along, people who were disappointed in her for failing at this, people who were angry with her for messing up this or that. Been underestimated my entire life. I know people gonna talk shit, and darlin’ that’s fine. But they won’t break my spirit, I won’t let ‘em win. I’ll just keep on livin, keep on livin’ the way I wanna live. It was hard, really fucking hard to brush it off, but Bardrynn did her best to not let it bother her. She’s gotten better at it. She’s gotten a lot better at it. It’s still hard sometimes, and she still feels guilty sometimes when she braids that bright blue ribbon from a fan into her hair, but she’s getting better at tieing those reminders to the good memories rather than the bad ones.

Heaven When We’re Home by The Wailin’ Jennys

Been a fool, I’ve been cruel to myself. Been hangin’ on to nothin’ when nothin’ could be worse than hangin on. And somethin’ tells me, there must be something better than all this … And it’s a long and rugged road, and we don’t know where it’s headed. But we know it’s gonna get us where we’re goin’. And when we find what we’re lookin’ for, we’ll drop these bags and search no more, cuz it’s gonna feel like heaven when we’re home. I’m tempted to just leave it with those lyrics, but tbh, they’re very true to her attitude going forward from Dragon’s Brawl. She wandered, she didn’t know where she was headed, but she trusted that she’d figure it out eventually. So far it’s worked out alright. Plus, the Wailin’ Jennys’ sound is just So Perfectly Bardrynn. I also love the harmonies in the chorus, kinda shows, at least to me, how important having people around her is to Bardrynn. And maybe I’ll walk awhile and feel the earth beneath me. They say if you start lookin’, it doesn’t matter if you find it. And who’s to say that even if I did, it’s what I’m really looking for?

Below My Feet by Mumford & Sons

Keep the earth below my feet. From my sweat, my blood runs weak. Let me learn from where I have been. Keep my eyes to serve, my hands to learn. As she started traveling the world and exploring, Bardrynn started to see things in terms of what she could do - what she could do for other people besides just the ones she holds nearest and dearest. She started helping people. She started looking for people to help, jobs to take, towns to protect. Anything she could do to make herself useful, to find some kind of purpose beyond just wandering aimlessly, unemployed and technically homeless. She found that helping people was really fulfilling. She liked it. She was good at it. And it made other people happy, it made other people safe.

We’re Going to Be Friends by The White Stripes

Bardrynn makes friends super goddamn fast. She’s a friendly and outgoing woman, and while she may not be good at telling if someone is lying, she believes that she has a good sense of when someone is going to be a friend. To be fair, she tends to go by the philosophy of friend until proven not friend, but still. She could tell within ten minutes of meeting the party that this was going to be a good thing. They were going to be friends and it was going to be so much goddamn fun. And when I wake, tomorrow I’ll bet that you and I will walk together again. I can tell that we are gonna be friends.

I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend by girl in red

Now, Bardrynn has a wisdom of 9. She’s terrible at recognizing other people’s feelings and even worse at diagnosing her own feelings. This has happened to her before, with Mori. She got confused, she was certain that the feelings she had towards Mori were just that of a best friend. 

She would’ve been this freaked out if anyone in the party died, right? Sure, she’s been worried about Liana and keeping an eye on her in battle since she died and came back to life, and she might feel a little more protective of her lately, but it’d be the same for anyone else in the party if they died, right?

Right?

Beautiful Dawn by The Wailin’ Jennys

I feel like this rounds her out nicely. Bardrynn is trying to get better. She’s trying to improve herself, to grow, to become the friend her friends need her to be. She’s trying to become the woman she wants to be, more than just a brokenhearted has-been fighter - a woman who doesn’t let down her loved ones, a woman who protects those she cares about, a woman who defends those who can’t defend themselves, a woman who can do some good in the world. Take me to a place where I feel no shame, take me where courage doesn’t need a name. Learning how to cry is the hardest part, and there’s only one way to mend a broken heart.

Dang, this is a long post.

[therealeststeknowledge]

Benefits Of Investing In Plots In Raipur Chhattisgarh

The apartment culture of Raipur is growing fast, but it has been born out of necessity. People cannot always afford to build their own independent homes and live in their plots in privacy. If one gets the opportunity, most people will relish the chance. The most significant aspect of owning a home is owning the property on which your dream home will be built. Given the scarcity of land in cities and the rising cost of plots in Raipur Chhattisgarh year after year, the ideal strategy is to invest in plots in the city's suburbs.

Here are some of the most significant benefits of purchasing plots in Raipur Chhattisgarh:

Investing is inexpensive

Reduced property taxes

Maintenance-free

Flexible in nature

It is easy to appreciate the land value

Purchase and possession are simultaneous

The resource is finite

Why is Raipur the perfect place to invest in a plot?

Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh, has long been regarded as one of India's best places to visit. This city is one of the most sought-after destinations to live in because of its safe and beautiful environment, stable management, and urban conveniences. Investing in plots in Raipur Chhattisgarh means investing in the capital city's urban comforts and infrastructure. The city's appeal is enhanced by an airport, well-paved roads, and railway lines, making it one of the top destinations to invest in real estate in Raipur.

Plots are a solid pick when thinking of investing in real estate in Raipur. Sapphire Greens in Vidhan Sabha Road Raipur has been constructed by a top property developer that caters to the bespoke luxury category for over a decade. These built plots provide all of the benefits of a gated community while allowing you to design your own home. When you buy a home in Sapphire Greens, you purchase a new way of life.

The Perks of Owning a Raipur Plot -

When you purchase a home in the Sapphire Greens community, you are committing to a world-class lifestyle. Open areas in a developed neighborhood will assist you in leading a quality and healthy lifestyle. You also enroll your family in a safe and secure atmosphere. It is just as vital to find a decent neighborhood as it is to pick a good house.

Raipur Residential Plots-

As Raipur is the state capital, purchasing residential land here is a wise investment. Raipur benefits from a well-developed social infrastructure, a low cost of living, the convenience of commuting, and a low crime rate.

Consider These Points Before Purchasing a Residential Plots in Raipur, Chhattisgarh-

So, what are the most important factors to consider when purchasing a residential plot? There is no way to avoid the most fundamental component. 

Location. A lot depends on where you are. 

Another crucial aspect of the process is your money. 

The next step is to discover and verify the builder's credentials. 

Then there is the most time-consuming part. The paperwork is a nightmare.

The decision to purchase a piece of land is a significant one. And it is one of those decisions you should not make on the spur of the moment. Once you have decided on a parcel of property to invest in, you will need to put in extra time and effort to learn all of the vital facts in the documentation. 

Let Us Wrap Up-

Many people wonder if buying plots in Raipur, Chhattisgarh is the appropriate decision. Yes, it is the right option. As you can see, the city is fast expanding, and many people will be looking for tranquility soon. And if you own your land, you can build your ideal home exactly how you want it. Raipur has now evolved into a real estate investment hotspot.

Purchasing a plot is an excellent way to develop wealth and comes with multiple benefits. While you own a property, you must exercise caution when making judgments. In Raipur, you might acquire sites that will pay off well in the future. If you are looking to buy plots in Raipur, Sapphire Greens offers a variety of alternatives.

With Sapphire Greens Raipur plots, you get an amazingly convenient location and a variety of features that make living hassle-free. It is crucial to gain a thorough understanding of Raipur's real estate market before investing in it.

[radthursdays]

#RadThursdays Roundup 05/02/2019

Part of an article in Interrupt 10, published in April 1970. "…Good technological solutions take time to develop. Otherwise they create side effects which may be worse than the original problem. DDT got rid of insects (for awhile until they developed a resistance). Now how do we get rid of DDT when almost all that was ever sprayed is still concentrating itself in the food chain? How do we get rid of the DDT in you and me? Phosphate based detergents (the 2nd generation detergents) solved the problem of biodegradability created by earlier types of detergents. But phosphate is a powerful nutrient for plant life. So now how do we keep it from mucking up the ecology of such rivers, lakes, and oceans as are still functioning? And how do we keep yesterday's dishwater from being tomorrow's drinking water? And what about the side effects of that marvelous solution to the transportation problem, the automobile? Is suburbia a solution to the housing problem? Maybe smog will be a solution to the population problem. So when the technologists announce the next great breakthrough, think twice. The solution may be worse than the problem." Source.

Issues

Lies, Damn Lies, and Abortion: "In the decades since Roe, a proliferation of restrictions has cast a long and intimidating state shadow over abortion care and its providers — and it works: There are now six states that have just a single abortion provider. In Texas, restrictions passed in 2013 swiftly closed nearly half the state’s clinics before they were struck down by the Supreme Court in 2016."

Selling Self-Defense: "A look at the history of women’s self-defense shows that complicated, conflicting ideas about race, gender, and vulnerability are embedded in the movement’s very DNA. According to Wendy Rouse, author of Her Own Hero: The Origins of the Women’s Self-Defense Movement, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when women first began to study boxing and jiu-jitsu for both practical and political purposes, white men justified the sports as a way for white women to protect themselves from men of color when they weren’t around."

A poem about Silicon Valley, assembled from Quora questions about Silicon Valley. Source. Why do so many startups fail? Why are all the hosts on CouchSurfing male? Are we going to be tweeting for the rest of our lives? Why do Silicon Valley billionaires choose average-looking wives? What makes a startup ecosystem thrive? What do people plan to do once they’re over 35? Is an income of $160K enough to survive? What kind of car does Mark Zuckerberg drive? Are the real estate prices in Palo Alto crazy? Do welfare programs make poor people lazy? What are some of the biggest lies ever told? How do I explain Bitcoin to a 6-year-old? Why is Powdered Alcohol not successful so far? How does UberX handle vomiting in the car? Is being worth $10 million considered ‘rich’? What can be causing my upper lip to twitch? Why has crowdfunding not worked for me? Is it worth pre-ordering a Tesla Model 3? How is Clinkle different from Venmo and Square? Can karma, sometimes, be unfair? Why are successful entrepreneurs stereotypically jerks? Which Silicon Valley company has the best intern perks? What looks easy until you actually try it? How did your excretions change under a full Soylent diet? What are alternatives to online dating? Is living in small apartments debilitating? Why don’t more entrepreneurs focus on solving world hunger? What do you regret not doing when you were younger?

Technology

Disabled people don’t need so many fancy new gadgets. We just need more ramps: "Stair-climbing wheelchairs are an excellent example of the overlapping problems with disability dongles; people with mobility impairments know that there’s a problem (stairs), and they’ve repeatedly articulated solutions. But those solutions are not new gadgets. The problem here isn’t that most wheelchair users find stairs challenging. Rather, it’s that most built environments rely heavily on stairs, and that while elevators and ramps both exist, many designers choose not to use them."

'It's not play if you're making money': how Instagram and YouTube disrupted child labor laws: "They open boxes, play with toys, pull pranks and make slime. They sing, they dance, and they remember their lines: 'Subscribe to my channel!' […] But while today’s child stars can achieve incredible fame and fortune without ever setting foot in a Hollywood studio, they may be missing out on one of the less glitzy features of working in the southern California-based entertainment industry: the strongest child labor laws for performers in the country."

Part of an article in Interrupt 13, published in December 1970. “We don’t have democracy in our workplaces. Rather, we are part of an alienating class structure, that we, by working, support and enforce. Quitting work is not the way to remove the structure. We must understand the nature of our work in order to change it. We don’t have democracy because we are part of a labor force that is told what to produce and how to produce it by a capitalist class. What’s wrong with capitalism? Take a look at the increasing abundance of consumer goods that give decreasing satisfaction and fulfill less and less human aspirations, emotions and needs. Look at the unsolved contradictions between the wasteful standard of living in the rich countries and the impoverished conditions in the rest of the world. Look at the international monetary problems, the current trend toward economic recession in the whole capitalist world, the repression of the working class (like the restrictions on free wage bargaining when Congress passes laws telling railway workers when they can strike and what they can earn). Look finally at the tremendous gap between what we could make of this world with the power that science and technology have given us and the destructive horrors of war to which automation is being applied.” Source.

The Right

Why Won’t Twitter Treat White Supremacy Like ISIS? Because It Would Mean Banning Some Republican Politicians Too: "At a Twitter all-hands meeting on March 22, an employee asked a blunt question: Twitter has largely eradicated Islamic State propaganda off its platform. Why can’t it do the same for white supremacist content?"

An Eye on ‘The Base’: Transatlantic Militant Fascists continue to interact: ‘The Base is a militant fascist network formed in July 2018. [...] The group has been called by it’s spokesperson “Roman Wolf” an “international fraternal network of survivalists” but content posted online tells a story of a militant white supremacist group that promote violence and aim to instigate racial conflict.’

Flipping the Switch: “Michael Hari’s story shows how our increasingly divisive, conspiracy-laden culture is pushing troubled people toward extremism and violence.”

Activism

Missing Piece Project: "The Missing Piece Project envisions a nationwide, coordinated, mass dedication of objects at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial of Washington DC (the Wall) by Vietnamese, Lao, Cambodian, and other communities still affected today by the legacy of the conflict in Southeast Asia, allowing these communities to reclaim their past experiences, history, and memories, on their own terms."

Direct Action Item

Do you enjoy making art, of any kind? Make some radical art and share it with us :)

If there’s something you’d like to see in next week’s #RT, please send us a message.

In solidarity!

What is direct action? Direct action means doing things yourself instead of petitioning authorities or relying on external institutions. It means taking matters into your own hands and not waiting to be empowered, because you are already powerful. A “direct action item” is a way to put your beliefs into practice every week.

[timelessstorms]

KimeBLOG [190413]-[190415]

https://ameblo.jp/kimeru-days/entry-12454058823.html

13th April 2019 12:00:00

[From Staff] the opening of “SUMMER FES 2019 calling” on 27th July has been confirmed!

The concert has been announced today!

“SUMMER FES 2019 calling” will open on 27th July (Saturday)!!

“SUMMER FES 2019 calling”

Last year's beloved “Summer Fes” is opening again this year!

Our guests invite everyone to a close talk in Part 1’s Talk Festival!

Then all of the guests will also be taking part in a live singing corner with KIMERU's music as the centre! In Part 2’s Song Festival!

In 2019! In the first year of Reiwa! Let's make summer memories together!

◇ Schedule

27th July 2019 (Saturday)

Part 1, Talk Festival: OPEN 11:30 / START 12:00

Part 2, Song Festival: OPEN 17:00 / START 17:30

◇ Venue

LANDMARK HALL (Yokohama)

◇ Guests

Nagayama Takeshi / Gomoto Naoya / Teruma / Ryo Tsuji (Ry☆)/ ...and more

* they'll be performing in both the Talk Festival and the Song Festival.

◇ Ticket *all seats are reserved seats, tax included, drink fee is separate

• VIP seats (Shining member exclusive) • • • ¥12,000

• Full show ticket, Talk & Song Festival, reserved seats • • • ¥9,500

• Part 1, Talk Festival, reserved seats • • • ¥4,000

• Part 2, Song Festival, reserved seats • • • ¥5,500

★ VIP seats

Only KIMERU FC Shining members can apply.

Part 1, Part 2 in common, will be seated in the front 3 rows.

A perk limited to the VIP seats (will be delivered to the venue on-the-day).

★ Full show ticket

Anyone can apply.

Part 1, Part 2 common/shared/community

A mini perk limited to the full show tickets (will be delivered to the venue on-the-day).

◇Ticket application

<advance tickets sales> *all will be selected via lottery.

◎ KIMERU FC member advance tickets

Application URL: please check out the Shining page.

Information desk hours: 13th April (Saturday) to 23:59 on 7th May (Tuesday)

Lottery announcement: scheduled for 15:00 on 14th May (Tuesday)

Payment deadline: 23:59 on 19th May (Sunday)

* Regarding KIMERU FC advance tickets, and of future admission

Those who have completed the admission procedure by 20th April are able to apply.

Instructions for how to apply can be found here! (http://www.kimeru.com/login/index.html)

◎ Liar leaflet advance tickets

Application URL: please check the leaflet that was distributed at the Liar concert venue.

Information desk hours: 13th April (Saturday) to 23:59 on 7th May (Tuesday)

Lottery announcement: scheduled for 15:00 on 14th May (Tuesday)

Payment deadline: 23:59 on 19th May (Sunday)

◎ Each guest advance tickets

Application URL: please check each guest's official site.

Information desk hours: 13th April (Saturday) to 23:59 on 7th May (Tuesday)

Lottery announcement: scheduled for 15:00 on 14th May (Tuesday)

Payment deadline: 23:59 on 19th May (Sunday)

◎ KIMERU OFFICIAL HP advance tickets

Anyone can apply for advance tickets this way.

The information desk will be open from 15:00 on 27th April (Saturday)

The application URL and included details will be announced at a later date.

* order of advance tickets

KIMERU FC member advance tickets

Liar leaflet advance tickets, each guest advance tickets,

OFFICIAL HO advance tickets

will be the order in which they're selected.

◇ Regarding the use of penlights (Part 2, Song Festival)

In Summer Fes, you can use penlights throughout the live concert including KIMERU's songs.

◇ Enquiries

<about the show>

Creative Man Production 03-3499-6669 (Weekdays, 11:00~18:00)

<about tickets>

yahoo!Ticket 0570-666-027 (Weekdays 13:00~17:00)

---

https://ameblo.jp/kimeru-days/entry-12454105609.html

13th April 2019 14:56:18

It was Rocking!

The concert is over!

It was super exciting ♪

Passion! Passion!

Thank you to everyone who enjoyed it with us!

I'm burned out to the point where I can't put my head in order

The next concert has been confirmed!

27th July! This year too! Summer Fes!

Here are the guests that have been currently announced!

This starts the beginning of the Fan Club advance tickets, today’s leaflet advance tickets, and advance tickets for the currently announced guests!

Get excited for the Talk Festival and the Song Festival ♪

What shall we sing ♪ ...I'm so excited, I can't stop.

That's after... right.

There might be good news on 27th April!?

Look out for it ✩°｡⋆⸜(*˙꒳˙* )

Thank you for the flowers, letters and presents.

Due to constant reading of the Aoharu Tetsudou script, the current KIMERU is a burned out corpse, so I'll read your letters another day when I've calmed down.

Matsui (Shintarou)-san! Thank you so much for the flowers!

#KIMERU

----

https://ameblo.jp/kimeru-days/entry-12454402055.html

14th April 2019 14:17:00

Since then...

Mogimogi. [*1]

It’s been 8 years since then.

And it's been 3 years since the Kumamoto earthquake.

Last month, when I went back home, I was very happy to see even the mythical carp was on the newly rebuilt roof of Kumamoto castle.

Things are going back to how they were little by little.

That kind of today.

It's the start of practice for Aoharu Tetsudou!

And the start of practice for the Seibu Railway Company!

Always screaming for love, haha

We also started rehearsals today, but my voice and stamina are extremely exhausted.

I have fire myself up and do my best... to die for love, haha

Ah, I lost 1.5Kg at yesterday's concert.

Though I didn't mean to sweat that much.

I wonder if even feelings have a weight?

#KIMERU

[*1] He's either saying it's been 8 years since he picked fruit himself, or 8 years since he's had the mogimogi gummy sweets.

---

https://ameblo.jp/kimeru-days/entry-12454403832.html

15th April 2019 00 36:21

Celebrate ✩°｡⋆⸜(*˙꒳˙* )⸝

A-hahaha!

Today! It is my birthday, Seibu Ikebukurou line!

Seibu Ikebukurou line! Banzai!

(/･ω･)/

Seibu Ikebukuro line!! Banzaai!!

(/･ω･)/

President! Banzai!!!!!

(/≧∇≦)/

---

https://ameblo.jp/kimeru-days/entry-12454598405.html

15th April 2019 16:40:27

Boogie Woogie! Confirmed event!

The last Boogie Woogie of Heisei has ended!!!!!

The long awaited event has been confirmed for July!!

Look forward to it♪

We had 3 guests today♪

It was super exciting ✩°｡⋆⸜(*˙꒳˙* )⸝

#KIMERU

---

[naughtyneganjdm]

A Second Chance - chapter 5

Summary: Max and the reader spend some time out in New York and he finally lets her know how he feels about her.

Characters: Max, Reader (OC)

Warnings: Not much really. 

AO3 Link: http://archiveofourown.org/works/10357635/chapters/23938977

Tags: @jasoncrouse @ronweaselz @hiddlesdowneyjr @ali-pennell @melodicdolls @namelesslosers @deepsouth @shanaatjelove11 @warriorqueen1991 @caitydestroys @acklesdowneyandhiddles-ohmy @jaylaelizabethw @prettyepiic @negans-dirty-girl @mamaredd123 @jdmsgal @alyisdead @memphisgirl1977 @xnegansgirlx @dontblink94 @freaktesque @crzcorgi @jaylaelizabethw @jmackie1983 @hughxjackman @deadlymistress24  @babyblues915 @fxcking-negan @keithmoonmoon  *As always, please let me know if you want to be added to the tags or if you wanted to be taken off!*

“I didn’t realize today was going to test my physical abilities,” Max dropped back on the bench beside Y/N when she had brought him to a pier that she had told him was her favorite area to relax in New York. First she took him to her favorite little coffee shop in an area somewhere in Chelsea and then took him for a walk on the High Line before bringing him to this very pier in West Village. “I never realized we were going to be walking all over New York today…”

“It’s good for you Max,” Y/N reached out to squeeze his shoulder before staring out at the water. The horizon line was beautiful and he could tell that’s what drew her to this place. With her eye for photography and how much she seemed to love the city, this was the perfect place for her to just sit around and relax. There was a nice water front and tons of buildings surrounding it. Plenty of people were around and all different kinds. Of course she would find something like this relaxing. While he didn’t mind the water, Max wasn’t exactly always the kind of person that wanted to be surrounded by others. Trapped behind the walls was what he grew up in, it’s what he was used to. There was a silence between them and instead of looking at the horizon line, he was staring at her. She was much more of a beautiful sight to him. Her excitement and her expression was more than enough to keep him interested. “There are so many places out here that I love though. It’s hard to show you everything in one day. I just wanted to get you out and doing things. So I’m taking you to the places that I enjoyed when I first came to New York. I can’t believe you haven’t seen most of what I’ve shown you yet.”

“To be fair, I really don’t get out much as it is,” Max sighed getting more comfortable in the seat that he was in and he could see her getting up from the bench reaching inside of her camera bag to pull her camera out. “I would have never known they made a park out of an old train railway if it wasn’t for you. So you’re introducing me to things that I would have never even known and I’ve lived in New York my whole life.”

“Well we just need to get you out here more often then,” she held her camera up and he let out another uncomfortable sound when she started taking more photos of him. Looking up at her with his hazel eyes he could hear her laugh when his look of displeasure clearly amused her. “Max, come on.”

“I’m a terrible subject for your photography. There are much better looking people on the pier out here,” Max stretched his arm back on the bench and could hear her camera snapping away.

“I have to disagree with you on that one there,” she lowered her camera for a moment and his eyebrow perked up. A smile pressed in over his lips at her telling him in her own way that he was the best looking person on the pier. An excited noise escaped her lips when she clearly got a photo of him smiling. “Perfect. I’m going to get more of those at some point.”

“Those are rare, you just got lucky,” Max watched someone approach Y/N and heard the stranger asking if she wanted a photo of the two of them together. When he watched Y/N hand her camera over, he gave her an odd expression. “What are you doing?”

“I figured the two of you wanted a photo together,” the stranger suggested and Max could feel Y/N reach out to grab a hold of his hand. Max felt her tugging on his arm and she wrapped both arms around his torso in a playful manner when he stood. Max nervously wrapped his arm around her shoulders and nodded before smirking for the photo. “I mean, that was a good one, but you didn’t really smile much man. Being with such a beautiful girl, I thought you’d smile more.”

“Oh, he’s just a little shy,” she playfully waved her hand up before tipping up on her toes to press a kiss over the side of his rough cheek.

The sensation caused a breath to catch in his throat and suddenly he no longer cared about the photos. When she pulled away and looked up at him, he smiled down at her and felt something he hadn’t in a long time. It was something he couldn’t quite explain. He assumed it was something close enough to happiness, but as she pulled away from him to move for her camera from the stranger, he could find himself a little bit confused. It felt like she knew he had feelings for her and maybe she was teasing him. It felt a little bit like that, but then again, he didn’t know if she even got the hint that he liked her so much. That was the confusing thing about his relationship with Y/N. He thought she might get it, but at the same time he didn’t know whether she did or not.

“Thank you,” she thanked the stranger as Max dropped back down on the bench and let out a long breath. She sat down next to him and he could see the photos on her camera and felt a knot in the pit of his stomach. He loved being with her, she made him happy, but at the same time this whole thing confused the hell out of him.

“Not sure I would have trusted a complete stranger with my expensive as hell camera,” Max pointed out as she nudged him playfully with her elbow. She put the camera back into her bag before giving him her attention again. “You are too nice.”

“Gotta have a little bit of faith in humanity when people are being nice, don’t we?” she suggested and the fact she believed that made Max completely flabbergasted. Humanity never cared much for him as it was, so he found himself caring less about the world around him because they never cared for him anyways. She was the only person that ever really gave him a chance in the first place. That’s what he liked about her so much. She was the first nice person that actually made him feel like he was worth a damn.

“If you like these places so much, then why don’t you live out this way?” Max changed the subject and heard her let out a loud laugh before his nose wrinkled. “What’s funny about that?”

“I’m a photographer Max and a pretty new one at that. I’d have to be making a lot more money than what I am right now to live out here,” she sighed heavily, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear before looking out at the water again. “Plus, I just wanted to get you a bit of a way away from your home. So I’ll share more of my favorites with you eventually. Right now I just wanted to get out of your comfort zone.”

“A lot of what I’ve done with you is out of my comfort zone,” Max reminded her and he could see the smirk that she gave him. It was a sweet one, but one where he didn’t know if she realized how true his statement really was. “I gotta tell you though sweetheart; you make one hell of a shitty New Yorker.”

“Hey,” she reached out to poke him in the ribs making a deep laugh escape his lips. “That’s not very nice.”

“When we were walking on the High Line and it started raining for that small amount of time, you saw New Yorkers. When rain comes out, they run and hide. Keep themselves from the rain. You took it on like a champ. Not caring that we were getting soaked,” Max thought back to their leisurely slow walk that they first took at the park. “People looked at us like we were crazy for being out in the rain…”

“Oh, pshh…a little rain can make magical moments and I enjoyed every second we had together up there,” she informed him and he could feel a tightness pressing in over the center of his chest. He enjoyed the time that he was spending with her, but he knew that he was getting too attached to her and didn’t know how to take her compliments like she was handing them out still. “There is still so much I want to do with you today, but I think I’m going to have to cut down on everything. What sounds better to you…cupcakes or gelato? I know two great places out here and I really think you’d like them.”

“I think I’m going to suggest sitting for a couple and then letting you choose which you would rather have. I’m a little winded and I’m enjoying where we are right now. It’s calming,” Max looked around at all the other people on the pier. There were families, couples, people working out and off in the distance he could see that there was a dance class setting up at the end of the dock.

Often at times he hated being out in public places like this. Watching people acting…normal. A lot of the time when he was alone around people like this, he would think about how different he was than everyone else. A lot of the time it would end with him jealous. Jealous that people could have normal lives. Lives where they didn’t have to worry, where they could go out and make friends easily. Where they could enjoy life and be with their lovers. A life where they could have fun. That was something he was never capable of having. Life was always hard. He couldn’t remember a time when it wasn’t hard. Growing up August was always extremely negative with him. When he wanted to join sports or groups with other kids, August would always mock him and make him feel stupid for wanting to be something more. Eventually life just became what he was used to, being alone stuck in the apartment building. August always kept him secluded from the world after his parents’ death and there was nothing Max could do to change it. No matter how hard he tried, he was too much of a freak. So it made him a little sour being out with people like this. What did they do to deserve a normal happy life and what did he do to have to be punished like he was his entire life? Sure, he wasn’t a good person now and Max knew that, but as a kid, he wasn’t like he was now and didn’t know why he had to punished.

“You alright?” Y/N’s hand pressed in over his and he could feel her fingertips wrapping around his. She squeezed them softly before frowning. “I think I lost you there for a second.”

“Yeah…it’s just,” Max looked at her for a long moment and he could see that her beautiful eyes were watching him closely. He never knew if he should tell her the truth about what he was thinking or lie. Would she find him more pathetic with hearing what his thoughts were? He always thought secrets were better off being secrets, but for some reason he was always blurting out things and being open with Y/N. It was something he couldn’t quite understand with himself. “I don’t know, I look at these people coming here to play catch with their kids or take dance classes…and I think I could never do that. I’ll never have that chance. I’m so much of a freak that…”

“Stop saying that,” she cut him off mid-sentence and he frowned. A heavy breath escaped his lips as she squeezed her fingers around his tighter. “The only thing that keeps you from coming out and doing something with other people is you Max. In the past, it’s clear that your grandfather abused you...”

“I don’t know if would go that far,” he huffed and watched her frown. He bit down on his bottom lip and shrugged. “I guess you’re right.”

“I know I am, but you can’t let the abuse carry over now. You are more than what he made you believe you were,” Y/N assured him with a stern tone and he gripped harder onto her fingers knowing he should get over himself, but when he was sad, he loved the feeling of her touching him to comfort him.

“I don’t like other people, that’s my problem,” Max informed her with an honest breath. “I liked Juliet…at least I thought I did…and I like you. Other than that, I don’t think much about the rest of the world because the rest of the world never really thought much about me.”

“That’s because the rest of the world hasn’t gotten to meet you Max. Obviously, there are assholes in the world. Lots of them, but not everyone is like that. You are a stunning man and I think if people got the chance to know you, you’d be surprised with how much people would want to be around you,” Max heard the sound of music playing alerting him to the fact that a class had started. “Here, you want to be different? Let’s go to the class. It’s free and they come out here every Wednesday and Friday to teach couples. I’ve been here and photographed them several times. They are super nice and I want to give it a try. I always have.”

“Oh no. No. That’s not going to work,” Max watched her throw her camera bag over her shoulder and get up. She grabbed a hold of his hands trying to pull him up with her. “Y/N, I have two left feet and I’m already…I swear, I’m not a dancer.”

“Neither am I, but I want to do this with you. Please?” she flashed him a big smile and he could feel something turning in the pit of his stomach. The typical him wanted to stay firmly planted where he was, but there was a part of him that didn’t want to let her down. Sighing heavily, he stood up and heard her let out an excited noise when he followed her toward the class. “Yay.”

Max followed her toward the end of the pier and watched her talk with one of the instructors and it seemed like she had already gotten to know these people quite well. Did she make friends with everyone that she met? Maybe that didn’t make him as special as he thought with her…

Y/N put her camera bag aside and moved for him as they took a spot near the back of the students. Max cussed to himself hating that he even did this. He was going to make a fool of himself and he just knew it. The instructors were just talking and he was avoiding what they were saying. Mostly because he found himself uncomfortable with the idea of what others would think of him if he were to flub up. It was just a slow dance that they would be doing, but he still wasn’t comfortable with that idea.

“Hey…” Y/N spoke reaching for his hands as he turned to face her when they were instructed to do so. She laced her fingers with his and he could feel his body tensing up when he heard the music start. Her other hand slid in over the small of his back and he let out a trembling exhale. “Just relax.”

“I’m going to fuck it up Y/N,” Max muttered under his breath, but she shook her head and hushed him. “I don’t do well in public with things.”

“No one is watching us,” she tried to assure him with a comforting tone as she urged one of his arms around her waist and he stared intensely into her gorgeous eyes. It was the only time he could somewhat find comfort in things. “We’re just going to go along with the class. The only person that cares about what you are doing is me. I care that you are spending time with me and doing this…”

Nodding, Max followed the motions of dancing with her feeling a bit uncomfortable as she led him through the motions. When he noticed others getting help from the instructors, he felt less tense. Still, he could feel himself stumbling a bit as he danced with her, but followed her movements as well as he could.

“See…people are learning. It’s not supposed to be a class for someone who is an expert,” she informed him with a proud smile and shook her head when Max bit into his lip. A heavy exhale escaped his lips when he felt her resting her head against the center of his chest. Lowering his head a bit, he rested his chin on the top of her head and could feel his body tensing. Having her in his arms like this was something he longed for his whole life. Someone who just wanted to be close like this was amazing and it felt so good to have her be this close to him.

“You and your boyfriend seem to be enjoying this,” one of the instructors made Y/N lift her head up and look back at them and the instructor flashed them a bright smile. “I always enjoy seeing when a couple enjoys each other while still trying to learn…”

“I’m enjoying it at least,” she muttered and Max noticed that she didn’t correct the instructor. They continued to finish the class before they were off onto their next destination. Max hadn’t said much. The idea of someone thinking he was her boyfriend actually made him excited. The fact she didn’t correct them made him feel so much more than he probably should have.

They had ended up getting some gelato before heading out to what she had called her favorite place. The sun was setting and he hadn’t realized how fast time went by with her until that moment when he realized how late it was already. Taking a seat with her, Max stayed quiet, but never took his eyes off of her.

“I love Washington Square Park. It always feels like I’m walking onto the set of a film when I’m here. Especially at night,” she informed him with a mouthful of her chocolate gelato and he smirked. God, he found her so charming with the way that she was. She was so expressive about everything and he just loved hearing her talk about the things that she loved. “And I’m here with you, which makes things better.”

“Right…” Max bit into his bottom lip and felt a bit disappointed. He thought about how important the little things that she said to him were. The things that meant so much to him were things that clearly she was just used to doing. She was friendly and nice with everyone, but with him, he was hoping it was different. It just really felt like all she wanted from him was a friendship and he had to get used to that. “I’d love to spend more time with you, you know that?”

“Who said the night was over yet Max? I realize I’m boring going to places that aren’t all that exciting, but I’m not ready to leave you yet,” she informed him with another big smile before the sound of music playing again caught his attention. He could see off in the distance that some younger kids were dancing and putting on a show for the rest of the people at the park. Looking to her, he could tell that she was completely amazed with what she was watching, but while she was amazed with them, he was amazed with her. If she caught him staring at her like this, it was likely that she would have found him uncomfortable to be around, but he couldn’t help himself. “Did you want to try some of my gelato? It’s really good.”

“No, that’s okay…” Max watched her holding her spoon up for him and he thought about it for a long moment. She pushed it up closer to his lips and he realized she wasn���t going to take no for an answer as she pushed the spoon between his lips. Closing his eyes tightly, she had no idea what she just did to him as he sucked off the remainder of what was on the spoon before she pulled it away from his lips. The fact that she just shared her spoon with him made a chill press in over his body. It was something that normal people would be okay with doing, but him... “Shit…”

“What’s wrong?” she breathed looking up at him and he leaned forward to pinch the bridge of his nose. Max held his hand up and shook his head alerting her that he was fine, but he could feel his body trembling. “I want to show you one more thing…”

“Oh great, more walking,” he teased her trying to get over himself as she got up and tossed her garbage away before clinging to her camera bag again. He threw away what he had before following her to an area of the park in the corner where it wasn’t so crowded. Following her closely, he could see her pulling out her camera and smirked when he realized that she was in awe of a field of fireflies before them. “Fireflies?”

“It’s magical, right? In a big city like this and then there they are,” she smiled brightly and he watched her closely as she brought her camera up to her face to get a photo. A smile broke in over the corners of his lips at her enthusiasm. If she liked it and it was special to her, then he liked it. This whole day being with her was the most enjoyable day he had in a long time and he found himself in awe of this woman. They had only just met, but it was the most comfortable he had been with anyone in a long time. Stepping forward, he grabbed a hold of her wrist and could see her pulling away from her camera and looking up at him. “Max?”

“I know this is fast…I know that you probably don’t feel the same, but spending time with you has done a lot for me. Even if it doesn’t last…” Max watched her lower her camera to give him her full attention and he gulped down heavily. “You are so special…I don’t think I have ever met a person like you in my life and I’m not sure I ever will again.”

“Max, what’s wrong?” she laughed seemingly a bit amused when he reached up to cup her face in his large hands. He caressed over her soft skin and tried taking in the moment, ignoring the rest of the world around them as he focused solely on her.

His rough fingertips caressed over her soft features before he boldly stepped forward. He never was the first person to kiss someone. He always let the other person do it first in a relationship because otherwise he would be worried that he would be turned down, but he couldn’t find it in himself to stop his motions. His thumb caressed over her bottom lip for a moment and he could see her looking up at him with her bright eyes.

“Max…” she started only to be silenced by the motion of Max tipping in quickly to press his lips in over hers. His lips lingered over hers for a moment before her free hand that wasn’t holding the camera reached up to press in over the center of his chest. When he pulled away, he kept his forehead pressed against hers, his breathing was heavy and he was trembling. He could hear that her breathing had increased as well and he didn’t know whether that was a good or bad thing. “Wow…”

“Wow?” Max moved back far enough to try and read her expression. The sensation of her smooth lips pressed against his still lingered and he knew that it meant way more to him than it should have. Realizing what he had just done and how she was still quiet, he stepped back and cussed to himself. “Shit, I’m sorry. That was wrong. That was stupid. I shouldn’t have done that.”

Walking off in the other direction he started cussing to himself and he moved over toward the fountain in the center of the park. Shoving his hands in his pockets he could hear the sound of a rumble of thunder before it started pouring all around him. The people in the park quickly fled from where they were and he could feel an ache in his chest. He just fucked everything up and he knew it.

Feeling the sensation of someone pulling on his arm, he turned to see that Y/N was standing before him in the pouring rain and threw his hands up in the air, “I’m sorry. I should have never done that. I totally just complicated things and…”

“You need to stop worrying so much,” she dropped her bag beside her carefully before moving forward boldly to wrap her arms around his shoulders to pull him down to her. Her lips meshed in over his and his arms instinctively wrapped around her waist, pulling her up to him tightly. Kissing her over and over again, he could feel her fingertips tugging through his wet hair and he breathed heavily when they finally parted. His right hand clutched at her back and caressed up slowly while his left hand held tightly onto her hips to keep her close. “It was a good wow Max…”

“A good wow?” Max repeated her words with a smile and he carefully set her back down on the ground, feeling her fingertips caressing over his jawline. She seemed to be playing with the stubble over his face as he smiled.

“You should have kissed me in the apartment this morning Max…today might have played out much differently if you had,” she suggested and he could feel his body clenching at the idea and she smiled brightly. “I was wondering if I was starting to read you wrong…”

“I thought you might not be okay with that,” Max raised his right hand up to press her wet hair out of her eyes, his dimples showing clearly with his wide smile and she let out a small laugh. “I thought maybe it was one sided.”

“Does this feel one sided?” she reached up to tug at his neck to pull him down into another kiss. His hands reached up to cup her face tightly when he felt her tongue flick out over his and a groan escaped his lips. “As you said, I have been flirting with you all day…”

“Mmm…I’m still waiting to wake up on your couch and realize I’m having a dream,” Max growled against her lips, his deep voice causing a chill to run down her spine as they kissed in the rain.  She tugged softly on his wet hair and could feel Max desperately clinging to her sides as they kissed.

“You are amazing,” she whispered tipping up on her toes again to kiss him again, softly nibbling at his bottom lip before pulling away. His eyes were heavy and his heart was pounding in his chest. The fact that she came after him and kissed him must have meant that she was feeling the same way for him too. Hell, who was he kidding? She just told him she felt the same. Her hand reached out to his and he could feel their fingers clasping together. “Maybe we should head back toward home…”

“I hope you have one hell of a camera case there Y/N with all of this rain,” he whispered with a laugh and he could feel her tipping up to press a quick kiss over his lips again. A groan escaped his lips when he felt her nip at his bottom lip again before pulling away.

“I do, but even if it wasn’t,” she squeezed his hands in hers before shrugging her shoulders. “But for that kiss…it was worth it.”

“A kiss from me is more important than your camera? The most important object in your life?” Max whispered seeing her smile before shrugging her shoulders. A heavy exhale escaped his lips when he felt her hand tugging softly on his to get him to start moving again. Maybe he was reading too much into things, but that must have meant she liked him more than he could ever begin to imagine.

They walked back in the rain toward his apartment building and considering it was raining along with having to take the trains, it was quite a walk, but he didn’t care. With her hand holding his and the thought of their kisses on his mind, he felt like he was on top of the world with her. They didn’t say much, but she was smiling and he found himself doing the same.

She agreed that they would stop at his apartment building and end the night there. It felt weird not walking her home, but as they stood in front of the building after the rain had just died down, he found himself not wanting the night to end.

“I should come get my clothes from your apartment, I feel like an asshole not walking you home,” Max informed her with a heavy sigh, pressing her wet hair away from her eyes. A frown pulled in over the corners of his lips, when he felt her hand pressing in over the center of his chest. Her fingers caressed over the center of his chest and he clung to her tighter. “I don’t want this day to end…”

“If I keep your clothes, then you have a reason to come back,” she pointed out with a bright smile and squeezed her fingers around his tightly. Her hand caressed up his chest toward his shoulders and she took notice of his smile and his large dimples that followed. “How could you possibly think that I couldn’t be interested in you with those big ass dimples? Oh my God, I die pretty much every time you smile Max. You haven’t made it exactly easy for me not to be interested in you.”

“You shouldn’t say those things,” Max whispered, snaking his arm around her waist and pulled her close. He could feel her hands sliding up his arms and he bit into his bottom lip before a wide smile pressed in over his lips. “I told you…”

“You get obsessed, I get it,” she hushed him, with a shake of her head and she could see the serious expression that pressed in over Max’s features. She tipped up, pressed her hand against the side of his rough face and shook her head. “I’m okay with that.”

“There is something…” Max went to speak only to feel her hand pressing in over the center of his lips to silence him. He wanted to tell her what kind of man he was. He wanted to tell her what he did, what he did to Juliet, but when she silenced him, he realized that wasn’t going to happen.

“Tonight was amazing Max and I do expect to be seeing you again soon,” Y/N informed him with a bright smile and shrugged her shoulders.

“Good,” Max winked down at her before feeling her tip up to press another quick kiss over his lips before starting to walk away. Max stood in front of his building and watched her pull her camera bag over her shoulder before he smiled again. When she disappeared around the corner, he couldn’t actually believe his luck. He thought he had found the love of his life in Juliet, but with her hurting him like she did, he may have actually found something better in Y/N.

Walking back into the building, he pulled his keys from the pants that Y/N had given him earlier before hearing the sound of the elevator. Looking up, he saw Juliet coming out of the elevator and he quickly shifted aside to hide himself behind one of the pillars at the front of his building. Watching her closely, Max could feel his breath catch in the back of his throat.

For the first time in his life Max had someone that seemed to finally accept him for who he was and wanted him just as much as he wanted her, but as soon as he saw Juliet again something changed inside of him. Letting out a tight breath, he watched her leave the building and he clutched his keys at his side. Still, he could tell that inside of himself he was obsessed with her and he damned himself for it. For some reason he was head over heels for both women and he didn’t know what the hell he was going to do with himself.

[babyfacekillamusic]

Hey r/fo76,​As we mentioned, we're putting the PC patch live a little early similar to the format of the December 11 update. The patch will be available for consoles next week, but patch notes will remain the same. Please find the full list of patch notes below.​Patch Version:Download sizes for this update will be approximately 4GB for consoles and around 500MB for PC.PC: 1.0.4.13PS4: Available next weekXbox: Available next weekGeneralPower Armor: The Power Armor light has been made brighter.Performance: Several improvements have been made to in-game performance.Stability: The Fallout 76 game client and servers have received additional stability improvements.BalanceCharging Barrels mod: Increased the Gatling Laser’s damage bonus from the Charging Barrels mod.Glowing Ones: Glowing Ones will no longer grant erroneous large amounts of XP. DevNote: Glowing Ones were granting Large Boss XP rewards, making them highly exploitable when combined with Nuke Zones.Crafting: Lowered chance of Power Generators of spawning fusion cores.Crafting: Set minimum component cost of workshop buildings requiring steel, wood or plastic to 2.Bobby Pins: Reduced the weight value of Bobby Pins from 0.1 to 0.001.SocialTeams: Players now receive a notification that “Players cannot form teams from within Vault 76” if an Invite is sent to a friend still in Vault 76.SystemsPvP: Opening Player-owned, locked containers will now be considered a PVP action as expected.​Bug FixesStability and Performance[Xbox One] Performance: Blowing up the mainframe core stations will no longer cause a performance drop.[PC] Infinite Load: Fixed an infinite load screen that could occur when attempting to join a server on PC.Crash: Fixed a crash that can occur when opening the Pip-Boy.Performance: Improved client performance when viewing a nuke explode.Performance: Fixed an issue where reading a note would cause the background to freeze.Performance: Increased performance in areas with a lot of scorched statues.GeneralSystems: Fixed an issue where items could be duplicated.[PC] Controls: Resetting controls to default no longer causes most Activate prompts to become unusable.[PC] Controls: Fixed an issue when controls in the Settings menu aren't updated when connecting/disconnecting a gamepad controller.Systems: Fixed an issue that allowed armor mods to reduce carry weight past intended values.Systems: Rads will no longer completely be removed when by dying repeatedly.Systems: Address an issue where players could load into geometry after fast travel.Systems: Fixed an issue where bashing an enemy with the Railway Rifle or Crossbow would add the projectile to the enemy's inventory.Art and GraphicsAnimations: Lever-Action rifle now only reloads the correct number of ammo.Effects: Consumed Berry Mentats now correctly show purple glowing auras around players and creatures.C.A.M.P., Workshops, and CraftingCrafting: Level 25 armor and above now requires ballistic fiber to craft.Repairing: Component quantities required to repair mid to high level armor and weapons have been reduced up to 20%. DevNote: Repair costs scale with level, and there's room to reduce costs at higher levels.Crafting: Ballistic Fiber becomes required for armor at level 25 instead of previously at level 20.Crafting: Updated Bulk Acid crafting recipe to require 15 Acid.Crafting: Fixed an issue that prevented players with the correctly equipped perk cards from being able to craft Antibiotics and Disease Cure (Savage Divide).Crafting: “Hardened Mass” will no longer be scrapped when “Scrap All Junk” is selected.Repairing: Overall repair costs have been lowered for both weapons and armor.Crafting: Ballistic Fiber also is now required for repairing armor at level 25 and above instead of previously at level 20Workshops: Fixed issues where enemies at some Workshop locations would spawn underground, making the Workshops unclaimable. Locations include: Charleston Landfill, Lakeside Cabins, and Sunshine Meadows.Workshops: Fixed an issue where objects in Workshops would sometimes float in the air when the Workshop menu was closed.Workshops: Destroying the hay feeder along with the fertilizer collector will no longer prevent them from being repaired.C.A.M.P./Workshops: Placing Power Armor workbenches on foundation will no longer cause them to place on the floor/ceiling above. Edit: There is a fix for this issue coming, but it was erroneously added to these notes.C.A.M.P./Workshops: Fixed an issue that would cause a “not supported” error when attempting to place a tall or short post under a roof.Blueprints: Fixed an issue with the cost of wires not being factored in when storing blueprints.Crafting: Fixed an issue where certain objects aren't able to be scrapped through the stored tabWorkshops: Fixed an issue where certain stored items obtained from claiming a Public Workshop can't be placed againCrafting: Fixed a visual issue with scrapping items in Crafting Menus.Crafting: Fixed an issue where mods cost less steel than what's displayed in Crafting MenusCrafting: Fixed a display issue where incorrect number of Junk items can appear in Crafting MenusChallengesDaily Challenges: Fixed several daily challenges that were not being offered on some days. Dev Note: These include “Pick Wild Flowers”, “Harvest Mutfruit Plants”, and “Harvest Wild Plants and Fungi”.Daily Challenge: Fixed an issue that prevented some wild flowers from incrementing in the “Pick Wild Flowers” Daily Challenge.Weekly Challenge: Fixed an issue that caused the weekly challenge "Complete Quests and Events in a Group while at Night" to work during the day and only recognize events. It will now look for quests and events that are completed at night.Weekly Challenge: Edited the description of a Weekly Challenge to correctly reflect the direction.Sub-Challenge: Fixed an issue that prevented certain photomode challenges from completing as expected.Sub-Challenge: Fixed an issue that prevented certain Bobblehead challenges from completing as expected.Sub-Challenge: Fixed an issue that caused a challenge to be marked as complete incorrectly.Lifetime Challenges: Fixed an issue where some lifetime challenges would revert progress after logging outEnemiesRobots: Fixed an issue that would cause robots to respawn too frequently in Whitesprings.Scorched: Fixed an issue where Wasteland Whisperer could affect Scorched. Dev Note: Wasteland Whisperer can no longer be used to pacify Scorched.Scorched: Shooting a Scorched in the leg will no longer break their weapon causing them to not attack the player.Scorched: Fixed an issue where Scorched may be using invisible weapons or not appearing to fire their weapon correctly.Scorched: Fixed an issue that caused floating debris and disassembled guns to appear in Scorched hands when killed.ItemsWeapons: Fixed an issue that would sometimes cause plasma weapons, flamers and flamer mods, and weapons with explosive bullet mods to not do damage to other players and creatures.Armor: Fixed an issue that would cause players exiting power armor to sometimes appear stretched and unable to reenter power armor.Armor: Addressed several issues that would prevent players from exiting power armor and at times cause the Pip-Boy to become unavailable.Weapons: Fixed an issue that prevented the Gauss Rifle from being identified as a rifle. Now rifle-related perks can be applied to the Gauss Rifle.Ammo Vending Machines: Fixed an issue where some Ammo Vending Machines were only selling repair components.Weapons: Legendary Hunting Rifles will now drop as loot.Weapons: Fixed an issue where the Walking Cane provided as many resources when scrapped as it costs to craft.Armor: Fixed an issue where some Pocketed Chest Pieces were resetting players back to their base carry weight upon logging back into the game.Armor: Fixed an issue where players can leave behind an unusable chassis after exiting Power Armor.Magazine: Consuming Scouts’ Life 6 magazine now correctly depletes food and water stats at a slower rate.Weapons: M79 Grenade Launcher is now considered an explosive weapon in perks instead of being incorrectly considered a shotgun.Fusion Cores: Fixed an issue where Fusion Core generators were producing cores at a slower rate than intended. They are now back to 8 cores/hr.Magazine: Fixed the Backwoodsman 2 magazine to appropriately boost Tomahawk damage.Mirelurk Eggs: Harvesting Mirelurk Eggs will not result in two separate eggs.Weapons: Fixed an issue where several combat rifle automatic receiver mods were prevented from receiving automatic rifle perk bonuses.Weapons: Fixed an issue where multiple weapons were able to be equipped at the same time.Weapons: The Vampire weapon mod effect now works only when hitting living targets as intended.Armor: Fixed an issue where Power Armor parts would display on top of previously equipped parts.Weapons: Fixed an issue where bashing an enemy with certain weapons would add the projectile to the enemy's inventory.Armor: Fusion Cores will no longer replenish to full charge upon joining another world.Quests and Events“Get the Supply Drop”: “Get the Supply Drop” Event now will remove holotape once used with supply crate belonging to the player that requested the Supply Drop.Quest: Daily Missile Silo quest rewards are now correctly obtainable only once per day.“Line in the Sand”: Fixed an issue with the quest, Line in the Sand where the Sonic Generator already being repaired prevented the player from completing the quest. The event will now progress to the next stage if the Sonic Generator is already repaired when the Event begins.“Recruitment Blues”: Fixed an issue with the objective, “find Junk Mail” that prevented players who switched worlds from completing the quest.“Second Helpings”: The following location map markers are now available after finishing “Second Helpings”: Slocums Joe, Gauley Mine, Morgantown Trainyard, and Morgantown Airport.PerksAll Night Long: All Night Long now decreases hunger and thirst growth at night.Overdrive: Fixed an issue where Overdrive was not increasing critical chance % properly.Quack Surgeon: Quack Surgeon no longer allows for reviving hostile players.Strange in Numbers: Strange in Numbers effects now scale properly with multiple teammates (with and without mutations).Refractor: Fixed an error where each rank of Refactor is doubling energy resistance instead of adding +20 as indicated on the Perk card description.Fireproof: Fireproof now reduces explosion and flame attack damage by 15% per rank.Happy Camper: Happy Camper now functions correctly whether the player is inside or outside of their C.A.M.P. when the perk conditions are refreshed.Butcher’s Bounty: Fixed an issue that allowed for the Butcher’s Bounty perk to trigger again on an already-searched creature.Homebody: The Homebody perk now works as intended when at a claimed Public Workshop.Party Boy/Girl: Party Boy/Girl now effects active alcohol effects on the player.PVPTeams: Teamed players can no longer unfairly block an attacking player when that player attempts to overtake a workshop. Your teammate will enter PVP with the attacking player.Turrets: Turrets at Workshops will now attack players the Workshop owner is engaged in PvP with.SocialSystems: Blocking a player now also mutes their proximity chat.Trade: Fixed an issue where players could view another player’s inventory before they can respond to a trade invite.Trade: We no longer let trades occur before the requested player has consented to trade.Trade: Fixed an issue where the Stash transfer menu would appear empty after previously trading with another player.Trade: Stimpaks with a price value set to zero will no longer prompt “use” in the Trade Menu instead of “accept”.Trade: Changed caps limit for player-to-player trades from 5000 to 25000.SoundChat: Fixed an issue where voice chat would not always function properly upon exiting the Atomic Shop.Atomic Shop: Fixed an issue where some Atomic Shop content was missing sound effects.Atomic Shop: “Waving Santa” sound effect will now only play when in “on” state.User InterfaceGeneral: Players no longer will receive a pop-up for the Atomic Shop when Respawning for the first time.[PC] Resolution: Perk Pack opening screen now extends to the edge on 21:9 monitors.Atomic Shop: Players in the Atomic Shop when the Atomic Shop is taken offline will now be notified and taken back to the Main Menu.[PC] FOV: Fixed an issue with scoped weapons zooming incorrectly when the default Field of View setting has been changed.PvP: Fixed an issue where the PVP prompt would appear repeatedly while the same players engaged in combat with each other.Edits: Formatting/typos. via /r/fo76

[terryblount]

Fallout 76 January 10th update available for download, full patch release notes revealed

Bethesda has just released a new patch for Fallout 76. According to the release notes, this patch will update your game’s version to 1.0.4.13 and brings several in-game performance improvements, as well as additional stability improvements.

Going into more details about the performance improvements, this patch increases performance in areas with a lot of scorched statues, fixes an issue where reading a note would cause the background to freeze and improves client performance when viewing a nuke explode.

Furthermore, patch 1.0.4.13 fixes an infinite load screen that could occur when attempting to join a server on PC, fixes an issue when controls in the Settings menu aren’t updated when connecting/disconnecting a gamepad controller, and addresses an issue where players could load into geometry after fast travel.

This patch will be auto-downloaded from the Bethesda launcher the next time you launch it, and you can find its complete changelog below.

Fallout 76 Patch 1.0.4.13 Release Notes

General

Power Armor: The Power Armor light has been made brighter.

Performance: Several improvements have been made to in-game performance.

Stability: The Fallout 76 game client and servers have received additional stability improvements.

Balance

Charging Barrels mod: Increased the Gatling Laser’s damage bonus from the Charging Barrels mod.

Glowing Ones: Glowing Ones will no longer grant erroneous large amounts of XP. DevNote: Glowing Ones were granting Large Boss XP rewards, making them highly exploitable when combined with Nuke Zones.

Crafting: Lowered chance of Power Generators of spawning fusion cores.

Crafting: Set minimum component cost of workshop buildings requiring steel, wood or plastic to 2.

Bobby Pins: Reduced the weight value of Bobby Pins from 0.1 to 0.001.

Social

Teams: Players now receive a notification that “Players cannot form teams from within Vault 76” if an Invite is sent to a friend still in Vault 76.

Systems

PvP: Opening Player-owned, locked containers will now be considered a PVP action as expected.?

Bug Fixes

Stability and Performance

[Xbox One] Performance: Blowing up the mainframe core stations will no longer cause a performance drop.

[PC] Infinite Load: Fixed an infinite load screen that could occur when attempting to join a server on PC.

Crash: Fixed a crash that can occur when opening the Pip-Boy.

Performance: Improved client performance when viewing a nuke explode.

Performance: Fixed an issue where reading a note would cause the background to freeze.

Performance: Increased performance in areas with a lot of scorched statues.

General

Systems: Fixed an issue where items could be duplicated.

[PC] Controls: Resetting controls to default no longer causes most Activate prompts to become unusable.

[PC] Controls: Fixed an issue when controls in the Settings menu aren’t updated when connecting/disconnecting a gamepad controller.

Systems: Fixed an issue that allowed armor mods to reduce carry weight past intended values.

Systems: Rads will no longer completely be removed when by dying repeatedly.

Systems: Address an issue where players could load into geometry after fast travel.

Systems: Fixed an issue where bashing an enemy with the Railway Rifle or Crossbow would add the projectile to the enemy’s inventory.

Art and Graphics

Animations: Lever-Action rile now only reloads the correct number of ammo.

Effects: Consumed Berry Mentats now correctly show purple glowing auras around players and creatures.

C.A.M.P., Workshops, and Crafting

Crafting: Level 25 armor and above now requires anti-ballistic fiber to craft.

Repairing: Component quantities required to repair mid to high level armor and weapons have been reduced up to 20%. DevNote: Repair costs scale with level, and there’s room to reduce costs at higher levels.

Crafting: Anti-ballistic Fiber becomes required for armor at level 25 instead of previously at level 20.

Crafting: Updated Bulk Acid crafting recipe to require 15 Acid.

Crafting: Fixed an issue that prevented players with the correctly equipped perk cards from being able to craft Antibiotics and Disease Cure (Savage Divide).

Crafting: “Hardened Mass” will no longer be scrapped when “Scrap All Junk” is selected.

Repairing: Overall repair costs have been lowered for both weapons and armor.

Crafting: Anti-ballistic Fiber also is now required for repairing armor at level 25 and above instead of previously at level 20

Workshops: Fixed issues where enemies at some Workshop locations would spawn underground, making the Workshops unclaimable. Locations include: Charleston Landfill, Lakeside Cabins, and Sunshine Meadows.

Workshops: Fixed an issue where objects in Workshops would sometimes float in the air when the Workshop menu was closed.

Workshops: Destroying the hay feeder along with the fertilizer collector will no longer prevent them from being repaired.

C.A.M.P./Workshops: Placing Power Armor workbenches on foundation will no longer cause them to place on the floor/ceiling above.

C.A.M.P./Workshops: Fixed an issue that would cause a “not supported” error when attempting to place a tall or short post under a roof.

Blueprints: Fixed an issue with the cost of wires not being factored in when storing blueprints.

Crafting: Fixed an issue where certain objects aren’t able to be scrapped through the stored tab

Workshops: Fixed an issue where certain stored items obtained from claiming a Public Workshop can’t be placed again

Crafting: Fixed a visual issue with scrapping items in Crafting Menus.

Crafting: Fixed an issue where mods cost less steel than what’s displayed in Crafting Menus

Crafting: Fixed a display issue where incorrect number of Junk items can appear in Crafting Menus

Challenges

Daily Challenges: Fixed several daily challenges that were not being offered on some days. Dev Note: These include “Pick Wild Flowers”, “Harvest Mutfruit Plants”, and “Harvest Wild Plants and Fungi”.

Daily Challenge: Fixed an issue that prevented some wild flowers from incrementing in the “Pick Wild Flowers” Daily Challenge.

Weekly Challenge: Fixed an issue that caused the weekly challenge “Complete Quests and Events in a Group while at Night” to work during the day and only recognize events. It will now look for quests and events that are completed at night.

Weekly Challenge: Edited the description of a Weekly Challenge to correctly reflect the direction.

Sub-Challenge: Fixed an issue that prevented certain photomode challenges from completing as expected.

Sub-Challenge: Fixed an issue that prevented certain Bobblehead challenges from completing as expected.

Sub-Challenge: Fixed an issue that caused a challenge to be marked as complete incorrectly.

Lifetime Challenges: Fixed an issue where some lifetime challenges would revert progress after logging out

Enemies

Robots: Fixed an issue that would cause robots to respawn too frequently in Whitesprings.

Scorched: Fixed an issue where Wasteland Whisperer could affect Scorched. Dev Note: Wasteland Whisperer can no longer be used to pacify Scorched.

Scorched: Shooting a Scorched in the leg will no longer break their weapon causing them to not attack the player.

Scorched: Fixed an issue where Scorched may be using invisible weapons or not appearing to fire their weapon correctly.

Scorched: Fixed an issue that caused floating debris and disassembled guns to appear in Scorched hands when killed.

Items

Weapons: Fixed an issue that would sometimes cause plasma weapons, flamers and flamer mods, and weapons with explosive bullet mods to not do damage to other players and creatures.

Armor: Fixed an issue that would cause players exiting power armor to sometimes appear stretched and unable to reenter power armor.

Armor: Addressed several issues that would prevent players from exiting power armor and at times cause the Pip-Boy to become unavailable.

Weapons: Fixed an issue that prevented the Gauss Rifle from being identified as a rifle. Now rifle-related perks can be applied to the Gauss Rifle.

Ammo Vending Machines: Fixed an issue where some Ammo Vending Machines were only selling repair components.

Weapons: Legendary Hunting Rifles will now drop as loot.

Weapons: Fixed an issue where the Walking Cane provided as many resources when scrapped as it costs to craft.

Armor: Fixed an issue where some Pocketed Chest Pieces were resetting players back to their base carry weight upon logging back into the game.

Armor: Fixed an issue where players can leave behind an unusable chassis after exiting Power Armor.

Magazine: Consuming Scouts’ Life 6 magazine now correctly depletes food and water stats at a slower rate.

Weapons: M79 Grenade Launcher is now considered an explosive weapon in perks instead of being incorrectly considered a shotgun.

Fusion Cores: Fixed an issue where Fusion Core generators were producing cores at a slower rate than intended. They are now back to 8 cores/hr.

Magazine: Fixed the Backwoodsman 2 magazine to appropriately boost Tomahawk damage.

Mirelurk Eggs: Harvesting Mirelurk Eggs will not result in two separate eggs.

Weapons: Fixed an issue where several combat rifle automatic receiver mods were prevented from receiving automatic rifle perk bonuses.

Weapons: Fixed an issue where multiple weapons were able to be equipped at the same time.

Weapons: The Vampire weapon mod effect now works only when hitting living targets as intended.

Armor: Fixed an issue where Power Armor parts would display on top of previously equipped parts.

Weapons: Fixed an issue where bashing an enemy with certain weapons would add the projectile to the enemy’s inventory.

Armor: Fusion Cores will no longer replenish to full charge upon joining another world.

Quests and Events

“Get the Supply Drop”: “Get the Supply Drop” Event now will remove holotape once used with supply crate belonging to the player that requested the Supply Drop.

Quest: Daily Missile Silo quest rewards are now correctly obtainable only once per day.

“Line in the Sand”: Fixed an issue with the quest, Line in the Sand where the Sonic Generator already being repaired prevented the player from completing the quest. The event will now progress to the next stage if the Sonic Generator is already repaired when the Event begins.

“Recruitment Blues”: Fixed an issue with the objective, “find Junk Mail” that prevented players who switched worlds from completing the quest.

“Second Helpings”: The following location map markers are now available after finishing “Second Helpings”: Slocums Joe, Gauley Mine, Morgantown Trainyard, and Morgantown Airport.

Perks

All Night Long: All Night Long now decreases hunger and thirst growth at night.

Overdrive: Fixed an issue where Overdrive was not increasing critical chance % properly.

Quack Surgeon: Quack Surgeon no longer allows for reviving hostile players.

Strange in Numbers: Strange in Numbers effects now scale properly with multiple teammates (with and without mutations).

Refractor: Fixed an error where each rank of Refactor is doubling energy resistance instead of adding +20 as indicated on the Perk card description.

Fireproof: Fireproof now reduces explosion and flame attack damage by 15% per rank.

Happy Camper: Happy Camper now functions correctly whether the player is inside or outside of their C.A.M.P. when the perk conditions are refreshed.

Butcher’s Bounty: Fixed an issue that allowed for the Butcher’s Bounty perk to trigger again on an already-searched creature.

Homebody: The Homebody perk now works as intended when at a claimed Public Workshop.

Party Boy/Girl: Party Boy/Girl now effects active alcohol effects on the player.

PVP

Teams: Teamed players can no longer unfairly block an attacking player when that player attempts to overtake a workshop. Your teammate will enter PVP with the attacking player.

Turrets: Turrets at Workshops will now attack players the Workshop owner is engaged in PvP with.

Social

Systems: Blocking a player now also mutes their proximity chat.

Trade: Fixed an issue where players could view another player’s inventory before they can respond to a trade invite.

Trade: We no longer let trades occur before the requested player has consented to trade.

Trade: Fixed an issue where the Stash transfer menu would appear empty after previously trading with another player.

Trade: Stimpaks with a price value set to zero will no longer prompt “use” in the Trade Menu instead of “accept”.

Trade: Fixed an exploit where the cap limit of 5000 in player-to-player trades could be removed.

Sound

Chat: Fixed an issue where voice chat would not always function properly upon exiting the Atomic Shop.

Atomic Shop: Fixed an issue where some Atomic Shop content was missing sound effects.

Atomic Shop: “Waving Santa” sound effect will now only play when in “on” state.

User Interface

General: Players no longer will receive a pop-up for the Atomic Shop when Respawning for the first time.

[PC] Resolution: Perk Pack opening screen now extends to the edge on 21:9 monitors.

Atomic Shop: Players in the Atomic Shop when the Atomic Shop is taken offline will now be notified and taken back to the Main Menu.

[PC] FOV: Fixed an issue with scoped weapons zooming incorrectly when the default Field of View setting has been changed.

PvP: Fixed an issue where the PVP prompt would appear repeatedly while the same players engaged in combat with each other.

Fallout 76 January 10th update available for download, full patch release notes revealed published first on https://touchgen.tumblr.com/

[garynsmith]

Real Estate Myth Busters – How To Avoid Spreading These 3 Fairy Tales

https://www.youtube.com/embed/TcFf8ZO1OqE

Here’s a real estate myth doled out to agents from a so-called expert at, of all places, RealtorMag:

“If your seller’s home is in a part of the neighborhood that borders a highway, train tracks, or an industrial area, it’ll likely fetch a lower price.”

This is the perfect example of why you should always consult with more than one expert when it comes to helping a client with an investment as large and important as real estate.

Although his wisdom sounds logical, the truth is a bit more complicated than the aforementioned expert seems to understand.

Do your research, be a motivated seller, and you can bust some of the more common myths among real estate consumers about what impacts home values.

Real Estate Myth Number 1: Homes near a railroad fetch a lower price

Researchers studying the issue of rail transit’s impact on home prices used, among others, the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system in their statistical models.

“According to the models, a house immediately adjacent to BART would sell for close to 38% more than an identical house not near any BART service,” according to Roderick B. Diaz, the study’s author.

You and I both know that “all real estate is local,” so, naturally, the researchers found variances among the increase in value, depending on the community.

For instance, when comparing home values before and after the construction of Miami-Dade County, Florida’s Metrorail system, they found that the most a property appreciated was about 5 percent.

And, the rate of appreciation depended not only on how close a home was located to the rail system, but among neighborhoods as well.

“There are proven premiums for being near commuter rail” in suburban Philadelphia and New Jersey, according to the study.

In fact, in the latter, homes near neighborhoods immediately served by the rail line enjoyed a value 10 percent higher than homes located farther away.

This isn’t to say that all homes, nationwide, near railway stations and along the route will have a higher value.

When studying the Portland market, for instance, researchers find that the value of homes located closest to the immediate station area, exhibited “nuisance effects,” such as the increase in traffic and noise.

“Nevertheless, that there is a net benefit shows that, at least in the case of this particular area within metropolitan Portland, the benefit of rail transit overshadows the nuisance effects,” according to Diaz.

So, the next time you hear or read that one of the drawbacks of living near a railroad is that it depresses property values, do some research on homes in the community you serve.

You and your client may be pleasantly surprised at what you learn.

  Real Estate Myth Number 2: Living near a highway slaughters a home’s value

Even the experts who’ve extensively studied the highway issue claim that results are a mixed bag.

According to Diaz, the extensive review of all the literature on the subject finds that transportation improvements positively affect the value of nearby land.

The effects ranged from quite small to more than a 10-percent increase in home values.

Whether a home’s value is positively or negatively impacted by its proximity to a highway depends on a number of variables. For instance, those homes located near a depressed freeway were valued higher than those located near at-grade or elevated freeways.

Blanket statements such as “the vroom, vroom, vroom of traffic right outside a bedroom window” will negatively impact the value of a home, are far from accurate. These stereotypes can keep you from maximizing your real estate’s potential.

Again, do the research required because what’s happening outside that bedroom window in your client’s chosen neighborhood may just have a positive impact.

  Real Estate Myth Number 3: You’ll never be able to sell a house near a cemetery

Believe it or not, life near the dead has its perks, and one of them is that homes near cemeteries are generally worth at least 13 percent more than homes further away.

Sure, they take longer to sell, but the wait is definitely worth it.

A few years ago, Redfin compiled research on the topic and found that homes that were the closest to graveyards (within 50 feet) sold for $12 to $20 per-square-foot more than those located farther away.

Don’t assume that homes near railways, busy highways, cemeteries and even big box department stores are worth less than homes farther away or that a new sports stadium in town will raise values. These are common real estate marketing mistakes.

It’s pretty safe to assume that no two real estate markets are identical, and what is hot or not depends on the market.

Dominate the competition with these real estate marketing suggestions.

Get the answers to some common questions about real estate blogging and web content in this video

  The post Real Estate Myth Busters – How To Avoid Spreading These 3 Fairy Tales appeared first on Easy Agent Pro.

from Easy Agent Pro https://ift.tt/2q6jIgC via IFTTT

[theokbrowne]

Real Estate Myth Busters – How To Avoid Spreading These 3 Fairy Tales

Here’s a real estate myth doled out to agents from a so-called expert at, of all places, RealtorMag:

“If your seller’s home is in a part of the neighborhood that borders a highway, train tracks, or an industrial area, it’ll likely fetch a lower price.”

This is the perfect example of why you should always consult with more than one expert when it comes to helping a client with an investment as large and important as real estate.

Although his wisdom sounds logical, the truth is a bit more complicated than the aforementioned expert seems to understand.

Do your research, be a motivated seller, and you can bust some of the more common myths among real estate consumers about what impacts home values.

Real Estate Myth Number 1: Homes near a railroad fetch a lower price

Researchers studying the issue of rail transit’s impact on home prices used, among others, the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system in their statistical models.

“According to the models, a house immediately adjacent to BART would sell for close to 38% more than an identical house not near any BART service,” according to Roderick B. Diaz, the study’s author.

You and I both know that “all real estate is local,” so, naturally, the researchers found variances among the increase in value, depending on the community.

For instance, when comparing home values before and after the construction of Miami-Dade County, Florida’s Metrorail system, they found that the most a property appreciated was about 5 percent.

And, the rate of appreciation depended not only on how close a home was located to the rail system, but among neighborhoods as well.

“There are proven premiums for being near commuter rail” in suburban Philadelphia and New Jersey, according to the study.

In fact, in the latter, homes near neighborhoods immediately served by the rail line enjoyed a value 10 percent higher than homes located farther away.

This isn’t to say that all homes, nationwide, near railway stations and along the route will have a higher value.

When studying the Portland market, for instance, researchers find that the value of homes located closest to the immediate station area, exhibited “nuisance effects,” such as the increase in traffic and noise.

“Nevertheless, that there is a net benefit shows that, at least in the case of this particular area within metropolitan Portland, the benefit of rail transit overshadows the nuisance effects,” according to Diaz.

So, the next time you hear or read that one of the drawbacks of living near a railroad is that it depresses property values, do some research on homes in the community you serve.

You and your client may be pleasantly surprised at what you learn.

  Real Estate Myth Number 2: Living near a highway slaughters a home’s value

Even the experts who’ve extensively studied the highway issue claim that results are a mixed bag.

According to Diaz, the extensive review of all the literature on the subject finds that transportation improvements positively affect the value of nearby land.

The effects ranged from quite small to more than a 10-percent increase in home values.

Whether a home’s value is positively or negatively impacted by its proximity to a highway depends on a number of variables. For instance, those homes located near a depressed freeway were valued higher than those located near at-grade or elevated freeways.

Blanket statements such as “the vroom, vroom, vroom of traffic right outside a bedroom window” will negatively impact the value of a home, are far from accurate. These stereotypes can keep you from maximizing your real estate’s potential.

Again, do the research required because what’s happening outside that bedroom window in your client’s chosen neighborhood may just have a positive impact.

  Real Estate Myth Number 3: You’ll never be able to sell a house near a cemetery

Believe it or not, life near the dead has its perks, and one of them is that homes near cemeteries are generally worth at least 13 percent more than homes further away.

Sure, they take longer to sell, but the wait is definitely worth it.

A few years ago, Redfin compiled research on the topic and found that homes that were the closest to graveyards (within 50 feet) sold for $12 to $20 per-square-foot more than those located farther away.

Don’t assume that homes near railways, busy highways, cemeteries and even big box department stores are worth less than homes farther away or that a new sports stadium in town will raise values. These are common real estate marketing mistakes.

It’s pretty safe to assume that no two real estate markets are identical, and what is hot or not depends on the market.

Dominate the competition with these real estate marketing suggestions.

Get the answers to some common questions about real estate blogging and web content in this video

  The post Real Estate Myth Busters – How To Avoid Spreading These 3 Fairy Tales appeared first on Easy Agent Pro.

from theokbrowne digest https://www.easyagentpro.com/blog/real-estate-myth-busting/