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alstroemeriadissonance · 3 years

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Hot Summer (NSFW)

Entrapped - series of smutty NSFW fansequels for Vyn's cards, with their own sort of continuity Pt 01 Layers | Pt 02 House Call | Pt 03 Invitation | Pt 04 Hot Summer

Fansequel to Cool Summer - Vyn takes Rosa to another trip to the countryside.

Little does she know that everything is a ploy to satisfy his need to make right his promise to "blow her mind", something he neglected to do in their last time together.

Double entendres. Food sex. Light bondage. Sex so loud it bothers the other guests next door. Dr. Sexy is back in full force.

"Vyn."

You look at him, eyes blazing with a red-hot mixture of fury and lust.

"Yes, pet?"

Vyn's eyes return your burning gaze, albeit with a cool confidence of someone with the literal upper hand: his hands had just finished tying yours to the bedpost, even using your own hair scarf to do the deed.

"Dr. Vyn Richter," you hiss.

"Yes, Rosa?" Vyn shifts on the bed, with him now sitting cross-legged in front of your prone form with your legs splayed and hands tied above your head.

Your lover's grin slowly spreads ear-to-ear, into something that Marius would call a 'shit-eating grin'. He bites his lower lip for good measure, and when your face gains an additional darker shade of red his eyes take on a look that says "oh, you poor thing".

"What the fuck is going on, Dr. Richter?" You now regress into calling him by his honorific again--calling him by Vyn Richter does not have the same effect as, say, calling Marius 'Marius. Von. Hagen.', so that would have to do.

Of course, he still finds it in himself to feign innocence. "I do not know what you are so riled up about, my dearest Rosa," he says, still with that shit-eating grin. "We picked strawberries. Then when we get back here to wash up, you start assaulting me, and so I have to restrain you," he pats your bound wrists. "Like this."

Your lips tremble as you struggle to find words for a retort.

"It looks like...you need a stiff one." Dr. Richter says, with a gleeful smile. "Or you will..."

He licks his lips.

"...make things hard for all of us."

"VYN. RICHTER." You tug, hard, against your bonds. "I SWEAR IF YOU DO THAT AGAIN--"

Your doctor merely tips his head to one side, still smiling at you innocently.

===

Several hours earlier.

It is an extended holiday in Stellis, and before you can decide to spend your precious holiday doing overtime in Themis Law Vyn does not waste any time inviting you into a weekend vacation somewhere in the countryside.

It is not the first time for the both of you to escape the city together, but it is the first time as a couple, and so you cannot help but be excited on what lies ahead for you and your lover.

"Ah, here we are," Vyn says as he pulls over nearby what seems to be a field of strawberries. The entire valley is a strawberry farm; the strawberry fields stretch out as far as the eye can see. You hop out of the car, brimming with a happy, innocent excitement at the thought of spending time with Vyn picking out strawberries.

"You're letting me get into the fields this time, right?" you ask.

You feel the smooth touch of a silk scarf over your head; Vyn is covering your hair with a protective scarf. "You are properly attired, but you forgot to bring your hat," he says as his fingers straighten out the cloth over your auburn tresses. "Apart from that, there should be no problems this time."

"Great!" You are wearing shorts, a simple shirt, all topped off with a windbreaker, a stark contrast to what you were wearing the last time, which was a sundress. "I'm all ready to get my hands dirty this time."

"Dirty, you say?" Vyn whispers sotto voce. "You may need to specify it a little bit more, pet," he says before he walks ahead of you.

...What was that about?

Not paying it any mind, you take a deep breath of early morning air: the sun's rays are still gentle; the strawberry bushes glistening with dew. It is going to be a nice day for picking strawberries.

Or so you think.

===

After a couple of hours your basket is almost full to the brim with strawberries. You gush at the sight of all the delectable, ripe strawberries crammed into your basket. Tempted, you reach into the basket to take just one...

"Sneaking in a snack, beloved?" comes Vyn's voice as he walks towards you. "It is not exactly forbidden, but you need to keep in mind that the fruit should be weighed before they can be consumed," he reminds you with a kind smile.

You find yourself blushing, a textbook example of a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "I can't help it, they really look plump and firm and delicious!" you cry out to your defense.

Vyn merely chuckles. Then, he bends over to whisper directly into your ear: "Plump, firm and delicious. Just like the way I want you." His voice is low and sultry to the ear, almost purring. "Mmm," he hummed for good measure, before pulling away and giving you the most innocent looking smile he can muster.

You blink at him. Did he? Did he really--?

Your lover's smile remain immaculate, as if he is capable only of talking about how pleasant the weather is, and how beautiful you are. Certainly not someone who can be accused of throwing double entendres...

"Vyn."

"Yes, Rosa?"

"What are you trying to pull?" you ask, seriously. "I don't think you should be doing--saying those things in public."

"Whatever do you mean? I am only telling you how I prefer my strawberries." His fingers then pluck a choice fruit from his own basket, placing it in your palm. "Let me tell you how to properly enjoy a strawberry, pet," he says as his voice once again drops a few registers.

"Take it in your hand, and lick it, slowly..."

Vyn licks his lower lip as he leers down at you.

Then his voice flips to his normal conversational tone. "...before you bite into it. You would find that you will better savor its flavor that way."

And once again, he flashes you a winsome smile, his champagne-gold eyes the perfect picture of innocent mirth.

You merely stare at him, open-mouthed, at a loss for words at witnessing Dr. Vyn Richter incessantly throwing you double entendres with no sign of letting up.

"Please don't tease me, Vyn," your voice comes out as a squeak, clearly affected by whatever he is doing. "Have mercy, please?" you beg.

You squirm uncomfortably, the moisture between your legs now palpable. "I'll...I'll just go and get more strawberries," you mumble as you walk away from Vyn as far as your fruit-heavy basket allows.

Vyn's laughter could be heard behind you.

===

After half an hour your basket is finally full to the brim; done with the picking your stretch your limbs; placing your hands behind your hips you arch backwards as far as you can to relieve your back muscles from being hunched all morning over the strawberry bushes.

"All done now, miss?" says one of the villagers helping out visitors with their fruit picking. "That's a great haul!" he exclaims as he walks over to appreciate your harvest. "Do you want me to help you with carrying it to the weigh-in booth?"

Vyn approaches the both of you, his own basket full of strawberries effortlessly perched on a shoulder. "That would be very much appreciated," he says. "After all, I'm sure my beloved is tired as she spent all day on her..."

His voice once again drops sotto voce, soft but clear enough for you to hear. "...knees."

Your eyes widen at Vyn's audacity to throw another double entendre in the presence of company. Before you can berate him, however, Vyn loudly clears his throat and continues, "I am afraid we ended up gathering too much fruit. Could we have most of our harvest prepared for jam or wine making?"

The villager's face brightens at a visitor's interest with their local products apart from fresh produce. "Of course!" he exclaims, then reaches for your basket for him to bring to the weigh-in booth. "We need to clear out some of our equipment first, why don't you lovebirds go take a stroll somewhere, I will call you when we're ready to weigh your strawberries."

The smile you give the man is a little too taut. "Thanks again! Really appreciate the help," you beam at him as he makes off with your basket.

Then to Vyn, "What the hell? What if he catches onto whatever you're saying? Are you mad?!"

Your lover merely chuckles. "People rarely hear whatever it is that they do not expect to hear," he says simply. "The dissonance will, most of the time, prompt them to default to the most innocent and simplest assumption--that they have merely misheard."

He looks around, making sure that there is no one around to see what he is about to do next: he places his basket of fruit by his feet, a fresh strawberry between his fingers.

Then, as he holds your gaze, he brings the fruit to his lips.

Slowly and languorously he licks the fruit, making a show of it only for you--the tip of his tongue lingering at the tip of the strawberry; finally giving it a flick of his tongue before he pops the entire fruit into his mouth,

Then he smiles--leers--at you as he chews the fruit with gusto until swallowing it.

"Vyn. Please," is all that you can say. Once again you unconsciously squirm in front of him; you wonder if the wetness between your thighs is such that it goes through your shorts...

Vyn merely grins at you.

===

With all fruit weighed, paid for, and currently processed for packing, the both of you decide to check into your room to wash up and change into fresh clothing.

You are quiet during the entire trek to the small inn. Thankfully Vyn does not prod you with his teasing any further, or you would have totally lost it.

The moment you cross the threshold of your room, after you have quietly locked the door with a click, is the moment that you finally lose it.

"Vyn!" His name comes out in a snarl as you, with all your strength, push your lover onto the bed so hard that his glasses almost come off. "What the hell were you trying to do, trying to rile me up, huh?" You climb him, roughly tugging on his shirt in a clumsy attempt to undress him.

Vyn merely laughs as you force sloppy, furious kisses onto his lips. You are unsuccessful with the attempt to take off his shirt, and so your hands give up and try to unbuckle his belt...

"Ah, my impatient beloved," Vyn drawls as he decides he has had enough of your assault on him, effortlessly grabbing your wrists as he carries you to the bedframe. "Enough. You may hurt yourself trying to assault me."

With one hand he pins your wrists above your head, his other hand taking off your headscarf. His dexterous fingers undo singlehandedly undo the knot of your scarf--allowing him to use the silken cloth to bind your wrists to the bedpost directly above your head.

"There. That should calm you down."

Which brings you back to the present.

===

"Oh you," Vyn plants a soft peck on your cheek before climbing off the bed, "I shall be getting some refreshments for us, I will be right back."

What the fuck is happening again? You sit there on the bed--what choice is there, anyway, for someone who is bound to the bedpost--bewildered and trying to understand if there is any reasoning behind your lover's actions.

After around ten minutes of thinking, you find that you cannot come up with any plausible reason at all. The last time that you have made love was more than two weeks ago, and Vyn then was so somber...

The door opens, and in comes Vyn with a wine bottle in an ice bucket, and a small basket no doubt laden with food.

"I brought refreshments," he says, placing the items onto the beside table.

You keep your silence, eyeing your lover warily.

Vyn gives you a smile as he works out the cork of the wine bottle with a wine key. "I shall feed you, my love, my ravishing Rosa..." With the cork pulled out with a pop he then reaches for a wine glass, filling it with merlot.

"And I shall take my sweet time doing so."

Carefully he lifts the rim of the wine glass to your lips, allowing you to take sips of the chilled, red, seductive liquid. It was dry to the palate, but you find the flavor quite intoxicating. It is easy to see why Vyn likes red wines so much.

Vyn takes a sip of wine from the same glass. "This is nice vintage," he murmurs as he swirls the liquid before taking another sip. "I should ask if I can get a few bottles to take home..."

Then he turns his attention to you.

He places the wineglass onto the bedside table, and sidles up to you, covering your body with his as he consumes with a kiss so deep you are left breathless; tasting the heady, intoxicating flavor of wine on each other's tongues. "Mmm. Rosa," he breathes against your lips, his fingers now starting to undress you: shoes and socks pulled off; your shorts and panties slid down all the way to your ankles and down the floor; your shirt and bra pushed upwards to allow Vyn access to your soft breasts...

"Hahaha...I want to eat you all up," he murmurs against your ear, before his tongue licks the shell of your ear to tease out a long moan out of you. "Yess. Moan for me, will you, pet?"

Your thighs shift, the wetness in between hard to ignore. You are practically dripping into the bedsheets...

"God, Vyn," you moan. "Do you really have to tie my wrists to the bed?"

"But of course," comes his instant reply. "If you had enough strength to overpower me, I could even say you could almost rape me. Heh."

"Because--" you try to retort, but no coherent string of words come to mind as his tongue starts lapping up your nipple, his tongue doing the slow lick that he did back then in the fields.

"You were saying, pet?" he briefly pulls away to reach for something from the bed stand. A tub of something.

The label shows that it is a tub of cream.

"...Vyn?"

"Yes?"

"What are you doing with that...cream...?"

Vyn shakes his head. "You are scared of something so innocuous as dairy?" Once again he reaches for something in the basket, and pulls out a bowl of fresh strawberries, cleaned of leaves and ready for consumption.

"One of the greatest pleasures, I find," Vyn murmurs as he takes a strawberry, dipping it in cream before bringing it to your lips.

Your mouth takes the strawberry whole; a bit of cream trickling down your lower lip.

"...is strawberries dipped in cream." He bends over to slowly lick off the cream off your lips.

Then Vyn looks at you with eyes misted over with unadulterated lust; he plucks a strawberry from the bowl, once again dipping it in cream.

Similarly to what he did for you back in the fields he holds your gaze as he takes his time eating the strawberry in the most suggestive manner he can muster.

But this time he deliberately smears the cream from the strawberry onto his lips.

Moving closer to you he proffers his lips to yours, allowing you to lick the cream before taking his kiss.

"Shit," You moan, the food play causing you to practically drip into the sheets. "Vyn, I...I need you to fuck me?"

Vyn sighs, a sigh that bears the sound of regret.

"What's wrong?" you ask.

"My apologies," he begins, "I still could not get over the fact that my deflowering of you was not...so memorable as I have hoped. I was rather consumed by darker thoughts that time."

"Huh? Vyn, wasn't I the one with the problem back then? Which is why you let me act out my regret from the roleplaying game?"

Vyn shakes his head. "Never you mind," he murmurs as he reaches out for the glass of wine from the bedside table. "I--oh."

In a bid to put a stop to the conversation he quite "accidentally" pours wine all over your breasts, the liquid cascading down your stomach and flowing in tiny rivulets off your hips and down to the bedsheets; some trickling down your already moistened pussy.

Your breath hitches as he takes his time licking off what wine remains clinging onto your skin with the flat of his tongue: across your collarbone; all over your breasts; your abdomen...

"There's some wine that made it here, pet," he whispers as he spreads your thighs apart.

"Ah...!!" You yelp as the tip of his tongue, cooled with chilled wine, starts licking the entire length of your slit.

Yet his tongue avoids touching your clit, and no matter how you squirm or move your hips closer to his mouth he avoids giving relief to your most sensitive spot.

"...Vyn," you groan, teeth gritting. "Please. I want--need to come..."

A dark chuckle escapes his lips, muffled by your wet flesh. "Not yet, my pet." He then gives your pussy a wet kiss before pulling away to sit upright.

"Do you really want to come so badly?" Vyn's question is, once again, laden with teasing. At this point you have no choice but to resign yourself with whatever play he comes up with...

"Fuck you, Vyn," comes your reply, your frustration so much that your language turns coarse, dropping all pretense of propriety. "I really, really need to come..."

"Really now..." you murmur in a voice so soft it is almost inaudible.

He then shifts position so that his knee, still clothed in the rough fabric of his denims, are planted directly between your thighs--almost touching your dripping wet sex.

"If you want to come, pet," Vyn's lips curl into a devious-looking grin, "Why not go ahead and rub against me?"

"Vyn Richter."

"Yes. beloved?"

"I swear I am going to get you once I free my wrists," come your sincere threat. "I'm going to fuck and hurt you so hard you will regret even thinking about these things at all."

"Really now," Vyn drawled. "Then why are you still grinding against my thigh?"

True enough, you have planted your wet cunt onto his thigh, grinding your clit against the rough texture of the fabric. The movement of your hips must be quite a sight to behold, as Vyn's eyes are glued to your pussy and the wet stripes they draw onto his denims.

His erection is straining against his pants; seeing the obvious sign of arousal you are further encouraged to continue gyrating over his thigh. "Hahh--gods, Vyn--" you hiss. "Why are you making it hard for me..."

"Because I want to rile you up, pet," comes his simple answer. "Ah, damn, gods. You are so sexy..."

"I'm about to...Vyn, what the fuck?!"

Vyn pulls away his knee, and you are left with nothing to coax yourself into orgasm.

"Goddamn it Vyn why?!" You are almost crying now, "I want to come, you've worked me up so much even back there in the strawberry fields. Why the fuck are you torturing me?!"

"Because..."

Vyn now reaches out to your bound hands. "Riling you up enough is a good way to give you mind blowing sex..."

And the scarf tying you to the bedpost is finally undone.

Your wrists freed, and yourself brimming with frustration, it takes you a record of two minutes to fully undress Vyn, including his pants. You do not know where the strength had come from, but there it is, and the doctor is in front of you fully naked and amused as to how much riled up you are.

You managed to also shrug off the remaining clothing hanging off your shoulders; the both of you now fully unclothed.

"Down, Vyn," you snarl as you push him down onto the bedsheets, your thighs straddling his hips. Your intention is clear--you are going to fuck him, and he is going to lie down there and take it until you come. "I'm going to fuck you. Hard."

Vyn only smirks from underneath you. "I am warning you. It will do you good not to provoke me--oh gods, you feel so good!" His back arches backwards in utter pleasure as your pussy slowly descends upon his girth, your hot inner walls slowly sucking in his shaft.

"Haaaahn--!" You moan out load as you gyrate your hips over his cock with abandon, "I really wanted to do this ever since last time, I just didn't know much about how to--oh god--" you start babbling as you start to lose yourself to pleasure...

Vyn starts to sit up to offer you assistance, but you do not want any of it. "Fuck you, Vyn, STAY DOWN!" you bark your command as you unceremoniously push him back down onto the bed.

"Ah!" He yelps in surprise, clearly not expecting such vehemence coming from you.

Then, you quickly realize, that doing so is a big mistake.

"...how dare you," comes his soft, steely voice, like steel wrapped in silk.

Your world turns, and you find yourself flipped face down onto the bedsheet, with Vyn directly above you. "You dare do that to me?" He hisses as he roughly handles your hips, plunging his cock deep inside you in one quick motion. "I hope you are ready to get what you are asking for, pet," his voice almost comes off as a snarl as he grasps your thighs, railing you hard and fast against the headboard in piston-like movements that prompt you to cry out in...pain? Pleasure?

You don't know which is which anymore--you can't even understand what you're feeling--is it painful or is pleasure meant to feel this way? Whatever it is you are feeling, it feels searing hot, relentless, and tendrils of something imminent start unravelling yet you cannot even focus on chasing that sensation--Vyn's tongue slithering in your ear is too distracting and is sending you into a sensation overload...

"Fuck!" you cry out. "Goddamnit Vyn, I--"

"Hahaha. Hahahaha," Vyn laughs drily in between his rough, hard thrusts that do not let up even for a second. "Shout, cry out, moan out loud like the little slut you are," he whispers. not unlike a demon tempting an innocent into damnation. "You know what?" Another lick inside your ear. "They can hear you, you know. Do you know that our window is open? And that we are only on the second floor," he laughs more, clearly enjoying the way you slightly freeze up when you realize that, yes, the window has been open all this time. "So shout for me, cry out for me, like the slut that you are."

And for good measure he reaches down to massage your clitoris, that bud that was tortured by by his own twisted idea of punishment by deprivation. "Sing for me," he hisses directly into your ear. You bite down on your lip to fight the urge, but when Vyn starts to flick your clit even faster there is no choice but to shout, to cry out how much you want to come, and when the coils of pain-pleasure finally unravel fully and your inner muscles spasm violently there is nothing to do but cry out his name in the middle of daytime.

"Oh?" Vyn murmurs, still not letting up his fucking, as he has not come yet. He raises his hand that was massaging your clit with abandon until your climax--it is soaking wet.

Even more than what natural lubrication that arousal provides.

Then, realizing what has happened, Vyn laughs cruelly even more, and starts to pound into you harder and faster. "Look--hahh--pet," he says in between merciless thrusts. "You squirted. You little slut. Hahahaha--"

"Oh god. I can't take it anymore, Vyn," your voice comes out strangled. "Ahhh--!"

"Just a little more. It will end soon--fuck--!" You feel Vyn shuddering as he braces over you, copious amounts of come flooding your pussy until he slumps onto your back, finally overcome with exhaustion.

===

"Vyn," you say, your head woozy, not quite recovered from orgasm yet.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry."

"There is nothing to apologize for," Vyn says, his voice flat.

You groan, sidling up closer against his back. "Then why aren't you facing me? Are you angry at me or what? You're not innocent too, you know, you've worked me up too much!"

Vyn, resigned, finally takes a deep breath and turns on the mattress to face you. Then he takes your hand and places it on his stiff cock.

"Please, let me rest," his voice comes out strangled. "I myself cannot keep up with this."

You laugh.

#tears of themis #tears of themis fanfic #tears of themis smut #tot smut #vyn richter #tot vyn #vyn richter smut

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itsuki-minamy · 4 years

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“KINGDOM OF RED": Chapter 2 (Pages 93 to 146)

TRANSLATION & RAWS: NARU-KUN

The wall was badly broken.

Suoh, who dropped out of school after completing the supplementary lessons, was sitting on the bench at the bus stop. He wasn't waiting for the pass. It was a hot and humid day in which the sun was raging even though it was June. So on the way home, he buys ice cream on a stick and sit on the bench at a cabin-style bus stop in the shade to eat ice cream.

The bus stop is no longer in use (at least Suoh has never seen a bus stop here), and it seems like it has been left unattended and has forgotten to check out. The roof and walls to prevent rain and wind are made of wood and have corroded over the years. However, it is useful to avoid the sun. The road was up a hill and the bus stop was near the bottom of the hill.

Moist, gentle heat envelops his body. It was windy, but the wind direction was bad. The wind blowing from the side is blocked by the wall and does not hit Suoh. This stop was good for umbrellas, but it was also a windbreaker. There is no choice but to look at the state of the tree swaying in the wind.

Quiet early summer afternoon. The first to notice it were his ears.

From a distance, he hears the sound of a bicycle's wheels spinning at tremendous speed. He wondered if he was getting closer, "Ooh!" He hears the voice of a child screaming.

And the wall was broken.

The corroded wooden wall was completely destroyed by a bicycle that rushed down with tremendous force, and a child riding on the tattered bicycle appeared in front of Suoh. He was thrown from his bicycle, fluttered in the air for a moment, rolled on the ground, hit a wall opposite the wall that his bicycle had destroyed, and stopped.

"What the hell..."

The boy frowns painfully, almost upside down from the impact of rolling.

He meets Suoh, who was sitting on the bench at the bus stop and eating ice cream. The boy opened his eyes and said, still in an upside down position.

"Are you hurt?"

"You're…"

Even if he thinks about it, the questions are absurd.

The boy, groaning, finally gets up from a prone position and checks his body. Then, he squeezes the brake on the bike that fell and jerked.

"I thought I was lucky because the bicycle was thrown in the dumpster, but it looks like the brakes were broken. I'm sorry for the surprise. I'm glad I didn't hurt you!"

The boy said that with a smile on his face. A cool breeze blows through a large hole in the wall of the destroyed bus stop. The child's pale hair ruffled fluffy.

Is he a high school student? He was a childish boy with a well-organized face and a slim figure.

"Well, it wasn't the case since you were relaxed. I'm going!"

The boy suddenly seemed to remember something, but as soon as he stood up, he frowned and stopped moving. Apparently his leg was injured.

"Ugh. No use. Sorry, can I hide for a bit?"

The boy hid behind the bench without Suoh's consent. Suoh wasn't particularly interested, so he left him alone and ate the rest of the ice cream.

Before long, he hears several jerky footsteps. Three bad-looking men run. At first glance, they are wearing a fashion that spared no effort so that they could be recognized as bullies. The dangling gold accessories make a jarring noise.

"Hey."

A man with a shaved head calls out to Suoh.

"Has a high school boy come this way?"

Suoh didn't reply. Perhaps that attitude was annoying, one of the men clicked his tongue.

"Hey, answer what I ask you!"

When Suoh was still silent, he was touched from behind on his back. The boy hiding behind the bench. It seems to be a sign to do him a favor.

Suoh opened his mouth, thinking it would be troublesome.

"I do not know."

"You lie! It's the kid on the bicycle that fell over here!"

From behind the bench, he hears a faint, impressive sound. Apparently, he did not know that he would be caught on a bicycle. It can be silly.

Behind the terrifying bully before Suoh, the other two compare the bicycle to the destroyed wall and turn their necks, saying, "What happened?" "Is that child okay?"

"I do not know."

When Suoh told him that, the shaven-headed thug got enraged and grabbed Suoh.

But before his hand grabbed Suoh's chest, the boy hiding behind the bench came out and stopped the bully. The child, holds the bully's hand, shakes his hand and smiles.

"Sorry I was here."

Suoh was amazed.

Didn't he want them to hide him? No, he really didn't want to hide behind Suoh, but he wondered what to do if he hid and came out later.

The man who was about to grab Suoh also grimaced in frustration. After exposing a face of direct surprise for about two seconds, he felt relieved as if he had returned to himself, and forcibly pulled on the hand that was paired with the boy. He slides the back of the bench and forces him to tip over, and the boy is dragged in front of the men.

"Uh..."

"You can't run anymore. Where did your father go?!"

The bully held the boy with his hands and pressed his rough face closer to the boy.

"I don't know. Like I said before, my uncle often goes on a trip, so if I go on a trip, I don't even know where to go."

Even if it's scary, he doesn't seem scared at all. He is used to this situation or he is just nervous? However, even though it wasn't sexual harassment, he seemed to be in trouble.

"Liar! I wonder if you became a decoy and let your father escape!"

"Well that's correct."

"So you're admitting that you let him get away!"

"That's right. If you ask me, I'm in trouble when they ask me. No, I'm still in trouble, right?"

Apparently, it is not exactly this child who is being persecuted, but the child's father.

Suoh grabbed the wooden ice cream stick that he had finished eating and tossed it in the trash next to him. A dirty, rusty metal trash can with the sound of a wooden stick falling and a clicking sound.

The men turned their eyes as if the sound reminded them of Suoh's existence.

"Hey, who are you? Do you know him?"

"I don't know. He was there when I got rid of my bicycle."

The boy said before Suoh answered. It seems like he is trying to get involved without permission and the child doesn't want to get him involved anymore.

Suoh sighed and looked at the men. Ignoring their faces, if he looks at each one, he can see a tense atmosphere running between the men. The shaved man, who was holding the boy in his hand, gulped and released the boy's hand. He can see the child blinking as if surprised.

"What are you doing?"

The words thrown at Suoh were terribly devoid of content.

"It is a demon."

Suoh said in a low voice...

"Get lost."

The air sways. In the movement of the air, he realized that these men would not approach. He can tell by the smell that he is willing to fight.

"What, cheeky..."

One of the guys said in a silly voice, maybe he couldn't retreat. Another person touches his elbow.

"No, don't waste it here. It's not our job to deal with an unrelated child."

With that word as a hint to retreat, the men returned the brilliance. "Next time your father goes somewhere, ask him where he's going!"

Suoh stayed behind with the boy and somehow looked at his face.

The boy's eyes were wide and he was looking at Suoh.

The two brown eyes reflect a lot of light and shine. His focus was on Suoh's eyes, direct enough to look like a prisoner.

For a moment, Suoh was a bit confused.

He feels like he hasn't been able to face such a straight line of sight from a non-hostile opponent these days. Most of the people who come are those who are trying to sell a fight, and most of the people who are not, look away as if they thought they would be bitten if they looked directly at Suoh. Even people, like Kusanagi and Honami, who try to communicate with the surrounding people, rarely look directly at this point.

The child's eyes, which pierce his gaze from the front in an attempt to identify the other person without any intention, are like when a child observes a person. He felt that uncomfortable straightness.

"King?"

The boy said, looking at Suoh.

It was an oddly cautious tone that he could tell that he was afraid to bow his head.

"Ah?"

When he frowns without understanding the meaning, the boy tilts his neck, which had been tilted to the left, again to the right, giving him a thoughtful look.

"Hmm... It doesn't feel right..."

He can't see what the story is. It was okay to throw him out, but he was a little worried about what this kid would say next, and he look forward to the next words.

The boy suddenly seemed to have some inspiration and said.

"King!"

As soon as he said that word, the boy became confident and nodded.

"Yes, King is the best fit."

"What are you talking about?"

"The story of your name."

The boy said with an innocent smile.

"Can I call you King?"

"Do what you want."

Amazed, this time he left the boy and began to walk. The boy came out to chase him and yelled, "Ouch!" It seems he forgot he had an injured leg and moved.

"King, wait a minute! I can't walk!"

He stopped and looked back reluctantly. The boy laughed happily. With a simple smile like that of an old friend, he approaches Suoh.

"Sorry, but could you give me a hand?"

In the end, Suoh was replaced by a child's cane.

He didn't have the righteousness or the kindness to keep up with him, but for some reason he was caught up in the boy's rhythm. There was no such thing as listlessness in the way the boy spoke and interacted, rather it was not strangely clingy.

Speak frankly and dryly, with no signs of compassionate or intrusive appeal. The ease with which the boy would not get hurt or angry at all, even if he declined his request, on the contrary, may have made Suoh feel like he could get a little more involved.

The boy grabs Suoh's high shoulder as if he is dangling and walks so as not to put his weight on his injured leg.

“The people I mentioned above are debt collectors. My uncle loves gambling and just got into debt."

"Uncle?"

"Oh, that's my dad."

When he was skeptical about some of the words spoken by the boy and repeated like a parrot, the boy complimented.

"I think those debt collectors aren't bad people either. They don't normally blame me, but I helped my uncle escape today, so I think I pissed them off."

"Where did he go when you let him get away?"

"I don't know. Like I told those people, I haven't asked."

While lending his shoulder to the boy, listening to his words, he finally came to a small apartment.

It's an older, two-story apartment that's rare these days. The inner door to the first floor was open.

"That open door over there is my house. I ran away in a hurry, so I left the door open."

The metal door that seems to make a cheap noise when knocked is wide open. Next to the door was a name tag with the words "Ishigami". What hides the back of the room is a thin, hand-made piece of fabric that looks like it was made by joining pieces of fabric together. Beyond that, there was a small tatami room that integrated with the kitchen. It's messy, but not crowded. Daily necessities and messy and unclear sundries are boxed and decorated as a small display, and it can be seen that the owner of this room is living happily as is. However, as a sign that he had run away, he saw a container of hot water lying on the ground.

When the boy removed his hand from Suoh's shoulder, he entered the room, believing that Suoh would naturally approach, and without a doubt, he said, "King, is it okay with Gobocha?"

"What is Gobocha?"

"As the name suggests, it seems to be gobo tea. The neighbor told me it was good for my health and she bought it, but I didn't like the taste. She gave me a drink, so when I told her it was not delicious, she gave me a lot."

The child takes a teapot with tea from the refrigerator, stirs the drink and pours it. He put two cups on the table and looks at Suoh with a smile.

Suoh walks into the room, takes the drink in one hand and drinks it. The flavor hasn't changed much, but the scent that comes out of the nose is definitely that of Gobo.

Hydrate his throat with a very cold tea with an unusual flavor. At first glance, the house did not appear to have air conditioning, but a cool breeze was blowing in through the open windows. There is a clink. When he rolled his eyes, a wind chime that looked like handmade was hanging from the curtain rail.

It's still good now, but he thinks it's hard to spend time in this house when summer comes around, but this kid laughed that he didn't have a cooler and enjoyed the little tricks to avoid the heat. It felt like this.

"It was incredible what happened a moment ago.", said the boy with a smile.

"A moment ago?"

"When you got rid of the debt collectors. King, you saw them and they all ran away."

Suoh snorted a bit at the comment. The boy also narrowed his eyes in a funny way at Suoh's appearance.

The boy drank his tea in one sitting, took a breath, stood up with his crooked leg elevated, dumped tap water into a plastic bag, threw in some ice, and tied it up. He wrapped it in a towel and put it on his ankle. Keep talking gently while quickly treating the affected area.

"Keep in mind that there are colors, shapes and temperatures."

"Ah?"

Suoh frowned at the sudden comment. The boy still has a slight smile.

"No, I could see the sign, I'm not saying I'm like an expert or something."

After trying to apologize, the boy looked away, perhaps trying to remember what he had just seen.

"I could see King's signal growing in the narrow space. I think they could see it too, so they ran away. I didn't run away simply because I wasn't afraid of King's eyes."

The boy continues talking while looking at him.

"It doesn't mean I feel the line of sight, you don't emit a beam from your eyes, I'm not talking about that. But it's true. It's the first time I've seen a person's intentions so clearly. It's like I've seen a ghost although I shouldn't have been inspired."

Suoh glanced at the boy. The child smiles vaguely and looks down to bite into something.

"Is there color, shape or temperature?"

"There was. King's sign is... the temperature is high and it feels red. Then it grows like a glow."

It was like listening to a children's poem. The boy shook his eyes as if trying to find a suitable expression.

"Yes, it was like a flame. Everyone knows that if you touch it you will get burned, that's why the King sign scares everyone. But, although I know it is scary, fire attracts people."

Once, the child removes the ice pack from his leg and observes. Suoh looked at him and said in a low voice.

"What is that?"

"Huh? What?"

"What is King?"

The boy slowly blinked his big eyes a few times, and after a while, he bowed his head.

"Because you are like a King."

"What do you mean?"

The boy changes the tone that seemed calm until then and speaks like a child.

"When King looked at them and made a great sign, I thought you were a king! You were like a great king!"

"It was like a flame from a little while ago."

"The flame looked like a king."

"Was it even covered with a crown?"

"Well maybe it's a little different..."

The boy also made a pensive little face and made his eyes shine.

"You are a lion. You are like a lion with strong fangs. A lion would be the king of beasts."

Suoh sighed and stood up.

He couldn't keep up. Or rather, he had been with him long enough.

The boy didn't try to stop Suoh, who was about to go home, and said, "Oh, are you going home? Thank you for today."

"See you."

The boy responded to Suoh's miserable greeting with a bright smile.

"See you again, King!"

See you, the words were not just greetings.

Then the boy appeared many times before Suoh. He appears casually as a dog or cat that you often run into during a walk, and when he thinks he have been following him for a while, he easily disappears.

After repeating such a thing several times, Suoh got used to the boy's existence. He come to accept him as a familiar dog or cat.

Those who have been close to Suoh so far are those who fear him, or those who have a sense of hostility. There are even those who borrow Suoh's power, try to use him as a shield, or feel the illusion that they became stronger when they were close to Suoh.

With the exception of Kusanagi, who never entered Suoh's territory, even when he was near Suoh, and drew a refreshing, clean line. Kusanagi's way of taking a distance was refreshing to Suoh, probably because most of the people who sided with Suoh were the ones who stepped in and hit him, or the ones who came up and tried to lean on him.

In comparison, that boy enters this area, both physically and mentally. However, if he want to lean on him, he don't and disappears. After all, he looked like an animal without human thoughts or speculation.

Suoh himself is called a beast and is used to being treated like an animal. Such a beast got acquainted with a friendly dog and cat.

++++++++++

It doesn't make sense for Suoh to wander around town.

He does not have a positive desire to play, nor does he want a place to stay. Like a fish swimming in a tank of water, just walking around town.

Suoh has never felt a clear inconvenience in his life. Although his parents died early, he had a legacy he could live with. It was his eccentric grandfather who became Suoh's guardian after his parents died, and did little to interfere in Suoh's life with minimal discipline when he was young.

There is no shortage and there is no particular bond.

Still, Suoh felt that this world was narrow.

A world in which people are crowded and various emotions intertwine, as if walking is going to hit their shoulders. There was always a vague feeling of obstruction, no, a strong feeling of irritation.

(Your parents were laid back and nice people.)

His grandfather once said while drinking. He wondered why a child like him was born to such human beings.

(But it may have been unusual for me to freely accept a child like you.)

He was a stubborn and silent grandfather. He became ill and was strongly recommended to be hospitalized, but refused to decide where he would die. He hated hospitals and terrible treatments that would only postpone death, with a force that could be said to be hatred.

(I live freely and die. You also live freely.)

His grandfather stretched his back and looked at Suoh, even though he was thin from illness and had black, depressed eyes.

(You decide how to deal with that annoying thing in you.)

His grandfather's finger pierced the middle of Suoh's chest. He doesn’t hear what his grandfather said was a nuisance. However, he intuitively felt that it was related to this vague sense of obstruction that constantly envelops Suoh.

Suoh swim in the city like a fish. A town called Shizume where he was born and raised. People crowd and cross, it looks beautiful, it is also like a sweep.

Suoh doesn't hate humans like his grandfather. If the horses meet, they will meet each other and there will be no feeling of revulsion towards each other. Sometimes he finds it fun to hang out with Kusanagi.

Still, as Honami said, he certainly thought it was easy to be afraid of the people around him.

He doesn't hate humans. However, the intertwined human thoughts and feelings strengthened Suoh's sense of obstruction.

The "troublesome thing" in Suoh is probably why people around him are afraid of him and call him "beast", and that boy calls him "King".

"Oh, it's King."

Suddenly, he hears a bright and familiar voice.

Suoh, who was walking through the city smoothly, stopped. There is only one person who calls Suoh as King.

As expected, see the boy sitting down. The boy was in a circle of friends in front of the play center.

Suoh tried to pass by with a glance, but the boy was quick to say something to his friends around him.

There was no reason to wait, so Suoh continued without loosening his legs. The boy takes a brisk step and stands next to Suoh, looking up with a loose smile.

"It's the first time I've met you at night, King."

The boy said that, in a tone that was funny.

Suoh doesn't respond in particular and stomps on the dirty street surface.

By the way, Suoh vaguely thought that this boy would appear only at certain times of the day.

After school, he was playing near the place where he first met him, which is also Suoh's school route, and he was waiting in front of Suoh's high school while being nice to the students. To Suoh, this boy was a creature that haunted bright places.

"Did you go out at night to party despite being a kid?"

After saying that, he realized that it is surprising that this boy plays in Shizume at night.

The boy smiled after blinking his big eyes.

"A child is not much different from you, King."

"I'm going."

"Totsuka."

He thought he was a boy who was 12 years old at the most and had just entered high school. He's probably lower than average, and he has seen him in uniform multiple times, but didn't feel like he was wearing it.

However, there is not a big difference between twelve and fourteen, and in that sense, the difference between Suoh and this boy is not that great.

"Where are you going, King?"

"Separately."

Suoh candidly replies to the listening boy as he walks with a step that seems to bounce slightly beside Suoh. The boy was a guide.

"Does that mean it's not destiny?"

"That does not exist."

"So why are you walking?"

"There is no reason."

It is like a fish swimming in a tank of water. The boy looked at Suoh again for a while and laughed softly.

"After all, King is like a lion."

Eat, sleep, just walk around the place. Certainly animal behavior.

The boy doesn't want to know about Suoh, even though he follows Suoh. They meet in town, move on, and then go home.

Suddenly, Suoh realized that he didn't even know the boy's name. He was a bit surprised and speaks in the first person. He hangs around and talk nonsense, but he never asks for a name.

"Your…"

The boy looked at him as he spoke.

"Name is…"

It blinks, clicks and blinks twice. Then the boy also grimaced that he finally realized the fact that they did not know each other's names.

"Tatara Totsuka."

Totsuka rubs his nose. He felt stagnant for some reason.

A boy who calls himself Tatara Totsuka says with an impulse...

"I don't know King's name!"

Suoh simply called himself Suoh, while looking at the surprised boy.

"Suoh Mikoto."

The boy spoke the name in a tone like singing a spell, and his eyes were round.

"It's amazing that I have heard about the name and the rumors, King is Suoh."

"Did you know? Hmm, didn't you know?"

It seems like he didn't know he was the same person, even though he called him King and knew about Suoh's rumors.

Suoh was amazed and glanced at Totsuka, and tried to remember what he was caught up in.

"Name plate."

Suoh said, remembering an earlier event.

"The name of the front card is different."

Totsuka made a surprised face.

"Do you remember well?"

When he found him, he met this boy with an injured leg and brought him home. At that moment, he saw the front card of the house. He didn't want to remember it, but it seems like it stayed somewhere in his head.

"Uncle's last name is Ishigami. But I'm a collected kid, so my last name is different."

"Eh?"

Totsuka revealed the origin in a light tone, which seems heavy from the point of view of general sensibilities.

"Was I three years old? I don't remember much, but it seems like I was dropped off at the park. I knew my name and I was carrying a small backpack with some money."

"Didn't you change your last name?"

"Yeah. Well, it doesn't mean I can't find a father. Until then, I thought I could live in that house for now. So it looks like we're living together."

That's probably why he calls his father "uncle." Considering how he met Totsuka, his father does not appear to be a legitimate type of adult, and may be living with him with the intention of having a small presence rather than as a father.

The slight freedom, kindness and somewhat dry atmosphere of the child, despite his original personality, can come from his birth and upbringing.

"Totsuka."

Say the name for the first time. Totsuka replied lightly.

"Yes?"

"Because you follow me?"

It is a new question. Totsuka looked lightly and crossed his arms to think.

"Why is it exciting?"

"Exciting."

Involuntarily returns the word like a parrot. He frowns and sees Totsuka walking beside his.

"There's a lot of fun in the world, but that's definitely not the case, is it? But there's something I can definitely say when I'm with King. I feel like it's there."

It's an awkward and fluffy answer.

"I do not know what it means."

"Well, in a nutshell..."

Totsuka thought for a moment and nodded aloud.

"I will be a servant of the king."

Suoh had a very strange face. If Kusanagi were here, he thought he would have an astonished face.

"Servant of the king?"

"That's correct. Who is there besides King?"

Totsuka smiles and says it as something natural.

After a while, he realized that Totsuka is a person who is very interested in various things. It seems that the interest in Suoh is only temporary. Suoh took a deep breath, wondering if it was useless to take him seriously.

"The king's servant is faking his current pastime?"

Totsuka also put on a serious and thinking face. The silence this time is unexpectedly long. This child, who usually speaks firmly, takes time to respond only when he thinks deeply.

After spending a long time thinking, Totsuka said...

"I feel different."

"What?"

"I can't explain how I feel, but it's not my hobby. I like to try different things, but this is not the case."

Despite the irrelevant reply as usual, Totsuka's tone was unwavering. He thinks he's a funny guy. He looks like an idiot with a lack of screws in his head, but there are times when he seems to be looking at something different.

"Then…"

Totsuka said in a serious tone. He always speaks in a soft tone that seems to include a smile, so the mood changes when it becomes serious.

"I wonder if I want to stay away."

What? He tries to ask, but before that, he notice a sign of the way to go.

He turns his gaze to him. Three men stood up. It is a trio of a large man, a man of medium height, medium back, golden hair tied behind him, and a tall, thin man. Although the face and body were not alike at all, the atmosphere created was exactly the same. They are the ones who often intimidate their environment with their appearance and attitude. They seem to be floating in the surroundings, which the general public would avoid if they walked, and they blend into Shizume city at night as a background.

The men's eyes caught Suoh directly.

Suoh stops and ignores those who get in the way.

There was a distinct smell of hostility in them. For Suoh, the smell he got used to. The aggressive will is exposed in the eyes of the men to whom it is directed.

"King."

Totsuka calls Suoh. It doesn't seem awkward, but it is a voice with a soft color.

"Go somewhere."

He told him in a low voice, but there was no sign of Totsuka moving.

Suoh didn't look at Totsuka, he just looked at the ones standing in front of him and waited for the next action.

"You are Suoh Mikoto."

A large man standing in front of him said that. The upper arm muscles extending from the black tank top are tight and swollen. More than a threatening act, it was more like an unconscious force at the signs of battle.

The men look at each other as if they are talking to each other.

"Do you know Mitsuha-san?"

Mitsuha. Suoh looks for the name in his head and remembers it. He remembered him because he was a strange guy. The man who knew Kusanagi. Suddenly he came and got into a fight with Suoh. He's used to getting into fights, but he's never done it like that.

Was the full name Mitsuha Kurayama? It seems like he was a famous guy in Shizume. Kusanagi said he was rampaging almost like a street demon, equivalent to suicide.

Suoh remembered Mitsuha Kurayama's eyes.

Behind the dull color, there is something that burns violently, the eyes that glow black.

That eye had a reminiscent color. The irritation and resignation the man had were familiar to Suoh.

"What did you do to Mitsuha-san?"

Says a big man with a grumpy voice. To call him Mitsuha-san, they must have been members of Mitsuha Kurayama's group. After losing to Suoh, Kurayama obeyed Suoh's words to disappear, and disappeared from this artistic district. Are the remaining subordinates looking for the missing team leader?

Perhaps he was frustrated by Suoh, who was just looking back without answering, the big man distorted his face. However, he doesn't grab it in frustration, but licks his lower lip in a hasty gesture.

"Did you kill him?"

Suoh is momentarily absent when asked a tense question despite being intimidating. A peaceful voice echoed before Suoh understood its meaning.

"Ah, I've heard that too. It is rumored that Suoh Mikoto killed a person named Mitsuha Kurayama."

Suoh saw the owner of the voice that did not fit the content at all. Totsuka makes a smiling face without feeling tension by removing the poison.

"But you didn't kill him, did you?"

In a noisy situation, Totsuka is creating a loose atmosphere by himself. Suoh clicked his tongue.

"What if I killed him?"

"What should I do? But you didn't kill him, did you, King?"

Totsuka says that with a face that seems to respond to a test of confidence. The men around him also seemed crazy because they did not adapt to the situation.

Suoh gets tired and opens his mouth to end the matter quickly. "I faced him because he sold me a fight... So after I hit him, I told him to disappear, and he disappeared."

The men mutter under their breath at the explanation.

"Did you beat Mitsuha-san?"

"Don't be silly, why would Mitsuba-san listen to you?"

The men said that. Suoh no longer responded. Just be quiet and look at the men in front of him.

The men were ready to attack Suoh. There are no signs of quitting. The hostility and aggressive will that emanate from them smell stronger. It is the smell of a beast that rises at the signs of violence.

The big man in the lead in a black tank top stepped forward. After that, a flashy blond man and a tall, thin man spread sideways as if trying to lock Suoh up. All three are in a combat pose. Suoh warned Totsuka who was behind, "Go away.", Without turning around.

"Damn. How dare you say you beat Mitsuha-san!"

The big man said that while raising his big arm. A powerful fist slices through the air and hits Suoh's left cheek.

He hears a buzzing in his ear for a moment. The hit part is hot.

A momentary sensation of shaking the world and the heat.

It was permission for Suoh to break free. A sign that he, who is forced to live in a small world, will rush to the front.

The edge of his mouth lifted. A smile comes naturally. The big man who hit Suoh looks into Suoh's eyes.

He shook his shoulder. The flashy blonde in the back yells and jumps up in a hurry, as if grabbing his foot for a moment and taking it in. A tall, thin man pulls a knife from his back pocket and raises the blade with just a snap of his wrist.

Hostility and targeted harm. It is a familiar feeling. Sparks that continue to fall punishing. It is annoying and frustrating. However, it was also true that he feels liberated from the narrow world only at this moment. He knew it was just a momentary illusion.

Suoh stabbed at his fangs and giggled, stepping out of the tight little place that was pushing him inside.

++++++++++

The big man, turned into a big lump on the street and spread conspicuously. The black tank top is damp with blood from the nose. The skinny man is crouched on his stomach, and a blond man with a puffy face is trying to provoke the large man to pass out, with a sigh.

The deal was completed in five minutes.

Suoh has a fist with the blood of one of the three men, wiping it loosely on the waistband of his pants.

The passing heat is easily removed, and he suddenly remember it with a cool head.

What happened to Totsuka?

Before the fight started, he was aware of him, but after it started, he completely forgot about his existence.

"Hey, help me!"

When the blond man managed to lift the large man's body, he hysterically called out to the other thin man. The skinny man looked down the street, holding his stomach with one arm. Find the knife that fell and try to pick it up. He can no longer see the fighting spirit anywhere. He guesses he's just trying to collect it.

But before that, a slim hand reached out and picked up the knife lying on the street.

It was Totsuka.

He has a slightly embarrassed look on his childish face and slowly bends the butterfly knife to close the blade.

"Put down the knife!"

Totsuka said that, thinking that he would pick it up as it was, simply handed the well-bent knife back to the thin man. The man looks great.

"Oh."

The blond man called again in a voice mixed with irritation and impatience. The skinny one grabs the knife with a complicated look, and when he puts it in his pocket, he stands up and goes to his friends. The blonde and the other grabbed the tall man by the arms and dragged his body.

Suoh didn't say a word and sees the men's backs.

"Hey, you're strong." Totsuka said.

The admiring voice is a bit old-fashioned and feels relaxed.

"If you stay with me, you will get hurt."

"Hey. I'm running away fast. More than that, take this."

Totsuka gives him a soda. It was a can of cola that was sweating a bit on the surface.

"What?"

"Your face. Put it on while it's cold."

He seems to refer to the cheek that received the first blow. In other words, when Suoh started fighting and was beaten, it appears that Totsuka went to buy a cola from the soda machine.

He thought he was a fuzzy guy, and that he was scared and lost.

Suoh receives the can of cola that Totsuka offered him and puts it on his cheek. Feel a little tingling and a pleasant coldness on his cheek. However, it got troublesome in a few seconds, put the can down and grab the tab.

"Oh, if you don't cool it down yet, will it swell later?"

"Shut up."

"Is it good? Is it really good?"

Suoh caused a jerk, even though he was skeptical of Totsuka. Immediately after that, a column of brown bubbles stood in front of him.

It's bright enough to be inadvertently overlooked, with cola bubbles gushing from the open can.

Shining in the light of the city center at night, the tail sprouted out with a refreshing sound and fell on Suoh's head.

"……"

Suoh stared at Totsuka's face, glue dripping from the tip of his chin.

Totsuka was also blessed with the cola and his face was drenched.

"Fu."

Totsuka laughed as if he couldn't bear it. He shakes his wet head like a dog to get rid of the water, holds his stomach and laughs.

"Ahahahahaha, I didn't think it'd gush out until now. Wow, I got wet too."

"I shook it."

"It would have been safe if you had cooled your face properly. Anyway, I've never seen such a good way to release. Unsurprisingly, King has something!"

Suoh was in awe of Totsuka, who laughed and wanted to take a picture.

He has never seen anyone approach Suoh like this ordinary stupid student.

After all, this is probably stupid.

"Fu."

Suoh laughed inadvertently. Certainly the current way of squirting glue was quite wonderful. Is a carbonated drink something that spreads great?

Something was wrong with something that didn't matter. It felt cold and a little comfortable when it came down, and it was slimy with peripheral skin and was sticky. When he rubbed his lips, it was sweet.

It's rubbish, it's not good, but it's kind of weird.

When he saw it, Totsuka had round eyes.

Looking back to see why he made that grimace, he smiled more than ever.

"Haha, King laughed!"

Totsuka laughs happier than before.

Suddenly, Suoh hit Totsuka's head lightly with his fist. Totsuka held his head as if it had hurt, but was laughing.

Suoh pointed with his mouth and capped the glue that was left in the can. When he tried to walk with Totsuka who was still laughing without discipline, he felt the signals of several people approaching him.

"Totsuka, what are you doing?"

"That person is Suoh Mikoto, right?"

They were the guys who were with Totsuka at the game center a little while ago. The smell of hostility isn't even dust. Just a little fear and a little curiosity mix and get closer.

Totsuka finally laughs and looks at the guys who seem to be friends.

"Ah, yes. Suoh Mikoto."

He said the name they just said, and after that, Totsuka…

"He's King!" Totsuka added.

"Why King?" "It's a nickname?" The boys mysteriously bowed their heads and Totsuka responded with a smile. Inevitably, he was dressed to be surrounded by boys even with Suoh.

While standing in the center of the children and drinking cola, Suoh suddenly remembered his teacher's words.

(When someone who can easily break through the walls that seem to surround you appears, you will become a central figure among the people. As if the things of now have never happened.)

It smelled of annoyance. But for some reason it wasn't unpleasant.

++++++++++

Nogi played with a butterfly knife in his hand as he endured the tingling of his lean body huddled and beaten.

Rhythmically, the metallic sound of the knife opening and closing sounds soft. The blade and handle of the knife flap like a butterfly and rotate as the wrist is moved slightly. After practicing a lot, he has been able to do it without being too conscious of his hands.

"Damn it, what is that 'Mikoto Beast'!"

Sakata angrily hits the table hard with his fist. The boastful muscles that stretched from the black tank top trembled. Suoh fainted him, but he woke up while being carried. It seems like his pride got hurt because he was suddenly stretched out, and his face was still bright red from a while ago with embarrassment and anger.

Kyosuke was cooling his face with a wet towel. The hair in the back is untied, and the blonde hair sticks to the face. This man in parentheses was worried that his front teeth had been broken and he had been silent for a while. The blood-soaked front teeth are carefully tucked away in the breast pocket.

The three were in a bar, where an acquaintance worked part time. The interior, which was based on black, was dark, and not very clean. The store was empty, with just a couple drinking cocktails and a hooded man sitting with his back to the back table.

Glancing sideways at the wild trees spreading negative aura in the wind after the fight, the pair secretly exchange words with a disgusting face as if they were planning to go home. The single male guest didn't even turn around.

Nogi, Sakata, and Kyosuke were members of Mitsuha Kurayama's team.

Kurayama was strong, bad, and cool. They even felt that they could take over the world if they followed him. He felt like Hidekichi Toyomi, who was a peasant who followed Nobunaga Oda.

Nogi has been crazy since he was a kid. His house was poor and his parents were not interested in Nogi. His face was not ugly, but there was nothing to see, and the slim body was somewhat ugly. Still, he was good when he was in elementary school. He had athletic nerves, so if he could play sports, he could rank high in elementary school and among the neighborhood kids.

However, since he was in high school, he has been ridiculed a lot. At best, he had no passion or patience to pursue a sport, and he immediately threw it away. Nogi, who was used to being treated as mere leftovers, joined the bad group. When it came to bad luck, few people were stupid in front of him. Being a feared man didn't feel bad. Even with a face that had nothing to do with it, if he dressed in street fashion and behaved appropriately, he could play with a woman who roamed the city. It got even more fun after he started dating Sakata and Kyosuke, whom he met in town. Sakata, who is big and proud of his power, is a bit fluffy to ruin the leader's style, but his fighting strength is good, so if he was riding that horse, Nogi could also dominate. Kyosuke, who is proud of the number of women he has, is annoying and conceited, but if he stayed with him, he could get along with a woman.

He kept chasing only the funny things in front of him. He felt that if he followed Mitsuha Kurayama, he might see more funny eyes. So one day when Mitsuha suddenly disappeared, he was confused.

It is said that Mitsuha Kurayama was crushed by Suoh and disappeared as Suoh ordered. What a fucking brat.

And although the three attacked together, they suddenly lost.

Crash, crash, crash.

The opening and closing of the knife Nogi is playing with becomes violent with irritation.

Suddenly, Nogi remembered the high school student who was on Suoh's side. In fact, he met him before. From the above situation, it seems likely that he does not remember the other side.

Nogi and Totsuka met while hanging out at Shizume. The guys who were walking together at that time knew each other. In other words, the relationship is from acquaintances to acquaintances. Acquaintances started talking to each other, so somehow everyone in the place knew each other. He forgets what they were talking about, but Nogi showed Totsuka a knife action.

With just a slight snap on his wrist, he can instantly open and close the bent knife. Seeing the knife spinning with a slight metallic sound, Totsuka's eyes twinkled, "It's amazing!" It was just nice to be respected. He was in a good mood and told him the various heroic stories that he had lived through so far. He talks about the kind of fight he experiences, what kind of bad things he did, and how scared he was. Totsuka didn't spew out the words of respect that he had when he saw the action of the knife, he just said, "Hmm. If you do that, you're an ordinary person."

It was a bit stuffy. He felt as if a painful part had been hit. Nogi is an "ordinary person", as Totsuka says, when he is not with anyone. He was only strong when he was with someone and he could be great.

However, Totsuka's words were so clear that he was sick, but not angry. Somewhere in his heart he had the feeling that he was convinced it was so.

When he remembered that moment, his feeling of frustration spun and he calmed down. He means, it doesn't matter.

Nogi closes the blade of the knife and stops his hand.

"Now it is okay."

Mitsuha Kurayama is gone. He respected his with a strong feeling of admiration for being a dark hero, but he lost to Suoh Mikoto, abandoned the team members, and ran away somewhere.

It may be time to return to the "common person." Nogi is already eighteen years old. He can't avoid it forever and has to find a job to eat.

Sakata looked Nogi in the eye.

"Will you withdraw without revenge?"

"Ok. Mitsuha lost to him and ran away with his tail between his legs. What does it mean for us to get revenge?"

"One, even if I put Mitsuha-san aside, the truth is that he beat us! Let's just leave it at that!"

Even with that, Nogi inwardly thinks that they can't beat him. Kyosuke was silent and compared Nogi and Sakata with sullen eyes.

Nogi searches for a reason to be okay with Suoh, and as if he had guessed it, he sharpened his mouth and said carelessly.

"Did you see who the Beast Mikoto was with? It's a boy. Is the beast with a boy like that? Let's throw he away. It's worth it."

It is a vain defeat. Still, it was better than admitting that he couldn't get his hands or legs out. Sakata still has an angry red-black face, and even if he is looking for a counterargument, he moves his mouth.

"It's worth it, isn't it?"

Suddenly, he hear a voice behind Nogi. The hair on the neck is erect.

He turned around to repel it. The bent butterfly knife slips from his sweaty hands and rolls across the floor with a thud.

A man stood up.

It has a slim but strong body. How to lose weight with firm muscles, which is different from normal weight loss. He wore a hood over his eyes, but he took it off. Sharp, deeply carved features and golden hair were exposed. And the upper half of the right ear, decorated with five piercings, does not exist as if it were torn off.

Nogi pursed his lips. The breathing and heartbeat are faster.

"Mitsuha-san…"

It was Earless Mitsuha.

This man who was a wolf made a team and quickly made it huge. Fearful of being violent, he suddenly abandoned his huge team and disappeared.

Mitsuha Kurayama is right in front of him.

Nogi swallowed the words. The other two are also amazed. Sakata, who had turned his face red and black with anger until a while ago, now has a fair complexion, and Kyosuke, who was worried about his broken teeth, is also opening his mouth.

"Suoh is it worth the effort?"

Kurayama said again. He bows his head with an innocent look like a child.

He was afraid of the innocent gesture. He felt anxiety throughout his body that he did not know what to do in the next moment.

Kurayama has a 500 ml bottle of Deutsche Beer in one hand. He moves with a slight movement.

If he weren't good at drinking or were already drunk, beer that overflows from the edge of his mouth runs down his chin.

"Mitsuha-san… you are here. Why until now…"

He says with a shaking voice. Originally, he was a bloody person. Even his assistants did not know where he usually lives, and in the end, Nogi was unable to contact Kurayama directly.

He does not recall exchanging words face to face except for greetings.

Kurayama picked up Nogi's knife that had fallen under his feet and started to play with it in his hand.

With an insecure hand, it looks like he is about to cut his hand. He is apparently not used to handling knives.

"I had to disappear a bit, so I hid."

Kurayama opened his mouth lazily.

"Why?"

"I promised."

Kurayama said in a completely confused childish tone. Sakata asks intimidatingly with a confused face.

"Who did you promise?"

"To Suoh Mikoto."

Nogi and his colleagues instinctively looked at the name. It bothered them that the name, which was heavily wrapped as a cause of Mitsuha's pain, anger and abandonment, was emitted from Kurayama's mouth.

"Did you fight Suoh Mikoto?"

When Sakata asked that question, Kurayama nodded.

"And I lost. I promised to hear what he said if I lost, so I had to disappear. That's it."

Kurayama says while playing with the knife. Although he was slow a while ago, he improved in no time and the speed of opening and closing the knife increased steadily.

Nogi swallowed the words. Kurayama seems sincere. Still, he didn't understand why he was bound by the promise to Suoh. Kurayama looked at Nogi's face. It makes he feel like he has read his inner feelings in his expression. Kurayama actually seems to have read his heart.

"I was looking forward to keeping my promise to Mikoto. That guy is interesting, isn't he?"

He had no choice but to nod at Kurayama from a distance. Nogi and the others tug their jaws awkwardly.

"Suoh Mikoto it's worth it, isn't it?"

Worth it. Nogi's spine chills when he remembers his words, which he said as a loss. He nodded deeply again, trying to get into Kurayama's mood.

Kurayama returned a smile. The hands that turn the knife are becoming more and more sophisticated, almost the same as those of Nogi, who has been practicing for a long time.

"I promised to disappear, but now I am free. Please ask me about my entertainment."

Kurayama intimately fixed the knife he was playing with like a sword. He throws it out suddenly. Nogi's entire body stiffened.

He immediately thought it would kill him.

Kurayama threw the knife. Fly straight into Nogi's face. Nogi couldn't react and suffocated.

The knife grabbed right next to Nogi and flew back.

"Oh, in the middle."

Mitsuha Kurayama said happily.

Looking back, the knife was stuck in the center of the dart board at the back of the tent.

Sweat trickled down his armpits. It hits so hard it hurts his heart.

Kurayama smiled innocently and said, "So, will you ask me?"

++++++++++

"Oh, Tatara. Isn't that funny to you?"

As soon as he opened the door, Mikio Ishigami, Totsuka's father, said. When he returned for the first time in a week and the first greeting made Totsuka, who was preparing a meal in the kitchen, a little surprised.

"Welcome back, uncle. For the moment, don't say it now."

"Yes, I'm home. And... sorry, I had a light when I ran away."

Ishigami looks uncomfortable and has a shy smile. Apparently, when he escapes from debt collectors, he feels guilty for Totsuka.

Totsuka's uncle Mikio Ishigami is a bastard.

The look is medium in size, and while he's not particularly cool, he does look like someone not unpleasant, and he looks quite young thanks to the naturally permed fluffy hair that doesn't seem too bad. He has a friendly personality and is not a bad guy. However, he was a selfish person and could only do what he liked.

What's worse, gambling makes up a large part of his "favorite". The Ishigami family were poor to a level that felt life-threatening at times, as they only worked when they felt like it, and the money they put in quickly melted into the gamble. When Totsuka was a child, he used to gather wild grass and cook because he ate alone while Ishigami was away. Thanks to that, Totsuka is still familiar with edible herb.

"Yeah. Debt collectors wouldn't even catch me and sell me."

"If they sell you, I'll buy you back correctly."

"Should I thank you?"

"It's okay if you think you're on a big ship. I've made money and paid the debt."

"Oh, did you win? Horse racing? Boat race?"

"The horse listened to my wish."

"Hey, then I have to thank the horse."

After making a slight exchange, Totsuka remembers his uncle's first words and bows his head.

"By the way, did I look happy? I'm crazy about potatoes."

"No, I don't think it's fun to do it now..."

Ishigami sits in front of the chabudai and puts on a thoughtful face. Totsuka returned to his frying pan. The potatoes are starting to brown nicely. The oil entwined with the potatoes made a delicious sound.

"You always manage to live without leaving me fragile and without coming home for a while, and I always find something fun."

"You should have fun, right?"

"Of course, it's better to have fun."

Ishigami nodded and then looked at Totsuka more closely again.

"However, I feel like something is a little different from the usual "it seems fun". I think it seems like you've found more "cool stuff"..."

Totsuka opened his eyes. He never thought this guy would say such a thing.

"Uncle, isn't it amazing?"

"Is that true? After all, I am you..."

Ishigami said it with a good face, and along the way, he looked like he was in trouble and made him cover his mouth. He tries to say, "I am your father", but it seems like he got scared along the way. This person wants to be Totsuka's father, but runs away to avoid facing the role of a father. No, he knows that a parent's position of responsibility just isn't right for him in the first place.

"I've been living with you for a long time."

"Yes."

Totsuka smiled at Ishigami. Ishigami also laughs like he's relieved.

"So what happened?"

"I met a great person. Maybe the world will change."

"A woman?"

"Is a man."

"What?"

Ishigami was disappointed, and easily shifted his interest from the subject to the issue at hand.

"What are you doing anyway?"

"Potatoes."

When he came home from school today, the neighbor shared the potatoes that her relatives sent her. She is a person who usually cares about Totsuka and gives him (the last time she gave him gobo tea).

"Potatoes? In other words, is it a potato?"

"Yes. I can't make meaty potatoes because I can't buy meat. But the seasoning is meat-potato-style, and I use the potatoes with no waste. When I bake the skin-on potatoes until golden brown, they are fragrant and delicious."

His face glowed as he lifted and displayed the contents of the pan that was on the stove in the kitchen.

"Relieve me. I have money today. If it's meat, I'll buy the best. Marbling."

"Man, I don't use marbling for the beef potato."

"Well then what should I buy?"

"Okay, I'll buy it."

When Totsuka smiled, Ishigami nodded and took the crumpled 10,000-yen bill out of his pocket and presented it.

"You can buy whatever you want."

"Are you really rich today?"

When Totsuka laughs and receives the money, he goes to the front door and says he will go.

"Tatara."

"Yes?"

When he was called and looked back, Ishigami also had a shy and awkward smile on his face.

"Sorry, for several things."

Totsuka had trouble answering for a moment, but immediately thought that it was not a word for an answer, and left the house saying, "Meat, but wait for it."

The days have gotten longer recently. It is almost night, but there is no sign of sunset and the sky is a beautiful blue.

The weather is unstable at this time of the season change, and while it looked like a summer production before, it was a bit chilly today.

Totsuka walks down the path to a nearby supermarket while looking up at the sky. When he reached into his pocket, the ticket he received from Ishigami made a loud noise.

Ishigami is the type of person who has no money to transfer. Even if he does get money, he will spend it immediately, so there is basically no way to raise his standard of living.

However, Totsuka had no complaints. He thought it would be nice if Ishigami had fun, and he is not dissatisfied with living with Ishigami. Even in a slightly difficult life, he can enjoy the ingenuity of living there and living happily.

However, generally speaking, Totsuka was an unhappy child. The person who picked him up when he was abandoned, was divorced (the person who was Ishigami's wife was drawn to his kindness and joined, but became desperate over his inability to live). Totsuka lives alone with his uncle, who does not earn much money and leaves Totsuka, who is still a child, alone at home and is out for days.

Once, Totsuka's living conditions were judged, he was deemed to have suffered abuse and was about to be protected.

It was a bad situation for Totsuka, so he survived with his own ability, and Ishigami also survived by acting like a real human being.

If Ishigami was burdened by Totsuka's existence, it would have been safe to go to another sheltered place, and he would be sure that he could live happily again. However, as Ishigami was willing to live with Totsuka as always, he was not convinced that they would take him out as a poor child.

He think he should escape from a difficult place. Totsuka is by no means a patient child. It doesn't feel like he is enduring a difficult life. So Totsuka is not sure that the place is difficult.

It should be difficult due to this situation. He is sorry for him and for this situation. It was calmer for Totsuka to have such a frame than unrelated people trying to cover him.

Ishigami doesn't seem to have such a "frame".

Suddenly, Totsuka thought of Suoh with someone.

Usually, he doesn't "frame" anyone. No, he himself exists as a natural thing in the world, he hates "frames" that try to fit all humans.

When Totsuka met Suoh, he thought he was like a lion.

Those who live instinctively without being bound by the human framework.

He really felt that he could see the aura coming out of his body. In words, it's just a feeling of intimidation, but the moment he sees it, Totsuka is big and strong.

He felt that he met a beast that lived in the desert. But in fact, this is not a desert.

In the city where many humans live pushing "marks" against each other, the beast seemed terribly difficult to live there.

Looking at the beast that walks through the city in search of a desert that does not exist, Totsuka wanted to show the beast that there is also something fun in this city.

He still doesn't know what to do, but he follows Suoh as he is driven by that urge.

He would like to show "fun" to Suoh, who seems to be crouched, stiff and frustrated, and see where he goes.

(You one day...)

When the words that a person said to Totsuka when he was a child crossed his mind, it had a strong impact on his back.

Something slammed into his back with force, and Totsuka choked and flew forward. He hit the street and rub the asphalt hard. The impact on his back was so strong that he felt nothing immediately, but when he got up with his arms raised, he felt a hot tingle on his rubbed cheeks.

"What…"

Totsuka looks back.

What he saw there was the silhouette of three men. One of the silhouettes carried a long stick that looked like square wood in his hand. Backlit, the sprayed stick looked like a black shadow.

"Eh?"

Unaware of the situation, Totsuka watched the stick go down.

The stick was knocked down on the left side of Totsuka. The impact to the limbs and severe pain tore through him.

A crushed voice escaped from the back of his throat.

When the sight that had been torn away for a moment returned from the shock, the struck foot felt hot and painful, and, on the contrary, the body felt terribly cold. Sweat breaks out.

Scared by severe pain, Totsuka raised his face as he curled up on the ground as if he was holding his injured leg. Look at the faces of the three men around him.

It was a familiar face. The other day, a trio who sold a fight to Suoh and got beaten up. A large, muscular man, a man of medium height with long blond hair down his back, and a tall, thin man. There was a uniform smile on their faces. A face that seems to be afraid of something, but is undoubtedly drunk with the uplifting sense of violence.

There was only one possible reason for them to attack Totsuka. Finding an outlet for anger with a weak man who was on Suoh's side, despite the pain and shame at having lost to Suoh.

(Hey, I get away fast.)

He remembered his words to Suoh. The escape leg was crushed. He can't even stand up, not just run. Most of the time he has a hard time.

Then he should try talking to them. Even when entangled with someone, Totsuka was good at removing damage from that person by speaking.

But now the pain is distracting him, and nothing comes out of his mouth except a harsh, rapid breath.

The big man let out a laugh like a sigh.

"If you have a grudge, face Suoh."

At the same time, he kicks Totsuka's shoulder who was lying on his back.

The blond man also gave a tight laugh and jumped on Totsuka's belly and stepped on him. He could not breathe due to the strong shock and pain. A feeling of fear that internal organs are about to explode hits him.

From there it was already spoiled.

Picked up, hit, rolled and kicked. When he held his arm to protect his body, they kicked him severely and stepped on his finger.

Severe unconscious pain and greasy sweat. The body is shocked by excessive pain, and the stomach turns upside down and vomits.

Totsuka was shaken with pain, but when the surprise of the sudden pain subsided, he felt a part of his head go quiet and his thoughts returned.

This is "violence".

He believes that, as if he realized it in his soul.

So far, he has seen the "violence" up close. He has seen the fight scene and seen Suoh defeat these men in front of him with violence. To some extent, Totsuka has been mistreated by others.

However, now that he has been exposed to an assault that destroys the human body, he has realized for the first time that the core of Totsuka's body is "violence".

These people were completely drugged. They laughed, uttered dirty swear words, almost meaningless. Atrocities make people nervous. Fall into a milky state due to violence.

Unlike the men who were excited by violence, Totsuka, who understood violence and began to move from the turn of confusion and fear to the turn of patience, was calm.

A bit of discomfort was reflected in the men's eyes.

The men are intoxicated and excited by the violence. However, at the end of that expression, there was certainly a color of "fear".

Are you afraid of getting here? Do they feel guilty, even slightly? He tries to find out, but cannot make up his mind.

When he was looking at the men with his body curled up to reduce the damage even slightly, he recognized the thin man. He took a deep breath and said with his lips without cheating.

"I don't want to see sore eyes!"

Saying that as an excuse for something, the man's leg kicked Totsuka in the head like a soccer ball.

His consciousness darkened, as if the lights in the room were off.

#k #k project #k novel #mikoto suoh #totsuka tatara #Izumo Kusanagi #homura #kor #k Kingdom of red #kingdom of red

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thingsarecomplicated · 4 years

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How to Handle Cold

I have sufficiently mocked Texans for that one TikTok of the person pouring water on their icy windshield. I have no idea if anyone in Texas follows me, but if you do, here's how to handle the cold like someone who is just happy to see positive numbers on the thermometer:

If you park outside, you're going to need to turn on your car for about ten minutes before you actually leave. Get dressed, eat breakfast, turn on your car, brush your teeth, brush your hair, feed the dog, THEN get in your car and go. This gives the defrosters a chance to work and the heat in your car a chance to kick in.

Stay close to other humans. This is probably the most obvious tip on this list, but I'm including it anyway. Body heat. The more bodies in one room (socially distant!) the better.

Cover your nose and ears. This isn't science. It's just miserable to have a cold nose and cold ears. Wear a mask (good to do anyway right now!) and a hat. Even a thin hat is better than nothing. Don't own a hat because you live in Texas, why would you own a winter hat? Wrap a scarf (even a thin scarf!) around your head. Today is not the day to tie your hair back. Use it to cover your ears.

What a good day for baking! Another one that's probably really obvious, but, you know how miserable it is to bake in the summer because your kitchen gets hot? Yeah.

Stay near your sink. My classroom had a broken heater until recently. The perk of being a science teacher is that my room has sinks. Warm your hands under warm water periodically.

Moisturize. Your hands are going to crack from how dry the air is right now. Lotion and vaseline will be your friends.

Break the wind. Wear a coat with a windbreaking material. It's more important for your general comfort than how thick the coat is. Obviously wear a lot of layers, but a windbreaking coat is probably more important than a thick one.

Your first layer should be tight. The first layer of clothes you wear should be thin but tight.

"Take off layers, you're sweating" is the Devil talking. Yes, you're sweating. You've just been shoveling in five layers of clothes. That does not mean you should take off said clothes! That would just expose the sweaty under-layers of your clothes to the elements.

Good luck! And when summer is really hot, can some of y'all repay the favor by posting "How to survive in the heat" tips?

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righttrackfitness · 4 years

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Here Comes The Snow...

December is here and so is the colder weather, as Canadians we are proud to be from the “True North” but when the cooler weather hits, we run for the indoors. As children I remember our parents could hardly get us inside regardless of the weather…they dressed us to stay warm. Why should the kids be the only ones to play in the snow? Working out outdoors can be a fun, safe way to stay healthy for all ages, if done right. Forget that many gyms closed and that many people are not comfortable going back indoors thanks to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and make outdoor fitness year-round your new approach to staying healthy.

Think how fresh air and nature can rejuvenate your sole and ward off the winter blues, think of how it can boost your energy levels and prevent weight gain during the time of year most of us add some extra insulation! I know what you are thinking “BUT IT’S COLD OUT”…why is that we dress our children to play outside and stay warm but we don’t invest in the right clothing as adults to do the same? No, I’m not saying to come out in a full snow suit with a scarf wrapped around you hardly able to move…that would be overdressing for your workout. But with a little preparation, precaution and a perhaps a small investment in some winter workout attire, it’s definitely possible to keep fit and enjoy working out year round with RightTrack Fitness. Here are my tips for when the colder weather hits:

Get the right gear

The most important thing when doing, well, anything outside in colder temps is to make sure you are dressed appropriately. You will want clothes that fit you right for whatever the activity is, and you’ll want to make sure that you’re prepared for the cold air.

The quickest way to lose body heat is to get wet. Water is an efficient heat conductor and will quickly move heat away from your body to the cold air outside. Wet fabric next to your skin will give you an unwanted chill. Let’s face it getting wet will quickly leave you chilled and miserable and when you are cold and wet you will cut your workout short, not to mention you also increase your risk for hypothermia or even worst you increase the chance for getting frostbite. I know that sounds extreme but in extreme weather you need to make sure you are being safe.

I always tell the folks at my classes to consider layers that can be taken off and added back later For our active workouts. This allows you to more comfortably — and safely — balance rising body temperatures with the cold air temperatures. The layer closest to your skin should be a moisture-wicking material, like lightweight polyester, nylon or polypropylene, to wick away moisture about 50 percent faster than cotton from your skin to the outer layers to evaporate.

Your second layer is the insulating layer, which should be wool or polyester fleece. You also need layers to trap warm air next to your body and keep out the elements like rain, snow, and wind. The third, outer layer needs to be wind and rain-repellent. Depending on the weather, your outer shell can be a lightweight nylon windbreaker or vest, or a heavyweight, waterproof jacket. Remember the more water-repellent the shell, the less it will allow moisture from the inside (your sweat) to escape, even if you’re wearing the proper base layer. When exercising in the cold, this third layer should be removed unless it is raining, snowing or very windy. You can always put the top layer back on during rest times outdoors.

Fingers, ears, noses, and toes are affected most by colder temperatures because blood is shunted to the core of the body, leaving less blood, and subsequently less heat, in your hands and feet. To keep your extremities from freezing, wear a hat or headband. There are caps and winter hats made to help wick away sweat while retaining heat. Likewise, be sure to wear gloves to protect your hands and fingers. If exercising in extreme cold, consider combining gloves and mittens or a liner under your gloves. Waterproof or water resistant will be important when doing push-ups, planks, and other fun ground exercises! You can always take off your gloves or mitts and tuck them in a pocket if you get too warm. All these add-ons should be wool or synthetic, rather than cotton, to help keep sweat off your skin. To block out biting winds, consider keeping your face covered with a running mask or scarf, something that you can easily breath through but that also shields your skin from the elements.

Don’t forget to put on your thick socks to keep your feet warm. If you find your toes getting particularly chilly, consider the design of your shoes. “Running shoes are designed to let heat escape, but in chilly weather the cold comes right in. Shoe covers, which you can find at a skiing or hiking retailer, can help lock out the cold. You can also visit a specialty running store to try on shoes that are specially designed to withstand the winter elements. Your running shoes should feature: grippy rubber outsoles that mimic the lugs on a mountain bike tire, and a Gore-Tex lining to protect from cold/wet conditions. For workouts on snowy, icy surfaces, attaching snow or ice spikes to your running shoes will help you maintain traction to reduce the risk of falls but it’s important to stay off pavement if you’re wearing spikes. They’re designed to pierce snow or ice, so on paved surfaces they can impede balance instead.

I remember as a little girl being dressed in my bulky snowsuit and big boots looking and felling like a big marshmallow. As I was dragging a toboggan up the hill I was so hot and sweaty. I didn’t dare unzip my jacket or take off a layer for fear of catching a cold. When I stopped moving, or tipped over from all the bulky layers, it felt like I instantly froze.

The biggest mistake in dressing for cold weather exercise is overdressing with too many layers and not peeling them off in time. Exercising will warm you up, and you don’t want to get really sweaty in subfreezing temps. This will put you at risk of everything from dehydration to frostbite. Start to remove layers as you feel yourself warming. Keep the layers close by so you can put them back on if you start to feel cold. When you start your cooldown and stretching start to put layers back on.

Do not forget to have a headlamp or a toque with a built-in headlamp for evening workouts! Wearable flashlights are great because they improve visibility for you, and those around you, to help prevent missteps and falls.

Here are 2 great articles to read for tips on dressing for our winter workouts.

https://www.verywellfit.com/how-to-dress-for-winter...

https://www.everydayhealth.com/healthy-living/fitness/easy-winter-exercise-tips-help-you-stay-fit/

Drink your water!

That’s right even in the cold weather we need to hydrate while exercising. The problem is, when we are outdoors in cooler weather, we don’t have the cues of sweat to remind us we are still losing water. In fact, most people associate dehydration with summer heat and humidity but, dehydration also occurs in the winter. Here are a few ways we dehydrate without realizing it:

We tend to go for longer periods without water. Did you know that breathing cold and dry air causes the body to lose significant amounts of fluid?

Unlike in the warmer weather, sweat turns into vapor and isn’t directly on our skin, so there is not the excessive perspiration that acts as a visual cue for us to drink.

During cooler weather we feel about 40 percent less thirsty, but the need for water is unchanged regardless of how warm or cold it is outside.

Here is a great article to read about staying hydrated in the winter months. https://www.summitmedicalgroup.com/news/living-well/stay-hydrated-cold-weather/

Warm up and Cool Down

No matter the temperature outside, the need for a good warm-up does not change. In fact, it’s especially important to prep for cold-weather workouts. A dynamic warm-up including low-intensity movements that mimic the exercise you’re about to perform will increase blood flow and temperature in the muscles to help decrease the risk of injuries.

“When exercising in colder temperatures, you’re at increased risk for sprains and strains,” says Debi Pillarella, an Indiana-based personal trainer and spokeswoman for the American Council on Exercise. Think of it like stretching a cold rubber band. It easily snaps, right? Warm it up, though, and it becomes more pliable and less likely to fray.

Save the static, bend-and-hold stretches until the end of your workout. Although the temperature is cold, it’s still important to cool down your body properly. Incorporate static stretching in your cool down to help slow your heart rate and relax your muscles. A static stretch after your workout will improve range of motion and flexibility for future workouts.

Don’t let the children be the only ones to enjoy the outdoors during the winter. Take back the outdoors this winter by incorporating these tips to have a safe workout outdoors and reap the benefits of the fresh air, calming effects, and fun nature brings during the winter months. Come out to one of our 3 weekly classes, feel the crunch of the snow under your feet and maybe even do a few snow angels!

Class Info:

All classes meet by the bathrooms at Zwicks Park in Belleville

Monday 5:30pm Body Weight Tabata

Wednesday 5:30pm Bootcamp & Washboard Wednesday

Thursday 5:30pm Suspension Training

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rokhal · 5 years

Text

Fullmetal Ghostrider: Before The Alchemy Booboo

Flashfics from before Gabe and Robbie got into alchemy in my All-New Ghost Rider/Fullmetal Alchemist fusion AU.

Warnings for cursing and light angst.

1. The Art Of Leaving Your Shit Everywhere

Robbie wasn't a neat freak per se, but chaos and slovenliness upset him and motivated him to put things in order, or to harass Gabe until Gabe helped put things in order. This was why the apartment, the kitchen, and Robbie's room were eternally prepared for a visit from a social worker, and Robbie bought colored sticky-marks and paper clips for all his books, and sometimes used them. But expose Gabe to a room carpeted in second-hand clothing, paint-spattered newspapers, and half-finished miniatures, and within ten minutes he would become blind to the mess.

“I can find stuff when I need it,” Gabe protested as Robbie stared down wearily from the doorway.

“Where's your first dungeon manual?” Robbie countered, and screw him for picking the one book Gabe hadn't had occasion to touch for six months.

Gabe relaxed, shut his eyes, took a deep breath. Pictured the manual in his head. If he pushed for the memory too hard, it would be gone, but the knowledge was there, he knew the battered cover, he knew the pages that stuck together from spilling soda on them...

The last night he'd used the thing popped into his head, the GrisleFell campaign with Ty and Nita and Javier, Robbie had broiled some frozen tater tots for them, it was winter so it was a little cold. Gabe had been wearing his windbreaker. He spotted the windbreaker peeking out from under a blanket on the floor, shoved them both out of the way, and triumphantly lifted the dungeon manual.

Robbie clapped politely, leaning against the doorway.

“I told you,” Gabe said.

“Yep, you're right. Point taken,” he said. “You want some help, though? I wouldn't want to accidentally step on any of your mini-figs.”

“I'm fine,” Gabe protested, but no, he wasn't fine, he just couldn't imagine buckling down for the four hours it would take to pick up and organize all this crap. “I mean, actually, thanks.”

2. Robbie Needs To Chill, This Is Not Healthy

“Just, five minutes, get the fuck off my back!” Gabe snarled over the kitchen table, and Robbie stood so fast the chair tipped over behind him, his hands were hot, he was shaking, he couldn't see, he couldn't hold still, and Gabe—didn't he understand how important this was, he had to, he had to, Robbie couldn't do this without Gabe—

Gabe had also stood up. He looked scared, because Robbie needed to hit something, and Robbie was angry, and Gabe couldn't do this without Robbie either. What was wrong with them?

“I'm sorry,” Gabe said in a small voice.

Robbie crossed into the living room where the boxing target stood; the foam was crumbling from sun damage and bits of rubber and sand constantly shed out around its base since Robbie had picked it up at a yard sale that summer. He hit it in the face and its rubbery jaw snapped back. Instead of falling, its expressionless, moldering face stared right back at him, like he'd done nothing. Punching the rubber man did nothing to calm Robbie down, but he couldn't stop; it was like a dam opened inside him, releasing an infinite surge of rage, and he hit the dummy over and over, until its sand-filled base skidded backward on the newspapers it rested on and bumped against the living room wall, until his fists started to slip on its surface and leave smudges on the gray rubber, his breath came hoarse and heaving, and his legs grew weak. Still the dummy stood, facing him, it wouldn't fucking go down, just kept rocking back at him after every blow, and nothing Robbie did made a difference.

Robbie lunged forward, wrapped one arm around the dummy's neck and bit it, high under its ear. The bitter taste and crumbly texture shocked him out of his fugue. This was unsanitary, what was he doing. His hands were bleeding. He collapsed to the floor, but now the dummy was looming over him, and he scooted himself away until his back rested against the TV stand.

“You okay?” Gabe asked, softly, from the kitchen. Robbie heard the sink running, then Gabe came over with a damp dishtowel.

“Sorry,” Robbie choked. “Just had to. Let it out, I guess.”

“I'll keep trying,” Gabe assured him, and that made Robbie feel low as a snake, because Gabe had just told him that he was trying as hard as he could. “I'll do better. I'll get extra credit. History's hard, but it's not hard-hard, it's just...you know.”

“I'm sorry, I know you're trying,” Robbie said. “I wish I could help but I don't have time, I don't know what to do.”

“I can do it,” Gabe insisted. “Go lie down. Put something on your hands. I'll clean off your rubber guy, I'll do my reading. I promise.”

“Okay,” Robbie said.

When he woke up, it was to his alarm blaring at seven in the morning. Time for school, he was starving from missing dinner, and his hands ached from his skinned knuckles to his abused wrists. He didn't have time to ask Gabe if he'd actually done the reading.

3. Oh Yeah There’s A Villain

“Life turns to death,” the being said. “Only life can create new life, and life cannot self-create. Each life is bound to its own death. That is the way.”

“Okay,” Eli said impatiently, both hands clamped down on the edges of his untried alchemical diagram. “But, say, what if someone dies. Clinically. And then they come back. It happens. Does that life have an extra death? Or a pregnant woman. Kill her and the baby. Is that one life, one death? Two lives, two deaths? Baby's not even breathing any air. That can't count for life.”

“It is the way. It conforms to the way.” The being scowled at him.

“I'm just saying, you've got a lot of extra deaths on one end of the scale. You're not in balance. You owe the world some lives.”

“And I suppose you want these lives.”

“I'm the only one asking.”

The being rotated inside the circle, its void-face fuzzing, flickering. “Whole life cannot be restored to the physical plane. Partial life can be had for a price.”

“Partial life.”

“What you call luck, and vigor. That factor that makes the difference between life and death.”

“I'll take it. How much?”

The being lurched forward suddenly, tentacles, spines rising up from its head and shoulders. The light from the circle below it almost went out. Eli whistled. “You would harvest from your own kind?”

Eli snorted. “What else are they good for?”

It drew itself up, collected the darkness around it, filled the space within the circle. “I will give you all the life force useful to your kind, whenever you kill a human being in the name of Blackheart.”

Eli grinned. “Now we're talking. I look forward to a long and fruitful partnership, Blackheart.”

#my fanfic #fanfiction #robbie reyes #gabe reyes #eli morrow #fullmetal ghostrider #all-new ghost rider #adhd #d&d #flashfic

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modestlyabsurd · 6 years

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Survival (Loki x Reader)

Shlap!

Snow dust falls from the target area - Loki's back.

After all, he said you needed to work on your throwing aim. What better way to practice than with an endless supply of harmless snowballs?

Harmlessness, you soon realized, depends on the person throwing the snowball. The velocity can vary depending on a person's strength and accuracy as well as the density of the -

SMACK!

- snow.

You wiped off the bitter cold dust from your face, checking for blood at the same time, whilst struggling not to laugh out loud and possibly cause an avalanche. Damn, he's a good aim. Gravity wasn't even on his side, as you stood a good fifty feet above him on a hill.

Your hill was tiny compared to the black, shadowy mountains with white tips in the distance. They contrasted beautifully against the pale blue sky, a color scheme surely created by a celestial artist.

Nature was the only place left that housed art like this.

The snow had let up that morning. The first time since arriving to the little abandoned cabin that the visibility had improved enough to go outside. You and Loki were dangerously low on food at the worst time of year, leaving no choice but to trudge through roughly 18 inches of snow to find more. Your chances were slim, but possible.

It had to be possible.

Luckily the snowball firing hadn't dampened your clothes. Loki's jacket - that he'd miraculously managed to keep up with throughout this mess - was holding up like brand new.

You'd only had one winter coat, the one you're wearing now, which he'd refused to the death to take or even share. One day in the previous summer while scavenging what used to've been an old folks' home, you found various medicines, and he found himself a good quality coat for the winter. Dark blue windbreaker material with thermal lining, a hood, a zipper, and large black buttons all the way up. One button was violently ripped off, but that didn't bother him a bit.

Your matching water-resistant snow pants were coming in great handy as well. Thin but effective.

You and Loki both had cut your hair short. Safer, easier to care for. Normally you thought it looked pretty rough, but you reconsider after seeing how the black fringe frames his features against the bleak, white canvas. The little snowflakes sprinkled throughout it. The pinkness of his skin. Loki might as well have been a piece of art himself, but you'd never tell him that.

You finger-whistle to him as an acknowledgement of his superior throwing skills. He has never been able to do that; no matter how hard he tries, nothing but pathetic raspberries come out.

He finds your whistling ability both annoying and incredibly sexy.

As he crouches to gather another snowball, desperately, you remember something basic. You fall to your knees, hold your breath, and roll down the hill before he can strike again.

When you land perfectly at his feet - in a fit of laughter - Loki is at a loss for words. "Can't," you giggle, "can't hit a moving target!"

"You've paid attention, I see," he says in a balanced voice although his face betrays him. He's nearly laughing himself.

Getting up from the snow is much harder than falling and rolling into it, even with the help of Loki's extended arm. You're dizzy, you're giggly, you're happy. You fall into Loki and nearly knock him over on twinkle toes.

His emotions confuse him, especially in these dire straits the realms are in, so he chooses to ignore them as much as possible. But in times like this, with you being so infectiously exuberant and being in his arms, you make that very hard.

He feigns indifference while his heart is soaring.

"Whew! I have always wanted to do that!" The high from spinning so much is amazing.

"You're such a child."

"I may be a child, but you're a - "

"Shh!" Loki's withdraws his hands as his attention quickly diverts over your shoulder.

You draw your pistol. He draws his crossbow.

He begins walking very slowly to make as little noise as is possible with the crunching of snow. You begin to follow.

A hand juts out, his palm pressing your stomach. A silent way of saying "Stay back."

You obey, but peek around his tall frame. A thin tree sits alone, its few limbs weighted down with snow. Loki inched closer to the base of the tree with his crossbow ready to fire on a dime. Dead silence. Another step closer. You desperately try to see what he sees.

Shadows and broken limbs. Snow. You see a bit of red. You step to the side of Loki, holding a breath in your chest. You see a pool of red.

He goes painfully closer to inspect the scene while you scan his six o'clock. Nothing but perfectly undisturbed hills of snow for miles and miles.

"Dinner."

You cut your head toward him. "Huh?"

He's crouched in front of the tree's base. He looks up at you, wide eyed, a few teeth peeking from dark red lips in a small smile.

He stands and raises a massive three foot long gray rabbit by its ears. "Dinner, my dear."

You stared at the monstrously sized rabbit hanging from Loki's hand for a good minute. Its wound was through the side of the head; a kill shot.

Not your kill.

"We didn't hunt that, Loki! We can't steal it!" You whisper-yelled.

"I'm not stealing it," he says calmly, "I found it. Perhaps another animal caused his demise."

"Loki, no."

"What? Are you saying that this doesn't look appetizing to you at all? At your rate, we stole the cabin as well." He's stepping out from beneath the small tree. A blood stain lays atop snow in the shadows.

"That's different. Someone else killed this. Recently! The blood's still flowing! He hasn't been out here long!"

"I didn't hear any gunfire. Did you?"

It had been dead silent in these mountains ever since you arrived. "Well, no. Could've been a stab wound or an arrow," you paused, trying to formulate a better explanation. Nothing came. Loki was already trekking back toward the cabin; the dead, slowly bleeding gray rabbit in hand. His gloves are going to need washing.

He wasn't really giving you a choice. When it came down to it, you were both really hungry. "Wait a minute."

"Yes?" He stopped and turned halfway toward you, leg cocked out to balance himself.

You swallowed. "Are we just gonna ignore the fact that that thing is five times bigger than normal?"

Loki lifted and twirled the rabbit a bit to examine it. It hung limply from his fist, eyes open, jaw dropped, big front teeth bloodied.

"Probably just a large breed."

"Something isn't right, Loki. It doesn't look right." You looked at it further, "Its eyes look blind. And its coat doesn't look healthy."

"Always the overthinker," Loki smirked. "Have you not seen the people we've encountered? They make this look like a pet store rabbit. Everyone is going to have some degree of mange about them, especially the animals." He furrows his brow, "I mean, darling, have you seen a mirror as of late?"

That earned him a nice punch to the ribs.

Doubled over, faking most of the pain, he croaked, "My brittle bones. Cruel, cruel woman."

You shared a laugh. A sharp cutting gust of wind encouraged you to finally give in to his persuasion, so you started again to the cabin.

It wasn't far away, you two had only ventured maybe fifty yards out. If the owners were still alive, you would likely still be trespassing. Now, none of that mattered. No more property line disputes, no fences, no parcels of land. No distinction. Just survival. Just free, open Earth - if you can find some without monsters.

Fifty yards seemed like a hell of a lot more when walking in shin-deep snow all the way. Loki seemed to have no problems, what with his spider length legs and genetic strength and acclamation to extreme temperatures. But he had to be hungry.

No matter what he says about his superior Asgardian metabolism, you knew he hadn't eaten in over a week. You could see the effects taking their slow but sure toll on his body; his already thin build became much more skeletal and gaunt, elbows and hip bones sticking out more than they should. He'd been sleeping long hours over the last couple nights even though you hadn't done much running or hiding. You didn't know a lot of the specific biology of Asgardians or Jötuns, but common sense says it all.

Any food you came across - be it sparse as it was - Loki would give to you, claiming that your weak body needed to replenish its energy. That he didn't need more sustainance just yet. The last time this happened was four days ago when you began nearing the end of your stock; he assured you with a charming glint in his eye that he was fine and that you were the one growing weak.

Such a liar.

The same concern for you had reappeared in him that morning, causing you to wander out scavenging for the first time since arriving to this new place. And anyone else would be ecstatic about finding game out here, much less not even having to use your own ammo to kill it. Being who you are, something still didn't sit right.

The rabbit resembled more of a small dog in size. You couldn't stop staring at it as Loki adjusted his grip from carrying it by the ears to holding it by a front leg. A much too long leg.

"How much do you think that thing weighs anyway?"

"Oh, he's not heavy."

"It sure looks heavy."

"Why don't you have a go?" he gestured for you to hold it.

Your fists curled against your chest. "I don't want to."

"What?" he feigned shock, "The ever so tough monster killing machine that you've become is afraid of touching a dead bunny? Come on, then."

"No, I really don't - "

The rabbit was thrown upon yout chest. Out of normal habit, your arms tried to catch the thing that was thrown at them; it took a couple seconds for your eyes to catch up to the situation at hand: that fucking bloody rabbit. You ropped it to the snowy ground with a lifeless flop.

"Just a few pounds, wouldn't you say?" said Loki, barely trying to hide his mischievous grin.

"A few pounds hell! That thing weighs at least twenty pounds!" You said, brushing off scraggly gray hairs from your jacket. "Pick it up, asshole."

He bent to gently grab it off the snow, clear green eyes looking up at you, "Now now, no name calling."

"No throwing dead shit at me."

He laughed a real laugh. "Fair enough."

You eventually made it back to the wooden door of the log cabin, damn fucking rabbit in hand. You and Loki were torn on whether to leave it outside for sanitary reasons, or to bring it inside to avoid drawing unwanted attention with the smell of fresh kill. You naturally vouched to leave it outside.

Loki compromised, that he would skin and clean the rabbit inside, but cook it outside. You didn't like every aspect of that.

"There's no telling what it's been into out here. I don't really want to bring whatever that may be - Loki." Your eyes cut to the rabbit in his hand.

"Loki!"

The presumed dead animal moved. Its mouth opened wider. Its eyes grew whiter.

Loki dropped the animal like a hot frying pan. It started snarling, unnatural sharp teeth baring wildly. Squirming on its back, helplessly injured, but very much alive. Your pistols were pointed.

"What?" breathed Loki.

"It's fucking infected."

"How? Animals cannot be infected with human disease," he said in more of a question than a statement.

"Clearly they can! I told you something wasn't right!" Loki stepped toward the screeching creature that was maybe at one time a rabbit.

"Back up!" It lunged for his ankle. "What the fuck are you doing? Shoot it!"

For some reason you both seemed to be paralyzed with something along the lines of fear. Both of your guns were drawn, pointed, fingers on the triggers, but couldn't pull it.

It lunged for you next.

A scream.

Loki shot twice. He hit the spine. But it didn't die. It only flinched in pain.

You shot it directly between its nasty evil eyes.

It fell over. No more screeching or snarling. Its face was frozen in time. More blood, now black rather than red, seeped from the wound.

You took a single step closer to examine the animal once more. Tired of taking chances. You stomped its head with the heel of your boot.

Eight times.

"It's gone, dear! It's gone!" Loki's desperate voice and hands pull you from your rage. You hadn't felt the trails of hot tears down your cheeks until he held your face against his chest. "It's gone. It's gone. It's alright," he repeated into your ear.

The sounds of his coos, your ugly, raw sobs, and the ruthless howl of winter wind consumed everything. You knew something was wrong, you knew it. But frankly, you're too weak now to argue that point.

You still don't have enough food.

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your-write-or-die-blog · 5 years

Quote

It had been a while since my last casting call. Looking around me now at the que of girls wearing 90’s style windbreakers, crisp new vans, and highlight on the tips of their noses, I felt as though I had been thrust into a world of Instagram models and I’d received an invite on accident. The open call was massive, for a pop band music video coming out in the summer. The line of girls snaked halfway around the Hollywood studio lot, adjacent one set comprised of six or seven fake houses that looked vaguely like something I’d seen on television. I squinted at them for a moment and racked my brains. Dexter, maybe? The girl in line behind me caught my eye and craned her neck in the same direction, eager energy exuding from her. I turned a little bit to smile at her, but couldn’t tell if she’d noticed behind her dark aviators. Maybe she was as nervous as I was. Maybe she was just so flat out gorgeous and cool that she didn’t think I was worth her acknowledgement. I knew from past experience how ruthless Hollywood was. Even though this was my fifth casting call this month, and even though I’d been working to put some weight off and had even gotten up early to do my hair, I began to feel more and more unprepared and out of place in my plain black jeans, doc martens and casual spaghetti strap top. I realized I hadn’t even taken time to read the email from the casting company. Convinced I wasn’t going to make any friends in line, I pulled it up on my smartphone. My stomach sank a bit. The company was looking for a “love interest” role, and warned that actors should be prepared for the audition to include “physical touch” and other possible “romantic gestures”. The coffee on my breath became brutally apparent and I considered ditching the audition entirely. How and why did I not stop to read the stupid email before driving here and freaking out over the lack of parking for almost an hour? My mind began to race. What if the lead singer was gross? “Romance” wasn’t exactly my forte either – I had never gone out for a “love interest” role. This is why I needed an agent. After a few deep breaths, I found a stick of gum in the bottom of my purse along with my resolve. I was already here and I needed the money, I thought. Waiting tables at the Mel’s on Sunset simply wasn’t cutting it, and if this band was as big as this massive turn out led me to believe, I knew it would mean a nice chunk of cash if I somehow landed the part. Plus, music was a huge part of my life – I’d been writing songs on piano since I was 12. To help make someone’s music come to life on screen would be an absolute pleasure of mine… I just hoped their music was good. The sun began to set and the temperature dropped a bit, a refreshing and welcomed change that seemed to help calm my nerves. To help pass the time I put on my headphones and cranked up my favorite 80’s music: Depeche Mode, Oingo Boingo and Fleetwood Mac. Before too long I found my way to the front of the line. The clipboard lady gestured for me to pause as she held her ear to a mess of static through her walkie. She eyed me and my plain face and smiled patiently, then sighed and shook her head. “I’ve got no clue what he just said,” she admitted. “You’re adorable honey, you’re gonna do great,” she said as she checked my ID’s. She looked like she’d been on her feet for hours now, but the sentiment seemed genuine and I smiled back appreciatively. She handed me a ticket. “You’re number 412,” she said, “don’t lose that ticket.” My stomach sank again. 412, I thought. There’s no way I’m getting this part. The next clipboard-person was a tall gay man, head bald as a bowling ball. He singled me out as I walked by and asked if I had my portfolio. I handed it over and he flipped through it, looked at me somewhat indifferently and then directed me to a room off to the left. My palms were sweating. What if I didn’t fit the part and this was the end? The situation became more and more real. I jumped when he began instructing us, not realizing that he had followed along behind me. “Okay, ladies, watch your step - NICE shoes, file in loves, careful now” he said in a thick British accent, ushering myself and a few other girls into a dark, cool room. The entrance to this stage had a little sitting area – I found a seat and stuck my hands between my legs, praying that they dry before something important started happening. I looked up – the ceiling was very high like a warehouse, the lights along it stark and expensive-looking. To break the silence I leaned over to the girl on my left, who had waist length blonde hair that looked incredible with her yellow corduroy miniskirt: “With the lights and stuff, it’s sort of like Costco in here, isn’t it?” She looked back at me confused and I decided I wasn’t going to speak anymore. The first part of the audition was more of a group interview – the bald clipboard guy picked me out with three other girls and I felt a surge of relief. I’d experienced auditions like this before – it was a great way for casting to get through more people more quickly. This casting team in particular thankfully seemed a lot friendlier than most I’d encountered, casual even. They only asked us our names and to tell them about ourselves – the blonde girl laid it on thick, charisma oozing out of every hand motion and inflection. The second girl seemed almost disinterested, explaining that she went to school in the area and that her friend had told her to come. Finally, they got around to me. A kind-eyed but important looking woman dressed in linen asked what had inspired me to audition. “I love music and I love to create,” I answered easily. She straightened a little bit and asked me to talk a little more about that. I suddenly felt very honest. "Music is such an important part of my life...and of society, it allows us to communicate what could otherwise be lost in a boring old conversation. People talk too much, I think..." I trailed off and became very aware that everyone's eyes were fixed on me now. I felt like I had somehow answered... correctly? She nodded agreeably and motioned for me to go on. "Well I like to write my own songs and I perform open mics sometimes when I'm feeling brave," I continued, "It's hard for me to bear my soul like that...working with someone who is brave for a living would be incredible." The woman looked up from her notes and leaned over the table, smiling ear to ear. "Anything else, darling?" This audition was suddenly much different than any I had gone to before. My ears were burning. I untucked my curls to cover them. "No," I laughed. "I guess that's it." The three directors laughed along with me, which felt amazing. The woman in linens stood up suddenly and removed her glasses so that they hung down on her neck. "And," she started, raising her eyebrows, "what do you think of Matty Healy?" The atmosphere in the room shifted at the name. The director lady smirked knowingly as the girl next to me melted just a little bit into her boots. I realized they all knew something that I didn't. Before I could embarrass myself by asking who Matty Healy was, suddenly he was there. "Did I hear my name?" He was holding a cup of coffee without a lid, a large plastic clip holding his dark curls away from his face, which was scrunched up into a cheesy grin that sent butterflies rippling through my stomach. To complete the actor-on-set look he wore a gray sort of bathrobe over his wardrobe, charmingly mismatched with a beautiful pair of shiny black shoes. The girls on either side of me unabashedly began to squeal. The directors smiled patiently as he came over to greet us. I watched three girls fall in love with the same man at the same time. "We're taking five," he said in a beautiful accent, taking the blonde girl's hand and kissing it very lightly. "God, it's cold in here when you're not dancing about like a lunatic, innit?" he murmured to the group of us, explaining the bathrobe. He was so adorable that I couldn't help but hold the back of my hand over my mouth. He caught the motion and looked over at me now. "Hi," he said, nodding to me as our eyes met. His were warm even in the harsh warehouse lighting. He introduced himself: "I'm Matthew." Embarrassment froze me for a moment. Oh God, I thought. How long had he been standing around that corner? He had probably heard the whole audition. But those eyes were so reassuring. Despite not knowing his name a mere ten seconds ago, I felt immediately comfortable with him. "Hi," I replied quietly with a laugh, surprising myself by leaning in to politely hug him around the shoulders. Matty did not seem surprised as all; catching my arms for a moment and holding them there. He smelled like hair product and cigarettes. "Thank you," he hummed warmly near my neck so that only I could hear. "I needed that today." He sounded sincere. When he pulled away, I was grinning like an idiot. "Erm," he started, tearing his eyes from me. "This project is very important to me and I've very grateful to you all for coming out and being a part of it. We're having a bit of a party for the next part of the audition so I hope to see you girls there," he smiled again and waved sweetly to everyone, murmuring something quickly to the director before shuffling back around the corner. I continued desperately to try and calm the redness in my face as the rest of the models openly fan-girled to one another, glancing over at me with a mix of delight and envy. "Okay, ladies," the woman with the glasses chuckled, waiting for us to settle. "Like Matt said, this next part of the audition we're going to have a sort of mock-shoot just to test if you're compatible - " The bald man threw his hands up in exasperation. "Nora means we want to see some chemistry, duh." Nora rolled her eyes good-naturedly as we all turned to "ooh" at each other, "right, exactly, so there's going to be some dancing involved, we're going to play a little clip of music and we just want to see you interact with Matty and have a good time. As specified in the email if you're not comfortable with this we thank you for coming out anyway. Go ahead and have a seat in the waiting area and we'll come grab you when we're ready for you, there should be water and snacks in a couple minutes." Out of 412 girls auditioning, the waiting area only had a couple dozen. The vibe was different from before, the ice had been broken and all the models chatted excitedly, sipping water, munching grapes and crackers. Not all of them had been there to meet Matty, and they teemed up around me after hearing that we'd had a little moment. Thirty minutes went by and only one girl had been asked to the set. Nora popped in and my heart sank. An extra-cautious layer of professionalism coated her voice this time. "Hello ladies, just a reminder that we had a massive turn out today and unfortunately we can only consider a few of you. We really are grateful to you for showing up but Matty and the team are looking for someone pretty," she paused, "specific ... when it comes to this video in particular and we are doing our best today. Thanks again for your patience." She smiled dryly and dipped out, hateful eyes amounting on her back. I swallowed dryly. Another ten minutes went by and two models had already given up, packing up their things with heels clack-clacking through the stage door. The quintessential Hollywood phrase was "hurry up and wait", but forty minutes had never felt quite so long to me. Finally, Nora reappeared and pointed at me with that knowing smile. It was only then that I realized I'd been holding my breath - I sighed out in relief and hurriedly grabbed my jacket, ignoring the stares behind me. While it was small, the set was much less "mock" than I anticipated: full lights and camera surrounding a simple white backdrop where a crew member sat in behind the drum set. A few other crew members were buzzing about, setting marks with tape on the floor, discussing angles, scrutinizing their notes. Matty sat on a director's chair behind the mic stand without his bathrobe this time, legs crossed. Before I could catch his eye I had a round brush in my face. "Just a little shiny there," the makeup artist said to me, motioning my chin up to her. "God, you've got great skin... how old are you?" I stumbled over my words, still getting my bearings. She waved in a "never-mind" motion. "You're over 18 though, right?" I nodded carefully as she dabbed rouge along my cheekbones with her ring finger. "There... just so these lights don't wash you out too much." She smiled and gave the hair around my face a couple twists and a spray. "Beautiful. Good luck!" Someone clapped their hands a couple times to get everyone's attention. "Alright, welcome Miss..?" I squinted past the lights and called out my name to who I assumed was the video director. "Very nice, hi, yes," he sighed in the exasperated sort of way that directors do, "Okay! So - we're going to play some music and have you sort of perform with Matty here - dance, flirt, pull his hair, whatever you want, ok? Are you ready?" I nodded and a surge of confidence shot through me as Matty looked up with that smile, scooting the chair out of the shot and putting his hand on my shoulder as if we'd known each other for years. "I do hope you don't pull my hair," he joked, "it took an awful long time to fix." "I mean it's your video, Healy," I shrugged. My God, I thought. What a face. The audition had already started and I didn't even realize. The audio was much less professional, a boom box off to the side started playing a song that I immediately recognized from the radio and I realized that the man who had decided just now to dip me was probably worth millions. I recovered from the dip and followed his lead as he whipped the mic around and began sort of half-singing, half mouthing along to the lyrics. Although the mic was off, up this close I could tell that his voice was absolutely lovely. As he made his way behind the stand-in drummer he eyed me, still gauging. I took half a second to collect myself and followed the vibe of the song, deciding the sort of alt rock guitar riffs called for some hair shaking and punk-posing. He took my hand and spun me into him as he propped one shiny shoe up onto one of the toms. I slid my hands along his shoulders and came up behind him; making eyes at camera 3 as he sang directly to it. Before the verse was over, I decided i couldn't help myself: I tugged his curls lightly and he sang the remainder of the verse directly to my face before making some sort of explosion noise and racing around me to get back to the mic stand for the guitar solo. I was in awe of him. Once we made it back to the front I felt him switch to full-on performance mode, trusting that I could keep up with him now. And I could. Before long I realized we had gone through almost the entire song like this and the director looked significantly less bored than he did when I first walked in. The music stopped and the crew applauded us. Matty tucked me under his arm and whisked us away from the lights for a moment. I was still catching my breath, yet he had barely broke a sweat. "That was, you were -!" "That was so fun!" I finished for him. He laughed and my heart melted. "Really though, like -" He had the cutest way of tripping over his words. "Ugh," he gave up, hugging me instead. His face was so close to mine I felt his breath. "And I heard what you said earlier in the group about music and, and erm - that was you right?" I nodded and he lit up like a little kid for a second. Seeing him happy like this was well worth the impossible parking, the waiting and the hours of nerves. He went on: "So, right, listen - I think we're doing a couple quick little callbacks but, dude." Matty Healy had just called me dude. He fumbled in his trouser pockets for something and then motioned for me to wait, jogging over to behind the set. The crew members were all in a bunch now, reviewing the footage and speaking excitedly. When he returned he handed me a pen and a scrap of paper. "I've lost my - bleeding - phone again but please, would you write your number for me?"

to be continued

#writing #Hollywood #acting #story #fanfic #the1975 #matthealy #the 1975 #matt healy #mattyhealy #matty healy #matthealyfanfic #the1975fanfic #mattyhealyfanfic

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changbeanie · 6 years

Note

i read that you like stussy! any fashion tips? love youuu

you read my about ???? oh my 😮 I like stussy because it's more of an affordable street wear imo but I'm irked because the tyler hoodie SOLD OUT 🙄 anyway I like hoodies underneath jean jackets and windbreakers and bombers --- leggings, ripped jeans, minimal accessories (I like playing with earrings and rings) and um I only wear vans or docs lowkey... ALSO this is winter btw, summer is something a whole lot different

#replies #anon #ilysm 💞

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sunevial · 6 years

Text

The Strings That Bind Us Together: A Needed Vacation

Chapter 3 of the Follower’s Sequel, set in @internetremix ‘s DMP universe. Featuring @miss-goggles character, Murder God! Hope you all enjoy!

Warm sunlight beat down on the white sand and crystal clear waters, making the air shimmer and sparkle in the midday sun. Palm trees lazily swayed in the wind, catching the incessant cheering of scantily clad volleyball players and passed out sunbathers. Anyone who wasn’t playing in the sand was holed up in the little tiki bar off to the side, the dark wooden paneling fitting the mood of the patrons trying to drown out their sorrows with alcohol, including a woman with short blonde hair nursing a glass of bourbon.

“Hello there dear, enjoying the vacation?” Old Priestess asked, walking behind the bar counter and grabbing a cocktail glass. Humming a little tune under her breath, she picked up a few bottles and poured the contents into a shaker. “And bourbon? Really? I was under the impression that hell would have to freeze over before you’d drink hard liquor.”

“I was just robbed of a long game and Vincent is being an ass and I know that bastard is planning something but I have no proof, I am a desperate woman Old Priestess,” Murder God said in something between an annoyed sigh and an honestly rather cute growl. She screamed in frustration and pushed the glass across the counter, planting her head into the polished wood. “It’s not like I can get drunk anyways.”

“What are you feeling, dearest? Death in the Afternoon, Spider’s Kiss, Devil’s Poison?”

“Which is most likely to not taste awful?”

“Spider’s Kiss it is then,” Old Priestess said with a chuckle, grabbing the chocolate syrup and melon liqueur.

“Please tell me Young Priest’s training went well, I need a piece of good news right about now,” Murder God mumbled, rubbing her temples with her perfectly manicured fingers. “Also, what in the actual hell are you wearing?”

“You’re the one that made the beach episode, love. I’m just fitting the theme” Old Priestess replied, sliding the drink across the counter and taking a sip of her own questionably tasting drink. Her normal long, flowing garments had been replaced with a simple flower patterned bathing suit, covered by a see through magenta sarong and light windbreaker. “But I think our newest colleague will be more than ready for the big day. He’s given us quite the enthusiastic showing.”

“Good,” Murder God said through gritted teeth, sitting back up and snatching the drink up. Tipping it back, she drank far more of the cocktail than she should’ve in one gulp. “At least that’s one less thing I need to worry about.” She set the glass down, now almost half empty and smelling very strongly of vodka. “Speaking of which, where is he? And the rest of them? Did you lose them again?”

“Dearie, I’m not that irresponsible. They’re further off down the beach with Nebbie,” Old Priestess said with a casual hand wave, motioning to a little cove through the window. In the distance, a large comically light blue whale was surfaced just off of the coast, the small forms of the Followers lounging in the distance. On the whale themself were Witch and Huntress, the former sporting a frilled purple bikini with orange flowers while the latter covered her simple black swimsuit with a gray t-shirt. Further in, Advisor was dangling his toes into the water with a red and white towel at his side, dressed in a dark purple swim shirt and dark red swim shorts. Lieutenant was seated next to Advisor, sporting just a simple pair of blue swim trunks that exposed a web of horizontal scars crossing his back. The only outlier was Young Priest, dressed just the same as always and reading a book under a large umbrella.

“Oh good, they’re with the void whale, that’s so much better,” Murder God mumbled, drinking more of her cocktail and sighing as she watched the shenanigans go down.

“Need me to take over for a bit again?” Old Priestess asked, pushing her glasses further up her nose and opening her eyes in little slits to let the summer sunlight dance within her irises. “I do love running them. Reminds me of the old days before of all of this fancy magic and reality breaking when it was just you and me and that little strip of land out in the woods.”

“No, no, I’m fine, just leave me here with my drink that does absolutely nothing for my mental state, which by the way, doesn’t taste completely like off-brand moonshine, so thanks for that,” Murder God replied, dragging her finger around the rim of the glass. Raising two fingers into the air, she motioned to a woman floating off in the corner, scribbling endlessly on long rolls of scrolls with her long brown hair brushed back out of her face. “How goes the scribing there, Bookkeeper? Get everything in already?”

The woman glanced over, her quill still scribbling even though her attention was on the bar and the two of them. As like everyone else stuck in this scenario, she was dressed to the theme, wearing an earthy dark green bikini. She wordlessly motioned to the several scrolls floating behind her, all wrapped up with a single red string and lightly colored gold. “There was…not much to record…” Bookkeeper said, her voice low and dripping like honey.

“Good, because it’s time for you to go and meet your newest colleague,” Murder God said with a little more of her normal sadistically cheerful voice. “I’m sure his story will make an excellent addition to your collection. It’s been a bit since we last added something to the Followers’ section of the library.”

“If that is your will…” Without another word, Bookkeeper bowed her head and floated towards the exit of the bar, grabbing her sunhat off of a peg and plopping it over her pointed ears.

“I suppose that’s my cue to leave as well,” Old Priestess said, walking out from behind the bar and heading for the little exit to the bar. As she passed by the little mini fridge, she grabbed a large picnic basket that definitely had not been resting there a minute ago. “Have a good rest of your day, dearest.”

“Don’t think I didn’t see the fanfiction about me and Vincent, we are having a talk about that.”

“Oh Bookkeeper, how lovely it is to see you again,” Old Priestess said, completely brushing past her rather annoyed friend boss and catching up with the floating woman in just two strides. “Tell me, sweet pea, how has it been holed up in the library?”

Bookkeeper just focused on the scroll in hand, not even slightly twitching her ears to indicate she was paying attention.

“We missed you at the summons, you know. Doing things out in the open is never as much fun without our scribe there watching,” Old Priestess continued, letting the warm sand run over her bare feet and toes. “You also missed game night, Uno, poker, me winning…”

A wall would’ve reacted more.

“You know, I hear there was even a small massacre at, well, what little is left of the first game site.”

At this, the corners of Bookkeeper’s mouth twitched into something resembling a smile. “I see…I will…have to consult the others for the events that transpired then,” she remarked, switching out her scroll and continuing to write, the feather dancing along the page with the grace of a hummingbird in flight. “And I heard the summons and met with Lieutenant…I was just too busy catching up on my records to leave for any significant stretch of time.”

“You really need to get out more,” Old Priestess replied, turning a bend in the coastline. As their steps and idle chatter drew them closer to the other Followers, a small flicker tore through the carefully sculpted trees and background shrubbery. Before Old Priestess had the means or the care to patch up the hole so rudely punched through the fabric of the void, a man fell through and landed with something between clumsiness and impeccable grace on the sand. He was scrawny, sickly even, though tall enough to dwarf even the Lieutenant. Like a visual representation of why mortals should not mess with the natural order, the right half of his body was picture of relative health while the left was, at best, showing more muscle and bone than flesh. The nurse scrubs she had remembered seeing him in last were gone, instead replaced by a dark red wetsuit.

“Oh-oh-oh-oh, hello-hello-hello Old-Old Priestess-Priestess, Bookkeeper-Bookkeeper,” the man stuttered as he picked himself up off the ground and brushed the sand off of his arms and out of his curly gray hair.

“Oh gods, not you,” Bookkeeper muttered, aggressively grabbing her new quill and pulling a red string out of her hat. With two quick knots, she tied up the finished scroll with a little bow and set it off to float along behind her.

“Hello there, Doctor, enjoy your stay in the void?” Old Priestess asked, continuing to tread along the coast.

“Yes-yes-yes, it-it was-was-was very en-enjoyable, very-very educational,” he replied, picking up his fallen medical bag and clearing his throat. “Also-also YOU ABANDONED ME THERE.”

“Yeah I did,” she replied with a smirk and a small laugh.

“WHY.”

“Builds character and keeps you from trying to help people you shouldn’t be,” she said. She shrugged her shoulders and let a wicked smile cross her face. Bookkeeper smirked a little at the statement before continuing her writing. “Also, I don’t know if you heard, but it saved you from the attempted coup, so you should really be thanking me.”

“So-so-so it seems-seems,” Doctor replied, rubbing his left arm and shuddering. “Did-Did you think-think I-I-I was going-going to find-find my way-way-way out and come-come back-back-back?”

“I mean, you do have the nickname of the Part Timer for a reason, my love,” Old Priestess said, giving him a pat on his good shoulder.

“This-this-this is true-true,” he replied. “Though-though I did-did hear the-the-the summons and-and the good-good news-news-news.”

“Ah, good, we’re headed to meet him right now. Such a jumpy little thing, so compassionate…not unlike you,” she said with a sigh. “By the way...“

“Yes-yes?”

Old Priestess reached into the picnic basket and pulled out the bloodspattered dress from just a few days ago, a perfectly round bullet hole in both the front and back of the knitted fabric. “Could you be a dear and fix my dress?”

The stutter dropped. “…did you get shot again?”

Old Priestess suddenly found the giant whale much more fascinating than the current conversation. “...Not on purpose.”

“You said that last time.”

“It’s not like I was trying to ruin a perfectly good dress, he’s the one who fired the gun,” she said, casually gesturing into the air and smiling.

The Doctor sighed and grabbed the stained clothing out of her hands, stuffing it into his medical bag and zipping it shut. “Fine-fine-fine, but this-this-this is the-the last-last-last time-time,” he replied, slipping back into the stutter.

“You’re an absolute doll,” she said, gently patting his cheek as they rounded the bend and came into view and earshot of the other Followers. She cleared her throat a little, letting the wind and the land remember how to carry the voice of a elder god who once controlled the elements like a sculptor shapes stone and clay. “Young Priest!”

The young redhead just about leapt into the umbrella over his head, scrambling to close the book and get to his feet. “Y-yes, Old Priestess?”

“Come over here, I want you to say hello to the last two of our merry little bunch. They were a little…preoccupied and couldn’t make it to game night,” Old Priestess said with a calm smile, holding up the picnic basket for everyone to see. “Oh, and get something to eat. I brought sandwiches for everyone.”

“Aw sweet! Lunch time!” Huntress said, jumping off of the back of the monstrous whale and swimming back to shore.

Old Priestess set down the basket on a nearby rock, watching the others all get up and walk over, giving their greetings to the remaining two Followers and catching up on events long since past. Bookkeeper and Advisor began comparing notes on the past couple of days, both of them engrossed in their respective reading materials while Young Priest looked on in something akin to mild confusion and curiosity. Huntress and Doctor shared a bottle of wine while he took out a needle and thread for the repair work. Lieutenant simply took Young Priest’s place under the umbrella, lying back and stretching his wings out. Taking three sandwiches and some various cutlery, Old Priestess walked over to join him and promptly sat down out of the sun. She took a napkin and wrapped the turkey sandwich up in a neat little package and set it off to the side. For later.

After all, Witch would probably want something when she got back.

#fanfiction #discord murder party #internet remix #the followers #the strings that bind us together

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