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redtsundere-writes · 4 months ago

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Part 8: Differences

King!SukunaRyomen x Servant!FemReader

Summary: You used to be just another servant among the army of humans operating under the command of the terrible king, Sukuna Ryomen. An ordinary human who only knows how to wash, clean and cook. Until one day, he notices something in you that you hadn't seen before.

Tags: MDNI. +18. Murder. Blood. Cannibalism. Sukuna Ryomen Is The Warning Itself. Nudity. Sexual Display. Vaginal. Fingering.Sometimes fluff, sometimes angst.

Word Count: 3856 words.

Beginning. | ← Previous | Next →

Sukuna hates mornings. Birds chirping, getting out of bed heavily and watching the sun conquer the skies are things he despises with all his heart. Just a curse that lives in a gigantic dark castle in order to have to deal as little as possible with sunlight. The windows with bloody roses, besides serving as decoration, have specific colors to mitigate the intense day to day light. Sukuna rubbed his eyes as he made his way to the dining room for breakfast at a slow pace as he was just waking up. As he approached the door, he heard the servants encouraging themselves to work faster.

“Good morning, my king,” the servants said in unison once the great conqueror of their lands entered the room.

The table was set as it was every morning. The tableware was elegantly placed in front of each seat, the candles were symmetrically spaced between the empty spaces and a subtle lemon scent could be perceived from how clean everything was. The servants lined up against the perimeter of the room as usual as they heard the king approaching. Sukuna inspected the faces he saw each morning, making sure no one was missing. It was strange not to see you in your usual place. Mrs. Inoue had not seen you at breakfast time or in the kitchen. She was so worried that she had already thought the worst. She wanted to ask the king about your whereabouts or the confirmation of your sudden death, but she didn't have the courage to do so.

“Did you inform her that she must have breakfast with me?” Sukuna asked Uraume as soon as he sat down at the head of the table.

“Yes, my king, she must be getting ready,” Uraume answered as soon as one of the servants served him his breakfast: fried eggs and shredded meat, human, of course.

The door opened again, interrupting the king's first bite. Finally, you have arrived. Your figure was wrapped in a beautiful dress that had been made especially for you. A pair of braids framed your face while a crystal tiara rested gently on your head. Your neck and wrists were adorned with precious jewelry that cost more than your old cabin in the countryside. Even though you had no royal blood, you felt like the princesses you used to see at balls. Sukuna was so used to seeing you in your uniform that he dropped his fork in shock.

“Good morning, everyone,” you greeted with a small bow before entering the room.

All the servants looked at you in shock for dressing so extravagantly. It was the first time you felt so many eyes on you, completely exposed even though you were clothed from head to toe. You just smiled and made your way to your new seat, the right side of the king. Mrs. Inoue was on the verge of tears of happiness to see that you were not dead and better than ever.

“Good morning, my king.” You bowed respectfully to him. Mrs. Inoue overtook another servant to pull your chair, the perfect excuse to approach you.

“Are you all right?” She whispered in your ear. You just nodded as you took a seat.

Sukuna was still enthralled with your extreme change in appearance. He had known you as an ordinary girl in a hideous brown dress full of dirt that hid your good attributes. Now you stood before him in a beautiful purple dress with gold flowers decorating your chest and flowing down to the skirt. The sleeves that subtly rested on your arms allowed him the exposed skin of your shoulders that used to be covered by the uniform. Since you always wore a white scarf, I had never noticed your pretty hair color. You were a diamond in the rough that just needed to be polished to shine among the stars. Quickly, you noticed that Sukuna was just looking at you with his lips parted as if he wanted to say something.

“Is something wrong?” you asked, confused.

Sukuna quickly returned to his reality, picking up his fork as if nothing had happened. He coughed a couple of times before looking away so it wouldn't show that he loved your new look. His heart was beating like crazy and he didn't know how to make it stop.

“That color doesn't go with your skin tone,” he complained, pretending that was the reason why he was looking at you so intently.

“Do you think so?” You asked while looking at the contrast between the dress and your skin tone.

It had been a long time since you had worn a dress as beautiful as that one. I repeat, you had never worn a dress as beautiful as that one. Your mother used to buy dresses for you, but they were a solid color and not the best material, as she bought the ones that were within her financial means. You had forgotten how tedious it was to wear a corset so tight to the body and heels that hurt your feet, but it was nice to pass in front of the mirrors and see something nice on the other side.

A servant soon arrived to serve you a breakfast similar to Sukuna's, but with mutton instead of human flesh. You bit into it, happy to be eating something other than porridge after a long time. You missed eating meat after the time Sukuna invited you to eat with him for the second time. You were very excited that from now on you would always eat with him.

“Your tutor is coming today," Sukuna informed you.

“My tutor?” You asked confused.

“He will make sure you have the necessary intellectual tools to be my wife and the mother of my future heir. He will teach you literature, mathematics, health and give you piano lessons,” he explained before drinking from his wine glass.

That last thing got you very excited. You couldn't wait to learn to play like the professionals. In your head, you could already imagine all the songs you would learn. The king could be a heartless being, but sometimes he was generous.

“He will arrive in the afternoon for you to welcome him, since he will be living here from today on,” he ordered before continuing eating. “You better not waste his time.”

“I will try my best to be the best student.” You smiled before continuing to eat. That only made Sukuna's heart flutter even more. "Is my heart failing me already?" He asked himself.

The sun was still struggling against the cloudy sky so that it could stand out among the heavy clouds. You waited patiently for the arrival of the tutor Sukuna had arranged for you as he had instructed. You paced back and forth as you could not contain your curiosity as to who this mysterious teacher would be. Your heels echoed against the old concrete beneath your feet as you told Mrs. Inoue what had happened the night before.

“He proposed to you?!” Mrs. Inoue exclaimed in astonishment.

“I still don't believe it,” you commented while shaking your head.

“And did you really accept?” She asked you as you stopped next to her to answer.

“What was I supposed to say? No?” You asked before following the sway of your steps.

“No, well, yes..." The old commented when the logic hit her full on. “At least you will be able to live better than the rest of us," she said, trying to look on the bright side.

“But what if he finds out I don't have what it takes? He'll be disappointed! He'll kill me!”

You had told Mrs. Inoue everything except about the last test your king had imposed on you. Because of that deranged test, you hadn't been able to sleep the night before. Although you could now rest in a bed far more comfortable than the straw bed in the dungeon, you had to think about how to ensure that you would continue to sleep in it. You could only remember the words of your king in an infinite loop.

"You must kill one of your race."

"One of your race."

"Of your race."

The king was smart. If he let you kill whoever you wanted, he knew you would get the foolish idea of killing a curse, a being that preys on humans and eats them with no thought for their suffering. He couldn't risk you getting hurt trying. He knew you didn't yet have what it takes to do it. Besides you had no idea how to kill them, curses are more agile and cruel than any human. It wouldn't hesitate two seconds to devour you, even if it meant betraying its king.

“Don't be silly, girl, you have everything it takes to be a real queen,” Mrs. Inoue scolded you for being so pessimistic, something rare in you. “Don't let yourself be influenced by the pressure.”

“I'm a human, how can I be at his level?” You complained as you approached her again.

“It's true. You may never be at his level, but he won't be at yours either,” the old said before taking your hands.

“What is she talking about?” You arched your eyebrow in confusion.

“The king may be very intelligent and powerful, but he will never be as kind and elegant as you are.” That comparison made your mind relax. “What I mean is that you will never be like the king because he could never be like you. You have your own strengths, use them to your advantage and you'll be fine, girl. Just like you always have.”

A smile appeared on your face and you did not hesitate to hug her tightly at her touching words. You closed your eyes as you leaned against her plush shoulder. It was just what you needed to hear, a loving and reasonable voice to quiet your mother's paranoid cries in the back of your mind. Mrs. Inoue gave you a couple of pats on the back for extra moral support.

“You'll be fine, child. We've survived everything and we'll continue to do so.”

You genuinely hoped that she would continue to support you when the time came that you had to kill someone. So far your only plan was to kill the oldest servant in the castle in the most peaceful way possible. The first and only idea was to use poison. The most complicated part would be to take off his head to give it to the king and live forever with the guilt of killing an innocent, but that was a concern for another time.

The gigantic gate descended along with the sound of heavy chains, straining to form the bridge that connected to the castle. The bars opened to let in a black carriage, one of the many that King Sukuna had. The two jet-haired horses paraded across the parade ground to the entrance. Behind the imposing horses, stood the coachman, a slender curse wearing an elegant suit and top hat.

“That must be the tutor,” You murmured to your friend once you pulled away from the embrace.

The coachman took care of parking the carriage in front of you. He jumped down from his post to open the passenger door. From inside, a tall man with long black hair emerged wearing a light colored rakusu with checkered patterns and underneath a yukata with black bloomers. Your nerves went away once they saw a human face instead of a cursed one. He was a really attractive man with captivating black eyes, sharp features and thin eyebrows. The only odd thing was the stitching that adorned his forehead.

“Welcome to our noble lands.” You bowed next to what used to be your co-worker.

“You must be the lady I will be in charge of, aren't you?” He asked you, beaming a beautiful smile.

"He is so charming," you thought in surprise. In all your years of life, you had never seen such a beautiful man as him. Your heart was pounding with nervousness as soon as he approached you. Gently, he reached under your chin to cup your face for a closer look. You blushed immediately and tried to instinctively take a step back, but his fingers flexed on the back of your neck to keep you from moving and looking into his eyes.

“You are prettier than King Sukuna described you in his letters. It will be a pleasure to work for you, Miss.” He said with a smile that looked sincere, you reciprocated amidst your nerves.

“Let me show you around, sir…”

“Master Kenjaku,” he answered before releasing you to take your arm and entwine it with his. “Lead our way, miss.” He asked you, to which you complacently obeyed.

After a long tour of all the common areas and where his new room would be so he could settle in after the long trip, Kenjaku decided it would be a good idea to start classes as soon as possible. You took him to the game room where the gigantic and endless library was located.

“I see our king likes to read,” he said, scanning the place in awe. “Do you?” he asked you directly.

“I like reading fairy tales. It's the only thing I can read, everything else I find complicated to understand.” You answered honestly.

“Don't worry. We are all born knowing nothing, that's why there are people like me who are in charge of guiding others towards the understanding of things, so that later they can guide other people.” He answered with a philosophical air as he glimpsed a green chalkboard that was kept between two bookcases. “Since we'll be seeing each other a lot from today on, I want to start with the basics,” he said as he took it out next to a small flask with chalk.

“The king told me you would teach me many things, what exactly are the basics?” You asked him before taking a seat in front of one of the work tables.

“I see that you have a curious mind. That is fundamental for learning, we are on the right track,” he commented with a satisfied smirk. “Your primary job is to be on par with the king. What does that mean? That you must understand everything he tells you the first time he says it. For that, there are things you must understand.” Kenjaku took one of the chalkboards and wrote the word Jujutsu on it. “This world is made up of humans and curses, right?”

“Right.”

“What many people don't know is that there are three types of humans: monkeys, people with vision and sorcerers,” he explained as he drew three stick people. “The monkeys are the people who can't see the curses and think they are ghosts or evil spirits. The people with vision are those who can see curses, like you. And finally there are the sorcerers, the people who eradicate curses using Jujutsu.” He pointed to the word he had written at the beginning.

“Jujutsu?” You read with difficulty, familiarizing yourself with the word.

“You see, we all have a soul and that soul radiates energy. Sorcerers radiate what is considered cursed energy. Which allows wizards to have their powers and..." Geto stopped when he saw your surprised face. “Is something wrong?”

“Sorcerers? There are a lot of those?” you asked.

Sorcerers used to be a myth among humans in the Sukuna kingdom. Your father used to tell you and your sisters that there used to be people with extraordinary powers who were in charge of guarding humans from curses, but they were slaughtered by King Sukuna so he could spread his reign of terror and have everyone under his control as flesh and blood puppets. Many said that these magical people would return, but they have never been present.

“That's a lie, Dad.” Your sister, Yorozu, scolded your father before eating a boiled potato in her mouth.

Not letting it cool enough, she bit into it and burned her tongue. You shook your head in disappointment and passed him a glass of water. Yorozu was always like that. Careless, clumsy and rebellious. She always used to get into trouble when she didn't have to, but she was the most spoiled in the house being the prettiest of the daughters. Your parents saw her as the perfect opportunity to improve the family economy.

“I'm serious! My great-great-grandfather used to be a very powerful sorcerer,” her father said, offended that they didn't believe him.

The whole family was gathered around the table like every dinner. When your father was alive, there was always bread, potatoes, wine and cheese on the table. Your mother would eat quietly while observing the manners of each of her daughters. Starting with you, you always ate with your back straight and took the utensils with care.

Yorozu ate the first thing in front of her and whatever she felt like eating quickly. Mimiko and Nanako, being twins, acted similarly, eating slowly while listening to the conversation attentively. At the end of the day, they were all good girls, but you could tell how different they were.

“I wish we had powers, so we could kill all the curses that get in our way," Mimiko commented bravely.

“And why don't we have powers, daddy?” Nanako asked, disappointed.

“I don't know, honey,” Her father answered honestly. “All I know is that we were born blessed with good health and good spirits.”

“There are many.” Kenjaku replied, bringing you back to the present. “There are so many that there are kingdoms full of them.”

“Really?” You asked, still surprised. "And I thought Uraume was unique."

“The Gojo kingdom is a good example. The royal family is the largest family of sorcerers in existence and harbors secrets as old as life itself.” Kenjaku answered.

“And how does one know one has powers?” you asked curiously.

“They usually manifest themselves at five or six years of age. As a defense response of the body to a life or death situation.” Kenjaku explained.

You leaned back against the chair with a hopeless expression. You didn't stand a chance. You had never noticed any kind of power in yourself. That disappointed you, but you remembered Mrs. Inoue's words of encouragement. "You have your strengths, use them to your advantage and you'll be fine, child." Kenjaku quickly noticed your downcast face and approached you.

"Don't worry, I will see to it that you become a powerful queen with or without powers. I may be in the service of King Sukuna, but you will always have the last word,” he promised you.

All your life you had always been someone's subordinate. Since you were born, you obeyed your parents above all things. You always cared for your sisters before you cared for yourself. Now, you were under the total control of the most terrifying curse of all time. It was nice to hear that someone was at your service and would help you in everything you needed. You were sure that Kenjaku would be the best ally you could ever ask for. You were not going to waste his kindness.

Sukuna read the biweekly reports from Uraume. A document that summarized the shortcomings around the castle, the attitude of the curses and the behavior of the servants. He carefully read every word until I saw your name on the paper. Hiser heart skipped a beat again as he remembered how pretty you looked that morning. He put the document aside to feel his own confused pulse. It didn't hurt, but it was throbbing harder than usual. "I should ask Kenjaku for a second opinion," he thought, worried about his own health.

Sukuna doesn't believe in love. He has read theories about it and heard humans talk about it before, but he has never experienced it. Therefore, he came to the conclusion that it does not exist. It must be an invention of humans to cope with the idea of being tied for life to someone by the bond of marriage. Why don't humans just marry a person who gives them prosperity and that's it? That was the most logical thing to do, according to our king Sukuna. Rats just like to complicate their lives.

Someone knocked on the door of his office. It was Kenjaku, the guy he wanted to see. He let him in while he put away the documents he had not yet read in a drawer. The last time they had seen each other had been in the kingdom of Jogo when he conquered their lands. Kenjaku surrendered completely to him and betrayed his king to now serve him. Sukuna hated traitors, but this one had qualities that he could use to his advantage. One of them was his vast knowledge in medicine and botanics.

“I'm sorry I was late in greeting you, your majesty. I found the young lady so interesting that I felt the need to start the lessons as soon as possible. I can see why you chose her to become your wife.” Kenjaku greeted him with a bow.

“Did you do what I asked you to do?” Sukuna asked, getting straight to the point. He still had things to do and he didn't want to waste time in formalities.

“I started with the investigation, but you must understand that investigating the inter-species birth between humans and curses requires time and patience,” the lesser curse answered honestly.

A month ago, Sukuna sent a letter to Kenjaku instructing him to investigate whether it was possible for a woman to conceive a baby from a curse. Kenjaku, despite his confusion at the strange task, set to work. Curses are born thanks to cursed energy, they are the direct product of the intense emotions that humans manifest. They manifest randomly, so it is difficult to create one from scratch. What Sukuna was asking was nearly impossible, but it was worth a try. Now that he knew the reason why he was interested in the subject, it all made sense. He wanted to make sure he left offspring and that the mother would be okay during the process.

“I need you to hurry," Sukuna ordered.

“I will do my best.” Kenjaku answered placidly.

“Good.” Sukuna mused. “Come closer and check my pulse.” He ordered.

“Does your chest hurt?” The subordinate asked.

“No, but since the morning I feel like it's getting lumpy out of nowhere.”

Kenjaku pressed two of his fingers against Sukuna's neck while taking the time to calculate his heartbeat. Although his heart was pounding, there was nothing out of the ordinary. He had a healthy pulse.

“It sounds good. There's nothing to worry about.” Kenjaku smiled reassuringly.

“Good. You can go now. I am very busy.” Sukuna asked him after receiving the conclusion of a connoisseur on the subject.

Kenjaku bowed before retiring. The king took out again the documents he was working on. He scanned the bi-weekly report to return to where he had left off. Seeing your name, his heart fluttered again. Sukuna put the document aside with an annoyed sigh to clutch his chest.

“Fucking liar.” He cursed Kenjaku under his breath.

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spooky-bunnys · 1 year ago

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Sakamaki Brothers x Bunny Hybrid

It was a cloudy night. The air was turning colder. The flowers slowly dying. This was (Name)'s least favorite time of year. When it was getting colder. It made his grooming time longer and he just hate the cold. (Name) slowly brushed his long droopy ears. Making sure there wasn't any knots.

He hated when he had knots in his fur. He didn't like having his hair pulled. After softly brushing his ears a few more times he decided to move on to his little tail. But as he tried brushing it. The bunny brush got stuck. (Name) stared at the brush and gave a small tug and yelped in pain....

"Are you serious? I just started!" He groaned in frustration and tried to slowly get the brush unstuck. He unfortunately failed. (Name) sighed heavily and got up from his super comfy bed and made his way into the hallway.

He straightened his ears and closed his eyes. Listening to the sounds going on in the mansion. Trying to find a certain tea obsessed vampire. He flinched when he heard crashing and Reji yelling at Yui. Well at least he found him...

He slowly made his way to the kitchen. Accidentally running into the other brothers and tripping over Shu at least twice he finally made it to the kitchen where Reji and Yui stood. He could tell Yui had done something to upset Reji as he was in one of his "Come to my room later so I can punish you" lectures. (Name) shivered.

He didn't like being punished. When he entered the kitchen Reji turned his head so quickly (Name) swear he heard a crack. Judging from Reji's annoyed face (Name) knew this conversation wasn't going to go too pleasant. "(Name) what are you doing out of your room? I haven't sent for you yet. Dinner is going to have to be delayed due to an incident." As he said the last word (Name) saw the glare Reji threw at Yui.

(Name) took a deep breath. He drooped his ear and slightly played with one and looked at Reji through his hair. Looking innocent and absolutely adorable. "W-Well I was grooming my ears and tail s-so I could look good for dinner."

(Name) pulled his ears in front of his eyes appearing to be hiding from Reji. Reji stood up straight and walked to the long eared bunny. "Yes continue." (Name) took a deep breath and peaked through his ears. "B-But the brush got stuck....in my t-tail and I didn't know what to do! It won't come out!"

(Name) heard a snort behind him and knew the other brothers joined in the kitchen. "It's true tableware otaku. I can see it from here." (Name) felt a tug on the brush and yelped again. Tears filling his eyes as he turned and smacked the hand tugging at the brush. Laito chuckled and raised his hands as a way of saying he surrendered.

(Name) heard Reji take a deep breath and slowly released it. "This is why I tell you to let us groom you (Name) you'll only end up injuring yourself or breaking another brush." (Name) played with his ear again looking away. "I-I just wanted to look good for you guys at dinner..." (Name) felt arms wrap around him and a head being placed on his shoulder.

He knew who it was just by the scent and the way the person softly kissed his ear. "Mm. Why didn't you just ask for help Bun? I would've helped groom you." He felt Shu snuggle into his neck and squeaked. "B-But I just wanted to surprise you guys...I didn't mean for it to get stuck again." The brothers sighed at the long eared rabbit.

They loved this side of him. He was always so shy and sweet. He cared for them more then he cared for himself. Subaru groaned loudly and snatched the hybrid from Shu. "It was my turn to groom him anyways. Call us when it's dinner time I guess." Like that the two vanished. Reji turned to Yui was still cleaning up the mess.

"Well then. Since you started cleaning before I could finish I guess you don't need to be punished." Yui released a breath of relief. She knew if she ever needed an out of jail card to just call (Name) he had the brothers wrapped around hid tiny fingers. She's glad she had a friend like him.

#male reader #x male reader #diabolik lovers x male reader #diabolik lovers #sakamaki brothers #male hybrid reader #diabolik lovers fluff

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blueiscoool · 1 year ago

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Roman Glassware Recovered From 2,000-Year-Old Shipwreck

Glassware in perfect condition was recovered from the wreckage of a 2,000-year-old Roman shipwreck lying 1,148 feet below the ocean's surface.

The shipwreck of the Capo Corso 2 was discovered in the area between the French peninsula of Cap Corse and the Island of Capraia in Italy. An excavation of the wreck took place in early July, when archaeologists found an abundance of ancient glassware, according to a press release from Italy's National Superintendency for Underwater Cultural Heritage, which conducted the mission alongside France's Department of Archaeological Research.

Archaeologists discovered that the cargo of this ancient ship consisted almost entirely of glass. Some of it was in blocks, while others were in the form of tableware artifacts.

Glass bottles, platies, cups, bowls, and two bronze basins were found. An amphora-a type of container created in the Bronze Age-was also discovered aboard the ship.

The cargo was "perfectly preserved," according to the press release. The finds will be taken to the laboratory of the National Superintendence in Taranto, Italy for closer inspections.

It is believed the ship sailed from the end of the 1st century to the beginning of the 2nd century AD, although this is not confirmed. A closer look at artifacts found aboard will hopefully give researchers a more definitive date, and hold clues into where it came from.

So far, archaeologists believe this ship must have sailed from the Middle East-from either Lebanon or Syria- considering the amphorae and glass on board. They also estimate it was heading towards Province, in France.

This is the second known Roman shipwreck in this region that appeared to be carrying an abundance of glass.

The Department of Archaeological Research in Drassm, France, used a research vessel called the Alfred Merlin to reach the wreck. The robot can reach 8202.0997 feet below the surface of the ocean and takes high resolution video of its surroundings. Analysis of this ship and its cargo will give researchers new insight into the Mediterranean trade during this period.

But the mission was not just to recover the ship's artifacts, but to assess the biological state of the wreck. Shipwrecks often become artificial reefs for sea life over a period of time. The structures often create thriving ecosystems, as marine organisms attach themselves to their surface.

Assessing the biological colonization of the wreck will determine how well the artifacts can be recovered and conserved.

By Robyn White.

#Roman Glassware Recovered From 2000-Year-Old Shipwreck #Capo Corso 2 #ancient glass #ancient artifacts #archeology #archeolgst #history #history news #ancient history #ancient culture #ancient civilizations #roman history #roman empire #toman shipwrech #roman art

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ice-cream-writes-stuff · 2 months ago

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BR/AVE

{ "Don't dedcate to anyone elss but me." / "I'll give it my all!" }

Blinking at the male, you hold out the package in your hand. Uniform covered by your coat as you gaze at his pitiful appearance. The cold, tired stare, a dark hoodie, body slightly hunched over. He seemed meek, even skittish to a degree.

Tamon Fukuhara.

You raised a brow in familiarity, you knew him.

…In a sense.

Sighing through your nostrils, you offer a smile.

“Package for… You?.” You say gently, treating him as if a wild animal that might be spooked.

“Ah… T-Thank you.”

He… Closes the door further, sweating bullets as he gazes at the small item in your hand. Taking a more daring approach, you step closer. “E-EEEK- !” He hides his scream with a cough, cowering even further.

“...”

The two of you stare at each other as you feel your lips wobble.

You laugh.

“HAHA- Oh, god-! I-I’m so sorry… It’s just… You seem pretty brave!”

You reply proudly, making sure you’re eyes met his after the giggle fit. “I-I.. I…” He tries to spit out any words, mumbles of worries and jumbled sentences leave him.

“Oh god- you probably think I’m weird-! Or some incompetent dumbass that can’t talk for shit-!” He collapses on his knees, head banging on the door as he wails. “ BRAVE?! I’m the least of that-!”

“..Okay.’’

“You had EVERY right to laugh-!”

You cut him off, choosing to kneel down to where he sat. “No, no I didn’t trust me. If someone saw that, they’d think I'm a jerk.” You recall a certain fan who'd probably bite your head off at such a action.

You offer out the package once more, “So… You gonna’ take it?”

“...Yes…” He nodded, slowly reaching out to the box. Losing your grip on it, he takes it fully. Glancing at the item.

“Uh..Um..”

You stand up, watching him fiddle with it, confused.

“T-This is.. The wrong address.”

You laugh again, this time at yourself.

After apologizing for the whole mix-up, he too started bowing his head. Even if he had no need too.

Soon, you kept seeing his strange presence pop into your life, (since he wore a paper bag on his head, you could easily spot him in the crowds).

A strange acquaintance-ship bloomed into your life. While, you were cautious enough to not go deeper into this situation-ship with him. You didn't mind pulling him along on your daily outings.

“Y-you.. Always laugh at everything..”

He mumbles to you one day while you dragged him to get some new tableware.

Mulling over what cups you wanted, you turn your attention to him. “Yeah… Is that bad?” You tease him a bit.

“NO! Of course not…” His voice falters a little, clawing at his hoodie strings nervously.

“I.. I really like it, your laugh.”

Pulling your lips together, you hold in your grimace, choosing to nod. Knowing the words on your tongue weren’t needed.

Turning away from him, you gaze at the two pink tinted glasses. Picking them up, you huff at the bargain. “Ha.. I think I’ll buy a couple of these.”

“Those?” The paper bag tilts slightly.

“Yeah, reminds me of your hair.” You reply, keeping your eyes trained on the glasses as you place them within your basket. Walking to the next aisle, you pause.

“...Fukuhara?”

Said male, held his paper-bagged covered face. Jittering and shaking as you hear his gloomy words ring out.

“Reminds them of me… I’m not worthy as their friend…”

Face scrunching up, you hold in your mirth as you walk back to his side.

Kinoshita Utage was one your favorite MC's as of late. With an optimistic smile, the passion the fan held for F/ACE or specifically. Tamon, the supposed, wild and sexy idol of F/ACE.

You loved seeing their growth with one another. It was sweet, uplifting!

You recall grinning in amusement at their antics on the page. Looking forward to each installment with baited-breath!

So, when seeing Kinoshita, you absolutely wanted to bare-witness the events live! Knowing that the plot will start soon.

…But you’d have to get used to seeing Tamon’s face plastered in their room.

“You still haven’t told me your bias yet!” They squealed, cradling her Tamon hand fan.

You shrug, “Does, all them, count?” You play dumb.

“Yes- but-!”

“Then all!” You make a show of it, getting up as you spread out your hands with a small twirl. “The entire group!” You state as a fact.

Utaga laughs at your antics, tone becoming serious. “IF you had to choose ONE member though?”

“Tamon.” You blurt out easily.

Utaga excitedly gets up, grabbing your hands. Eyes shinning with utter joy at the words, “I know right! He’s amazing!”

“...The best.” You give back a reassuring squeeze.

“(Y/N)...!” Utaga sobs out, starry-eyed.

“This is… Beautiful!” Holding up the shirt high, she gazes at the details of Tamon’s face. Tracing the fabric in awe as you lean back. “Well, I thought a Tamon themed goodie bag might’ve lifted your spirits after exams.”

“It DOES- Awah! You’re too good to me! You’re amazing!” Placing the shirt (carefully) to the side, next to the Tamon plushie. Grabbing you, hugging you close, grip firm. Tearful praises singing out as you to grin like a fool.

“You’re welcome!”

“You know THEM!” The two teens point at one another.

“Of.. Of course (Y/N) has friends outside of me… I’m a terrible friend…” The pink haired idol bemoans as the brunette tries to cheer him up.

“Now hold on-! You’re not! What would (Y/N) say if they heard you say that!”

“Y… You're right…” He crumples into himself on the couch. Noticing (Y/N)’s contact picture on Utaga ‘s cell. A affectionate smile worms its way onto his lips. “That’s… A really good photo of them.”

The fan (internally) explodes from the gaze their oshi produced. Immediately offering up more photos that were on the phone of you. The two gush over each new difference in each photo.

"Ah! They lent me that jacket..!"

"Lucky! I was wondering why they weren't wearing it the other day."

[Some silly, indulgent fic for me and fans of Tamon B-Side! I hope when the anime comes out, the series will get more love! I really want some merch of it! If anyone wants a mini/series of this. Please let me hear your thoughts! Comments appericated and reblogs! Thanks!]

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yescallmejosey · 1 month ago

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the plans of a cunning fox

(it's eleven pm, i am tired and i dont plan on checking the spelling mistakes until the morning)

“Your sister made these?”

Eurylochus asked, his hands washing off dirt and dust in a clay bowl filled with water, the handles shaped like the horns of a bull, an honor to Zeus.

“Yes”

Odysseus responded kneeling down on the floor of his room, slave girls bringing him fragrant incense, olive oil, red wine, and indigo candles. Each of these were placed in detailed pottery with stories such as the one of the tragic Antigone or the birth of the marvelous Lady Aphrodite. All of these were carved with the skilled hands of Ctimene, though they were certainly not a gift from her to him.

From the bag he had been carrying the teenager slipped out olive branches and leaves before placing them on a low risen table. She ushered the girls to place all of the offerings on it before burning the incense, the room filling up with a pleasant smell.

Every day Odysseus did this, every day he poured wine on a goblet and prayed to his patron goddess. Every day he offered her the best leaves he could find and the strongest olive branches he could carry.

Eurylochus watched as his best friend covered his hands in oil, smearing it before clasping them together and praying. However, his attention quickly came back to the object in which he had washed his hands in. The carvings, the way it was painted…it was beautiful.

“All of them?” He seemed baffled, impressed by the handiwork. Ctimene was two years younger than them, never said a single word to him or Odysseus while in his presence. She was a shadow that moved through the palace, always inside her room, always ignoring the calls of her brother. Invisible, that was what she was for him.

Until now that is

“Yes, all of them Eurylochus.”

Odysseus spoke with an edge to his voice. He looked back at the brunette, deadpanned expression on his face. His eyebrow twitched, showing annoyance at the interruption of his sacred ritual. He took a breath, before letting out a defeated sigh. The Greek stood up, walking to his friend and dipping his hand on the clay bowl with the purpose of washing the olive oil off of his hands. He would say his prayers later.

“Most of the vases we use to pour water or serve wine are made by Ctimene.” He started saying, holding the bowl higher for him to see it better. “Father tells me they are useless while mother says they’re not. She tells him that out of pity for Mene.”

Eurylochus tilted his head. Pity? Is that what her own family thought of her?

“They should be displayed for everyone to see. It’s art, not simple tableware.”

The words were blurted out, almost as if they were always in the tip of his tongue, always meant to be said. The words made Odysseus stop his trail of thought, his mouth quickly closing and the phrases of his argument dying down. Instead the sly smirk of a fox appeared on his lips.

“Art you say? Well maybe you should go ask her to make one of you. Oh! Maybe you should tell her to write ‘For my admirer, Eurylochus” His teasing tone was more than evident and Eurylochus’s face flushed in embarrassment, scoffing at his words as he looked to the side.

“You had to make it weird” He grumbled under his breath, bringing his hands to take the brown bowl from his friends hands. He wanted to stare at it, put the pieces together of the story it told. Could it be maybe the story of one of Zeus’s lovers? The birth of one of his children perhaps? Eurylochus knew much about the tales of the gods, his father was one of the greatest storytellers in his family after all. He was intrigued to say the least, and that did not happen often.

However, Odysseus (always faster than him) was quick to bring the object closer to him, the murky water inside of it almost spilling over.

“You could ask her for one.”

“And you could just give me one of the hundred pots and cups you have lying around.”

“She would notice.”

Ctimene had a great memory, Odysseus knew that. Her photographic memory was perhaps even greater than his, her ability to picture landscapes and even faces in her mind was not like anything he had seen before. She was truly a girl blessed by Apollo indeed. But with that came the ability to remember all the works she made and where they were. So if this one specifically were missing well…

Their family knew what Ctimene’s rage looked like and he wasn't about to watch her sister gain yet another grudge towards him.

“But!” Odysseus stood up, pushing his thoughts away to a deep dark corner of his brain, never to be thought until one fateful day decades later. He carried the bowl to his opened window. He looked down not noticing anyone in the gardens and with that he dropped the water, silently praying that his parents didn't find out about his actions.

“She would want this one back, she is especially fond of this one. You should take it to her, I’m sure she would really appreciate it” He shot his friend a playful smirk before without warning, throwing the terracotta object for him to catch.

Eurylochus’s breath hitched and he barely caught the molded bowl between his hands, gripping it tightly against his chest. He opened his mouth to complain, to ask Odysseus how he could be so careless with things that belonged to his own blood. Before he could say anything however he was being ushered out the room by the Ithacan.

“I need to say my prayers to Athena, come back when you are done”

Eurylochus blinked as the door slammed on his face, taking up a few seconds to digest what he was being sent to do.

And from behind the door he heard Odysseus yell.

“Nailed it!”

He was doomed.

#epic the musical #ctimene #eurylochus #odysseus #this is when they were teens #I MESSED UP THE AGES FUCK

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stromuprisahat · 7 months ago

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"I didn’t know whether to laugh or scream."

Siege and Storm- Chapter 15

Oh nein! Mal has issues! With consequences of his actions he should be grateful for, and his girl not sharing every waking thought with him, when her worst worries spring from his most hated topics- the Darkling and her role in politics.

And Alina once again feels responsible for his feelings.

Yeah, this would have a bit more weight, if Alina didn't do it only for appearances' sake. Or if she granted the position due to merit, not random pick of what she views as the lowest low. Or if she didn't continue speaking as if she were a narrator of wildlife documentary, describing a new species of animal that just appeared.

Not necessarily, but it's one of Alina's less far-fetched deductions.

Aleksander could've been aware of David's fascination with Morozova's work. He could've picked the most skilled in bonework or the one most experienced in forging amplifiers- they're supposed to be rare, so not many Fabricators will have that.

*mumbles* And somehow we're to believe this pragmatic man chose to follow Alina, because... ? She's the good one, or whatever?!

*chants* Double agent Kaminsky, double agent Kaminsky!

Alina: Why would you want to kill this man! How horrible! At least question him first!

She would make a delightful morally flexible character, if she were acknowledged as such, and embracing that quality.

Says who? Zoya?

He KeEpS mE So BuSy!

Saints, Alina, you can't believe everything people say about themselves!

Alina: I'm not sure my three months of training are enough, but I can do like two things with my powers, so let's focus on increasing them further AND on the mythical forbidden art that created my goal no. 1 in the first place. I bet nothing can go wrong...

Only signing? Not reading to get into picture? And who prepares them?!

Bureaucracy, baby!

Welcome to responsibility!

I would sympathize with Alina much more, if she showed genuine interest in those she doesn't know. If her motivation weren't merely "Do the opposite of (what I think) the Darkling did". I she truly believed in her own philosophy.

Shocking!

People forced to sit next to half-strangers they're not used to interact with, create unpleasant atmosphere!

My work experience considered- you're lucky there's no visible enmity- you could've made the wrong people sit next to each other and tableware could've ended up in wrong bodyparts.

Also: How is Nadia sitting next to Marie? I thought breaking up already existing friend groups was a point of this whole exercise.

They're not gifts, Nikolai. They're just your father's property, but let's remember the Darkling didn't wait for the Queen to request a specific one's service, and turned it into a gesture of his own thoughtfulness. Fuck his strategems!

Alina's misplaced sensibilities are incredibly frustrating.

She wants to lead Second Army, but not order them, not assign them tasks directly, because that would somehow make her a bad person, instead of efficient leader.

What if no one will volunteer? What if weak, incompetent Squallers will? You don't look at special assignment and think- Yeah, whoever wants to do it... You PICK the most capable person with both sufficient skills AND suitable personality.

Awwww!

Poor granny deserves an Oscar!

#Grishaverse #S&S Chapter 15 #Alina Starkov #Second pseudoArmy #grishanalyticritical #Malyen Oretsev #Fedyor Kaminsky #Nikolai Lantsov #Baghra Morozova #self centred and paranoid #Siege and Storm #Grisha trilogy #V #books #quotes #Leigh Bardugo #anti Mal #anti Malina #anti Baghra

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secretgardenfox · 1 year ago

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Fierce! Owned the first set of fairy purple tableware in autumn💜 The first set of mocha color tableware I bought this year👍🏻 Tai looks so good, I can’t help but share it with everyone~ This is my first time buying purple tableware! It didn’t happen. Our whole family was fascinated💜💜💜 The one I bought is a 30-piece set of dishes for 6 people! There are rice bowls, dinner plates, soup bowls, shallow plates, and matching spoons🥄 and chopsticks🥢 of the same color. The tableware is just the right size. I like this plate so much🛎 Every time I use it to serve pasta, it looks great I have to say that using good-looking tableware to place food will really make people more appetizing.

#tableware #Tableware sharing #appearance tableware #Mocha color #Mocha color tableware #mocaroseMocha color tableware #drain rack #bowl storage #good-looking plate #dinner plate

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thiniceofeternalyouth · 7 months ago

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MISLEADIN' ME SERIES: CHAPTER TEN

MY BEST FRIEND

⊳ Gojo Satoru x f!reader

series masterlist

Genre: angst, fluff, sci-fi, cosmology.

Words count: ~12k

⊲ previous

You'd been in the hot water so long that all the skin on your fingers had shriveled to look like old one, and even afterward you still felt haunted by that cold - your body shuddered every now and then.

Even though you'd asked Frank for a bunch of hygiene supplies, you'd only used shampoo and body wash because when you looked at your body and saw a bunch of small sores, you involuntarily swallowed, putting the scrub jar away.

Refusing to look at yourself in the mirror, you quickly pulled on clean clothes and grumbled grudgingly - you wanted something more substantial than a plain T-shirt. You opened the door ajar. "Frank," you shouted into the emptiness of the big house. "Where's your sweater?"

The rattle of tableware could be heard from downstairs. "What sweater?" he echoed your shout.

"Ya know, the white one that still survived the Paleozoic," your head was already fully out from behind the door, and you froze waiting for an answer.

An imposing figure appeared on the stairs. "Be quiet," the man hushed you. "Ya'll wake the kids."

"I'm sorry," you whispered in a panic. "So where am I supposed to find a sweater?"

"It's got more holes in it than threads," Frank said clearly angered by your choice of clothing.

You shrugged naively. "It's warm, though."

"I'll look for it," he patted you on the head. The hand was so heavy that you almost hit the floor. "Ya go on downstairs. I made some food."

Your stomach didn't rumble at the mention of food. Instead, it felt like a sticky, thick mass in your chest that you wanted to spit out. "Okay," you said swallowing hard.

When you went down to the kitchen, something delicious was waiting for you - a plate of creamy pasta and chicken, and a bowl of fresh vegetables next to it. As you sat down in front of the food, you felt incredibly stuffy. You put the blame for the overheated air on the stove, which still hadn't cooled down.

All you did was wrap spaghetti around your fork and unroll it, and if you were younger, you would have gotten a thousand reprimands for playing with meal. For the first time in your life, you could barely eat.

After the void, it was like this. Even in the same silence, there was room for background noise - all the ringing, beeping, rustling. You wanted to tell everyone what you'd found or to lock yourself in your room and never come out - at least not until the thoughts in your head was quieter.

You threw your fork into the plate disappointedly, and it clattered with such a clang that you involuntarily squeezed your eyes shut. The insistent rumbling sound was impossible to push away, and it only tightened the nauseous knot in your throat more. "... here?" someone's voice, like spokes, began to unravel the tangle of ringing thoughts. You jumped up before someone's hand was on your shoulder.

Dany stood in front of you - all skinny and frightened. "Ya here?" she asked quietly, barely moving her lips. Her glistening gaze darted around haphazardly, scrutinizing your face as if trying to search for the truth. "It's really ya, isn't it?"

"Hey, bun," you said smiling involuntarily, and with all your remaining strength, you pulled the girl against you. Her gaunt figure responded easily to your actions - she collapsed helplessly in your embrace. "It's me."

Under her weight, your legs began to give way and shake. Holding Danielle by the waist, you pulled her to a chair and sat down beside her. She sat glaring at the table, but you noticed that she occasionally glanced at your plate. "Ya hungry?"

Danielle nodded uncertainly. "Just a little."

You rose from your seat. "Then wait a minute...," you were cut off at half a word by the squeak of a plate against the countertop. You stared in utter amazement at Dany who was already shoving a second forkful of pasta into her mouth. "Have ya not been fed here at all?" you blurted out dumbfounded, looking at her sudden appetite. "Uh, no, wait a minute...," you scratched your forehead thoughtfully, putting the mosaic together in your head. "What are ya even doing here?"

"Couldn't be in that house anymore," Danielle's voice was already weak, but her mouthful of food made it almost impossible to make out the words at all.

"Something wrong?" you alarmed.

You don't think you've ever seen that shade of red on her face before, though you've seen her embarrassed or flustered more than once. "Are ya kidding me?" she snapped angrily, throwing her fork on the table - the force she exerted caused it to fly off into the far corner of the kitchen. "Ya just disappeared!"

"Dany, but I'm back..." you started softly and reached out to her trying to wrap your arms around her shoulders.

Danielle straightened up sharply and pulled away avoiding your touch. "This isn't about ya right now!" she shouted. "I couldn't even breathe properly in that house, I-I broke up with Megumi because of it, I thought...," she sobbed and went silent for a second trying to quiet the growing pain in her throat. "I thought this would happen to me at some point too, I'd just disappear even though someone would wait for me," the girl mechanically began to shake her head from side to side as if denying everything that could happen to her.

You were taken aback by this outburst of emotion, and you blinked your eyes in confusion and tried to touch her again. "It's okay," you said quietly, wiping away a tear that had appeared on Dany's cheek. "Maybe it wasn't like that yesterday, but it's fine now. What did ya...," you fell silent for a second, rubbing your temple as if that might take away the approaching headache. "Ahem, what did ya say about Megumi? Did ya two really break up?"

"I didn't want the same fate for him," Danielle mumbled taking your hand away from her face - this time her movement was neither angry nor wary. Quite the opposite, she squeezed your palm in hers. "So... It'll be easier for both if us."

"Dany, if ya just don't like him anymore, that's one thing," you said smirking slightly.

"It's not like that!" she blurted out indignantly, and if her eagerness had been a fraction stronger, there was a chance your palm in her hand would have crunched. "I already explained that!"

"I don't doubt ya had noble goals in mind," you said nodding meaningfully. "But don't ya think it should be up to the two of ya to decide?" exhaling noisily through her nose, Dany frowned. "It's not like I even asked about it, though," you pointed out reasonably. "He agreed to break up with ya?"

Danielle faltered. "I, uh... I just confronted him with the accomplished fact."

"So mature of ya," you patted her hand condescendingly while smiling broadly - and even though Dany couldn't see it, she could clearly sense it in your voice.

"Everything's a joke to ya, isn't it?" she hissed, jumping up from her seat. "Though what was I even counting on?" she asked, grinning bitterly. "I doubt ya'll ever understand me. Ya and the topic of relationships are... well, ya know. Incompatible," she waved her hand disappointedly leaving your dialog behind and headed for the second floor.

You would have called out to her if it hadn't been for a impudent misunderstanding between you two. What upset her so much? What did you say wrong?

In this blind journey, the feelings of one person never reached the feelings of the other. All the words got lost and dissolved - you were silent. You were silent and watched her disappear into the darkness of the second floor.

"Ahem," Frank coughed pointedly, coming down the stairs just after Danielle left. "Here ya go," he said, holding out his old sweater to you.

You frantically pulled the sweater over you, catching your breath. Once your head was through the collar, you exhaled disappointedly. "Ya heard everything, didn't ya?"

"Not on purpose," Frank replied idly, picking up his fork from the floor. "Young lady, is this how I taught ya to act around food?" he said, turning his attention to the plate in which the disheveled spaghetti rested.

"I'm sorry," you pressed your lips together guiltily. "I didn't feel like I can eat anything, and Dany... Well, she just didn't finish it."

"Ya need to go to the doc. We’re leaving," Frank sternly retorted.

"Frank, it's late and-"

"I said we’re leaving!" he bellowed, slamming his fist down on the table - the tabletop was clearly not ready for such a thing. There was a pitiful cracking sound. You bit your tongue and your eyes widened for a moment - if you'd ever seen Frank like that, it was so long ago that you couldn't even remember.

"Frank, I'm fine," you said, choosing your words carefully. "I'll go see him tomorrow morning, 'kay?"

"Why in the morning?" he said warily, pushing back a chair and gesturing for you to sit down - the sweep of his hand somehow looked like an invitation to an execution.

After hesitating, you walked over and sat down - as instructed. "There's something I need to do. I don't think I can eat or even just sit still until I do."

"What exactly?"

"I really need to see the higher-ups," trepidation turned your voice into a squeak and you coughed, embarrassed at what you heard.

"Why?" Frank tapped his fingers harshly on the damaged tabletop.

You faltered, staring at your lap. "I want to see if there's someone else among them," you said so quietly that Frank could only understand your words when he read your lips.

"What?" he interrogated incredulously. "Ya really think there could have been some trash among them?"

"Yeah, I think so," you replied firmly. "Though no, I'm not sure. Not all the way through. It's just that I think so. God," you buried your face tiredly in the palm of your hand. "That's exactly why I want to check."

Frank was dumbfounded, for nothing like this had ever happened before in his memory, nor in the stories of his father and grandfather. "No, ya can't do that," he objected. "Think about it," noticing your skeptical expression, Frank switched to a conspiratorial whisper. "Ya can't just barge in and test them like that. What if the demon isn't among them? What if one of them die in the process? There'll be tons of witnesses that ya did it, and ya have to realize what'll happen. And even if ya do find a demon among them, what then? At best, ya'll have to fight it, and look at ya!" he said indignantly, grabbing your skinny hand. "And if ya're unlucky, ya'll just scare the bugger away. No, ya can't do that," he shook his head. "We have to be smarter, more cunning. Fish them out one at a time and check them out. If one doesn't make it and still dies, there'll be no witnesses. I'll give ya an alibi. Ya were at my place tending the roses," he squeezed your palm gently. "Yeah, tending roses," the man nodded confidently. "To check on everyone, ya need to recover, though, so we're going to the dock. No arguments."

"I guess ya're right," you mumbled guiltily, then bit the inside of your cheeks for a moment - all out of frustration. "I'm just... I'm just in a hurry."

Frank ruffled your hair, smiling cordially. "What did I teach ya? It's just like eating, isn't it? If ya hurry, ya'll get indigestion," he said, standing up and putting the plate of pasta in the sink. "Besides...," he began tautly after a brief pause; the sound of the plate clattering against metal sent shivers down your spine. Since when did that sound become so creepy? "Food is supposed to be enjoyed."

You glimpsed the man, his face shrouded in shadows for a moment. "Frank," you began mundanely. "Ya said we going to doc? Ya going with me?

The shadows immediately dispersed as if by obedience to a lighted lantern. "Sure!" he exclaimed resolutely. "I must see to it myself."

"It's not like I'm a kindergartener," you whined.

Frank hummed skeptically and protractedly. "Maybe not, but to me ya're still a little pain in the ass."

You continued to whine. "I'll get there myself!"

"No bickering," Frank ordered confidently but gently, raising his palm in the air - you were immediately silenced.

"Fine," you frowned, pouting your lips. "But can we still go in the morning? I'm too tired right now," you muttered, getting up from your chair, but only to get to the couch and flop down on it. "Can't we at least watch something?" you hissed angrily, waving your hand toward the TV. "Some stupid show, movie or series, whatever. I just really miss TV."

Frank sat down next to you. "Certainly we can," he said, turning on the TV.

Pictures appeared on the screen. Bright juicy images that made your eyes water, but you were glad of that because the color purple hadn't given you anything but a migraine in a long time. Frank switched channels until you saw something that looked interesting and watchable.

You settled down and stretched out on the couch to your full height, throwing your legs unceremoniously over Frank's lap. All your attention was on what was happening on the screen, so you didn't even notice how Frank smiled at first, and then, noticing the calluses and sores on your feet, swallowed worriedly. "Aren't ya expecting anyone?" you suddenly blurted out your question, shifting your gaze to the door.

Frank, taken aback, shook his head. "No," he drawled hesitantly. "I'm not expecting anyone. What's the matter?"

You glared at the door for a few more moments. "No, nothing," you muttered quietly, returning your attention to the television. "How long ago did Dany and Megumi break up?" you asked, gently poking the man's stomach with your foot.

He immediately exhaled sharply and irritably as if he'd been waiting for you to ask that question. "As soon as she moved here!" he spat out, clapping his hands. "This boy comes here almost every week to talk to her, and she doesn't even leave the room. She can't even tell me what's troubling her! Her wording is so vague... I just want to grab her by the shoulders and shake her until she comes to her senses!" he slapped your leg with heat, and you hissed involuntarily. "Sorry!"

"It's okay," you said, though it felt like an electric shock was still shooting through your leg. "I'll try to talk to her, though ya heard it yourself... Maybe Kyle should be the one to ask. He's good at, well, uh, how to put it..."

"Support people?" finished the man for you.

"Yeah," you nodded. "Sorta."

"Yeah, he came by already, tried to," he waved his hand irritably. "It's like she can't hear anyone."

"We have to get her out of this state," you declared, fidgeting restlessly. "I don't want her to do anything stupid."

Frank squinted suspiciously, looking at you. "What kinda stupid thing is that?" you looked at him meaningfully, pursing your lips. "No," he said with a huff. "She wouldn't dare."

"She's a teenager," you remarked, sitting up and tucking your legs under you. "Teenagers have a rough time of it. First and most often unrequited love, adjustment, successful or not-so-successful socialization, misunderstanding from parents who devalue their problems-"

"Ya'll have to excuse me, but most of the time teenagers don't have real problems," Frank said, but noticing your nostrils starting to flare, added: "I said most of the time. Not always."

"Everyone judges the depth of a puddle based on their own height," you subdued the man with a look. "And they haven't grown up yet. They may brush it off or laugh about it in a dozen years, but right now it's a real problem for them," you burrowed deeper into the collar of your sweater as if hiding. "And it's all just about ordinary life. Now imagine what life is like for Dany in our world."

"So maybe we should let her go?" suggested Frank quietly.

"That's for her to decide. And anyway, she has no mother or father left, where are we gonna let her go?" you objected. "I'll still try to talk to her again after a while. No, I'll at least try to get her out of the room first, and then I'll see how it goes."

Frank glanced over his shoulder, straight for the stairs. Nothing was heard - no fuss, no footsteps. "All right," he said. "But after what ya said, it makes me wanna take the door off its hinges in her room now."

"Ya're supposed to be improving her condition, not making it worse," you muttered unhappily.

Frank, to signify his defenselessness, threw up his hands. "I said what I wanted to do, not that I was really gonna do it."

Without answering anything, you were running through your head thinking that you wouldn't have taken the door off its hinges. You would have just installed cameras. At Frank's questioning look, you slapped yourself on the forehead for allowing such an idea. Frank hummed longingly as if your entire chain of reasoning was right there in plain sight and he'd followed it. "We're not gonna do anything like that!" you protested, jumping up on the spot.

"Honey, ya okay?" the man asked worriedly, grabbing your shoulder and bringing you back to your original position.

"Yeah, yeah," you nonchalantly waved it off, leaning back on the back of the couch. "Look, but guys... I mean, Kyle, Rachel, and Issu, they... they went on without me, right?"

"Sure," Frank confirmed, squeezing your shoulder. "They're responsible persons," you felt light. No doubt you'd felt it before, whether it was your lean body or your home surroundings, but this was a different feeling. Not lightness. Relief. Frank noticed the wrinkles in your forehead finally relax. "What is it?"

"Frank, I found a settlement."

The man, startled by what he heard, gave an amazed gasp. You felt a large hand scoop you up, and all you had time to do before you were pinned to his chest was squeak. "Oh," Frank chuckled nervously. "The darkest hour is nearest the dawn, yeah?"

Frank stroked your hair and seemed to be saying how good you were - the lack of oxygen in his arms made you dizzy, and you couldn't tell if he was saying it or if you were just imagining it. It felt good, though. "Uh-huh," you muffled out.

When the man finally loosened his grip a little, you were able to take a few full breaths and come to your senses. Your gaze automatically drifted to the front door again. "The fuck is this," you cursed, getting up from your seat. In one motion, you were at the door and opened it with a jerk. No one.

You ran out onto the porch, looking around - no one was lurking behind any bush or tree. You rushed out to the backyard. Still in your right mind and sneaking carefully between the beds so as not to damage anything, you hung over the low wooden fence and looked down - the path that led to your house was indeed someone running. Someone small and thin, probably a child. The last thing you saw before the child finally ran down the hill and disappeared behind the other house was something glinting on his hand.

"Who's there?" shouted Frank, standing at the beginning of the beds.

You looked once more at the house behind which the unknown guest had hidden. There was nothing to be seen. "I have no clue," you said, still keeping your eyes on that house and hoping someone would show up. "It looks like it was a kid."

Frank, resting his arms at his sides, snorted. "What kinda kid walks this late?" waiting a little while for you to level with him, he strode beside you back into the house. "Okay, ya stay here and I'll go and go around to everyone," he said, stepping over the threshold - only to grab his jacket. "Maybe one of the adults didn't look out. It's no case for a child to be out alone so late. Even in Hopetown," Frank kissed you on the top of the head and left you alone with the show on TV.

***

The series was interesting. You didn't even notice the morning had come when you were watching people who had survived a plane crash trying to survive on an island far away from civilization. Frank, who had returned in the middle of the night, had fallen asleep on the couch where you were sitting, muttering quietly to himself that no one had lost anyone.

The man slept so soundly that he was not disturbed by the birds whose beautiful singing in the morning seemed annoying, nor by the sound of the alarm clock on his phone, which pissed you off more. "Frank, turn it off," you muttered, but he didn't respond. You kicked him defiantly in the thigh, and only then did he perk up, jabbed something randomly at the phone screen, and his head fell back against the pillow. "Frank, the geese won't feed themselves," you said, climbing up and sitting down on the back of the couch. "Get up, ya sloth!" planting your feet on his back, you attempted to shove him off the couch. The man's body wouldn't budge, and the alarm clock rang again.

You were distracted from the action by a thin voice. "Y/N-ie?" there was Tris on the far step, clutching a tattered stuffed cat. Frank jumped up on the spot, and you tightened your lips skeptically - a tank shot wouldn't have woken him up, but a child's voice brought him to his senses.

"Ya woke her," you hissed, jumping off the couch. You walked over to Tris and squatted down in front of her. "Hey," as soon as you reached for her, she immediately pulled away and almost tripped on the step. "What's wrong?" you worried, frowning your eyebrows.

"You're ugly," the girl stared at you with frightened eyes and clutched the toy harder to her chest. "Don't touch me."

You opened your mouth, but closed it again. "She's not ugly," said Frank, scooping Tris up in his arms. "She just hasn't been eating enough. Now do ya see what happens to people who don't eat enough?" he questioned instructively, walking over to the fridge.

You should have spent more time with her. She rarely saw you, and this time you came home looking like that. You knew exactly why she'd acted the way she did, but you couldn't help the pang of annoyance.

You walked over to her, sitting meekly on Frank's arm and examining the contents of the refrigerator with him, and immediately intercepted the little girl - she immediately started kicking and squealing. "Let go! I don't wanna!"

You pulled her against you, ignoring the childish but precise blows of small fists against your body. "It's me, it's just me," you babbled, never losing your grip, though you cringed every time a fist hit your bulging spine. "That's me. Bun, look at me," just hearing the nickname startled Tris. She frowned at you, and though she still didn't trust you, she stopped whipping you.

"You used to come more often," tears could be heard in her voice. "Why did you stop coming? Y-you don't love me anymore?"

"What?" you blurted out in confusion. "No, no, of course not. I just got worked up. I'm sorry," you said, pulling her tighter against you.

If her tears had been silent before, now she burst into sobs. "S-so you love work more?"

"No, no, don't say that. I love you equally," came the clank of a plate and Frank turned around and looked at you so fiercely that you immediately realized your mistake. "That's not what I meant to say! Of course I love ya more. It's just... I need to make some money," you said quietly, shielding Tris from any other more detailed explanations as to why you were doing this.

Frank rustled the kitchen utensils harder, drawing attention to himself. "Honey," he addressed Tris, though you both raised your heads. "What do ya want for breakfast?"

Tris sniffed weakly through her reddened nose. "Omelet with cheese," she said quietly, and snuggled into your neck again.

Frank's phone rang again - you snorted irritably, thinking it was another alarm clock, but to your surprise, he tapped the screen and put the phone to his ear. Who's calling him this early? "Yes," he said into the receiver. "Yeah, she's here," he answered monosyllabically, giving you a glimpse. "Yeah, I got it," he dropped the call and stared dumbly at the screen for a few more seconds. Coughing, Frank slowly walked over to you. "Higher-ups are calling."

For some reason now, thinking about last night's strange guest made your insides boil - just like the water in a kettle, only this one had an automatic shutoff, but your insides continued to seethe. "What the hell?" you whispered angrily, looking up at the puzzled Frank.

As you walked along the tired road, ignoring the streetlights that had been there for a hundred years, you kept thinking about that child. Had they really fallen so low as to ask the child to watch you and, more importantly, what had the higher-ups offered them? Or did they take advantage of the little man's unselfishness?

The snow had melted and the masonry was still covered with fallen autumn leaves. Had it occurred to any of them to pick up a broom and clean up the mess? Out of frustration, you tried to kick one such leaf - it mockingly flew aside, and you almost fell. "Careful," Frank said, grabbing you under the arm.

Despite your condition, you tried to keep your posture as straight and your head as high as possible, even though it made you uncomfortable. As soon as you were distracted for a second, your body folded in on itself and your head fell back. "Did ya tell them?" you asked, realizing the absurdity of your question.

"No."

"I had to ask."

"I know," Frank said understandingly.

No matter how much you walked, it was as if the wide wooden doors were never coming closer. "Was it a good idea to leave Tris and Mike with Danielle?"

"I'm not sure," the man shook his head sadly. "But I couldn't send ya alone, either. And Danielle... Maybe she'll be distracted for at least an hour, who knows."

"Or maybe she needs some peace and quiet right now and we've only made things worse," you put forward a disappointing suggestion.

Frank's face turned stern, which foreshadowed the grumbling. "That's it, enough. We can't keep up everywhere and always do everything right."

"Is this about your cheese omelet?" you giggled.

Frank immediately exploded. "I did everything right!" he thundered. "Why didn't she like it?"

You bit your lip, trying to suppress a sly smile. "Tris told me that Gojo's was better," though Frank's face was covered by a thick mustache and beard, you could see that his face was turning red, and the increasing wheezing could be picked up even by a hearing impaired person. "Don't be so jealous," you encouraged him, shoving him lightly with your shoulder.

"Let your man cook for her now, then," he muttered unhappily.

You didn't blush, you didn't flinch or swallow your tongue - it all sounded like one big joke to you. "He's not my man," you dismissed.

The door seemed closer and closer. It was only three lanterns away. "For how long?" snorted Frank. "He even took Shaya's-"

"That's it, I'm going," you cut him off halfway through.

The man froze in place, and you stopped abruptly with him, for Frank still held you under his arm. "What does that mean? I'm coming with ya."

"No," you objected softly. "Just in case, I need ya out of the area of potential danger."

Frank jerked you to stand in front of him - he stared into your eyes, trying to find your plans in them. "I told ya not to do anything rash."

You squeezed his hand gently. "I won't. Just being reassuring."

He squeezed your palm in response. "Fine, but I'm gonna stand here. One more thing - if ya're not back in ten minutes, I'm coming after ya."

You giggled, childishly and shyly nodding. "Okay."

Without looking back, you made it the rest of the distance to the door much faster than you'd expected, and what surprised you even more was that it was closed. You leaned your forehead against the wooden surface - of course you would have liked to kick the door with your foot to secure your long-held opinion of yourself, but you could do nothing more than push. The door gave way with great difficulty, shuffling and scratching the floor - not for a moment did you feel as if you were moving a mountain, for you had done your best, and it had hardly moved an inch or two.

You pushed again, and the door gave way as easily as if it weighed nothing - it flew off with a bang, causing you to slam face down on the floor. "Eh...," you mumbled. There was no blood - but the sharp sensation in the bridge of your nose made you start to sniffle. You raised your head - five pairs of eyes were staring at you. All of them. "Howdy," you muttered, rising to your feet and shaking yourself off. "Couldn't ya open it?" you asked grudgingly, pointing behind you. "It's heavy."

Christian glanced at you from head to toe, slowly stroking his chin. Only Nathaniel greeted you with a nod of his head. Old Ellie sat next to him. You could see through the magnifying lenses of her glasses that her eyes were slipping shut. A couple, a man and a woman, who didn't even glance in your direction, but only continued to talk quietly about something, occupied the remaining two chairs on Christian's left hand. "Ooh," you drawled contentedly. "Even the married ones are here. Ravona, Yoichi, hey," you waved at them, and the woman finally graced you with a glance. You chuckled quietly as she raised her eyebrows haughtily and went back to cooing with her husband. "What can I do for ya?" you turned to Christian obligingly.

"A cockroach, indeed," Christian said absently, and he was no longer looking at you, but through you. "You came back last night."

"Yes-"

"It wasn't a question," Christian said, flailing his palm lightly in the air. "You should have come here right away," you bit your cheeks and lowered your head sharply, all because you felt a growing anger – like the anger a child feels when a parent scolds him for something as trivial as that. "You're aware of that, too, so you're not being as cheeky as you usually are."

"Yeah I just wanted to take a bath and rest for a while," you blurted out, splashing your hands dramatically at the injustice. "What's wrong with that?"

Christian barely audibly clucked his tongue. "People could have gotten hurt 'cause of your cravings," he stated, rising from his seat and carefully picking up the clerical shears from the stand with his fingers. "You know the terms under which we agreed to maintain neutrality, so if you'd be so kind...," he stepped close to you - so close that you could smell his breath mixed with the scent of minty mouthwash. "Hold still."

Christian raised one arm, the loose shiny fabric falling away, exposing his forearm. "What are you doing?" bellowed Nathaniel alarmed. "That's not protocol!"

"Silence!" Christian hissed loudly, throwing his scissor hand into the air. Nathaniel stopped abruptly and put his hand to his mouth - you could see from the corner of your eye that he was trying to separate his stitched lips with his fingers.

Something under your eye prickled. When you touched the pad of your finger to the sore spot and looked at it, you noticed blood, and then you turned your gaze to Christian, eyebrow raised disapprovingly. "I apologize," he said courteously, lowering the hand that was clutching the shears and bringing it to his bare forearm. "I was careless. It won't happen again. Now...," he ran the edge of the scissors across his skin without thinking, leaving a long deep cut that immediately began to bleed.

For everyone here, it started to flow. For you, it started to ooze. Breathing steadily, you tore your gaze away from the scarlet liquid and stared into Christian's eyes. No surprise, there was a condescending, barely perceptible smile on his face as usual. Saliva began to pool in your mouth, but you didn't dare swallow, not to let on that all you felt was dread hunger.

Dread hunger was always something unpleasant, even painful and unbearable, but you were in nothing but excruciating pain - as if every bone in your body were being broken in three places and all your nerves were being slowly pulled out from under your skin. For a second, you wished the man standing in front of you would turn into a mirror - just to make sure you were all right. In fact, Christian did reflect your condition because if anything had happened to you, his haughty smile would have turned into a nasty one.

Nathaniel rose from his seat again, drawing attention to himself. Christian reluctantly turned around, hardly taking his eyes off you. "That's enough. She's fine," Nathaniel said sharply, and you took advantage of the confusion to finally swallow the thick saliva that had accumulated.

"Well," Christian sighed, and after waiting for the wound on his forearm to heal, walked to his chair. "I won't keep you any longer," he said carelessly over his shoulder.

You couldn't even roll your eyes, and with the last shred of pride you could muster, you turned and walked away from the place. Your throat felt like it was churning, and it seemed to you that as soon as you opened your mouth, either vomit or blood would pour out.

You were beginning to forget your own language, so when you saw Frank on the horizon, you couldn't swear properly - even your thoughts were a mess of letters and sounds instead of the usual words. Your legs began to shake. The last thing you saw before you bent in half was Frank running toward you. "Honey," he whispered, picking you up by the waist. "Does it hurt too much?" he worried, trying to look into your face, but you didn't rise it. You didn't even hear him. "Let's get ya to the doc," the man said softly, scooping you up in his arms.

[May 30, 2020; 09:43 am; hunters' hq]

Your vision was so blurred that even the silhouettes were a mishmash of faded colors. You couldn't feel your own limbs, and you shook your head sluggishly as someone's hands tried to shove something into your mouth - the tip of your tongue picked out several small, smooth capsules, and then your mouth was filled with water; you coughed - someone instantly pressed their palm against your lips, forcing you to swallow it all.

Finally, the mess in your eyes began to blur - you saw a doc's coat disappear through the doorway, like a snow-white dove that had flown away. "Hey," the face leaning over you was nothing, though you caught a glimpse of green. "Sunshine, ya okay?"

Rolled onto your side, you squeezed your eyes shut a few times, and when you opened them, you saw Kyle in front of you. You wanted to jump up and pounce on him, but he hugged you faster. "Kyle!" you exclaimed in relief. "God, it's so good to see ya again!"

"Hey," he reached out softly, burrowing into the top of your head.

You squirmed impatiently. "Kyle, that was awful!" you complained. "I had to lie on the bare floor, my lower back hurts like hell, no hot water or food, no toothpaste, I'm ninety percent sand, my knees hurt, and my ears are still buzzing like there's a train coming!"

A chuckle escaped Kyle's lips - he was relieved at the sound of your confused babbling as confirmation that you were indeed back. "Easy," he grinned, laying you back down on the couch. "Ya still have a high fever, so don't jump up."

You snorted. "How many people do ya even know who died of high temperature?"

"Read about the Inquisition, that's fucked up," he joked, pulling the blanket over you and tucking the edges under your squirming legs.

You hesitated a little and watched the procession, your lips tightening uneasily and you pulled yourself to a sitting position again. "Look, Kyle... Out there in the void-"

He looked at you despondently. "Don't even start," he retorted grimly.

"We need to get back there as soon as possible-"

"Enough!" he bellowed angrily. "Ya just got back, and all ya doing now is complaining, snapping at me, and also claiming ya need to go back! Have ya even considered how I feel, no?" his voice broke on the last words, and it happened as suddenly as it did easily - as if someone had accidentally snapped a thin dry branch in two. "Don't ya dare," he panted, shaking his head tiredly.

"Kyle," you began softly. "I told ya I'm really happy to see ya-"

"It's a bare fucking minimum!" his broken voice turned to a shout, and as he gave you his disappointed stare, you discerned in the fluorescent light the redness of his eyes.

As you struggled to swallow the threads of resentment and injustice, you thought about the fact that maybe you deserved this kind of bias on his part, but that didn't give Kyle the right to interrupt you. "I just wanted to tell ya that I found a settlement, that's all," you muttered, playing with the edge of the blanket with your fingers.

"Oh, shit," Kyle marveled, and now without the veil of anger in his eyes, he sat down gently on the bed and wrapped his arms around you again. "I'm sorry," he mumbled guiltily. "I... I was just really worried, ya know."

"Screaming wasn't necessary," you mumbled grumpily into his shirt. "That's why I have to go back there, or show ya, so ya can at least start without me."

"I know, I know," Kyle said understandingly, stroking your head because he now shared your excitement with you. "But in order to show it, ya need to recover. Ya can't go into the void yet. Even if ya don't get broken in half, if Doc finds out about it, he-"

"Will cut off my legs," you finished for him doomfully. "I'm aware of that."

Kyle hummed thoughtfully. "Ya know what we should do? Why don't ya take a couple weeks off for now, and then ya can show me, where the settlement is" you grimaced irritably at the time he'd given you. "And I'll show Rach and Issu, and we'll start without ya. And when ya finally recovered, ya'll join us. Deal?"

"And what will ya do for those two weeks?" you sourly inquired.

"For now, we'll run like we ran, since raids can't be interrupted. I think we won't even run, but walk," he grinned. "Saving our strength. Maybe we'll come across another settlement," you didn't answer, only sighed disappointedly and longingly. "Stop sulking," Kyle gently tugged at your ear, and feeling you shudder, chuckled. "Lemme get my laptop and we will watch something, 'kay?"

"Okay," you replied, watching him get up from the couch. "Bring me a snack, too."

Kyle opened his mouth, and when he realized the words weren't coming out, he closed it back up. He glanced toward one of the bollards where something was lying on it. "Ya know...," he began carefully, afraid to see even a hint of tears in your eyes. "There are some problems with that."

You followed the direction of his gaze, and when you saw several bags of glucose for the IV, you despaired. "No," you exhaled bitterly. "No, no, no!" you banged your fists stubbornly on the bunk. "Don't do this to me, please. I'm gonna die, I'm gonna wither and die."

"Don't be dramatic," Kyle laughed, looking at your stricken face. "Doc said it's only for a couple days. Keep your cool, and I'll be right back," he said as he walked out the door, but stopped immediately. It was as if he was staring somewhere in the emptiness of the hallway, not blinking or averting his gaze. You gingerly threw back the blanket, and swung your legs over as quietly as you could, a pleasant chill traveling down your feet as they touched the floor. "Hey," you jerked back when Kyle spoke again. "What ya doing here?"

Megumi appeared in the doorway. "I... I'm sorry, I just heard you were back," he glimpsed at you. "I just... I wanted to talk, uh… About Dany, but I guess I choose wrong timing. Um... Are you feeling okay?"

"As you can see," you chirped, smiling, but all Megumi saw was a couple hundred bones held together by a thin layer of skin. "It's all good. So what's the deal with Dany-"

"I'll go," Megumi mumbled awkwardly, and turned on his heels and scurried away. You gave Kyle a puzzled look, and he returned you the same one, shrugging his shoulders.

[May 30, 2020; 4:53 pm; hunters' hq]

[04:51pm] Oldman: Ward seven on the left. She's not feeling well rn, so go easy on her

Gojo kept staring at the message, stroking the small scratch on his phone's screen - a scratch that had formed just recently, the moment he'd first read it. Standing in front of the door to the infirmary, he consciously made a fist and only unclenched it when the pain of his nails digging into his skin made it clear that he was awake.

Gojo finally entered the corridor of the infirmary and took a step. Then another step, and another, and another, and another, and another, each one faster than the last, and his mind was racing with the thought of not running. Why was he walking so fast? The ward was already so close, and he was afraid he wouldn't have time to quiet that excited yet aching feeling in his chest, lest he look like an immature teenager who couldn't control his feelings.

He stopped in the doorway. He didn't just stop, he froze. How tired are you if you didn't even look at him? And if you didn't hear him at all, what happened to you?

You were sitting on the bed, staring at the phone - his ribs were stabbing. So you had a chance to send him a message, but you didn't.

Gojo tapped on the doorjamb to get your attention, and when you finally looked at him, he wanted to laugh. Your eyes did look three times as big against your gaunt face, but he didn't see you as just a skeleton covered in skin. Gojo thought only that you reminded him so much of a lemur. "You just got back," he grinned, looking at your clothes - a shapeless, holey sweater and pants that were three times your size, whether they were men's or whether you'd gotten so skinny that all your previous clothes hung on you like a sack. "And you've already had a clothes fight with some beggar?"

The snow had long since melted, washing away all the winter moping and despair, and the spring drops had long since played their inspiring choruses, but he was still here. "Hey," you said softly with such a joyful exhalation that Gojo bit his lip, not knowing why, either to suppress a silly smile or to muffle a painful whimper.

Your husky voice should have dispelled all his doubts about the illusory nature of what was happening, but he still couldn't believe you were back.

His unfamiliarly warm gaze made you catch up to the very chimera and grab for it, but even holding it with both hands, you still couldn't believe he stayed.

"Hey," he echoed you, keeping the quiet motifs of the chamber. "You look awful."

His words were hardly encouraging, but to you they sounded like a compliment. You watched Gojo approach the bed and sit awkwardly on the footboard, tucking his legs under him. He looked exactly the same as the first day you met him, though a mysterious blue under his eyes peeked through. "And ya're still beautiful."

He grinned affectionately. "Shut up," he mumbled shyly, moving closer to you.

You had no idea how much courage it took for him to press his forehead against yours, for he did it without hesitation, confidently. However, you, for your part, looked down like a coward. "I...," you began excitedly, swallowing. "Honestly, I didn't think ya'd stay," a nervous chuckle escaped your lips - you wanted to color your words with indifference, but it came out the other way around.

You felt Gojo's arms around your waist. He would have pressed you against him for all he was worth, but due to your condition, he had to sacrifice his desires. "I know I've given you reasons not to trust me. It won't happen again," he whispered into your neck, and you knew what he meant. He stayed yesterday, he'll stay tomorrow.

He'll stay with you.

Even though he couldn't hold you tighter, he selfishly tried to pull you closer, even though there was no more space between you. When he unintentionally pressed his knee against one of the sore spots on your leg, your whole body tensed involuntarily. Sensing this, Gojo raised his head and stared at you. "What is it?"

You shook your head, tucking your leg deeper under you. "It's okay," you declared, but the words came out through clenched teeth.

"What have you got there?" he asked worriedly, gently grabbing your ankle. "Let me see."

"It's not a pretty sight out there," you said, stubbornly trying to remove his hand. "Don't."

Your attempts were unsuccessful - if you could handle one of his hands, you couldn't handle two. Gojo pulled your leg out and rested it on his knee. "I actually exorcise curses," he announced smugly, rolling up your pant leg. "Do you have any idea how nasty they can look? I got one once, in the shape of a wormy di-"

"I got it!" you exclaimed, waving your free hand. "I got it, don't go on," you buried your face in your hand in embarrassment, and Gojo laughed softly.

Nudging your shin, he examined it. The usual calluses and a few sores - Gojo didn't feel anything nasty or repulsive. "Well," he drawled thoughtfully, looking around the ward. Gently placing your foot on the couch, he stood up and began rummaging through the drawers.

Even as you heard the sounds of searching, you couldn't move your hand away from your face. "What ya doing?" you mumbled in frustration.

The sounds and rumbling intensified - some things seemed to be flying to the floor. "Looking for ointment...," he muttered under his nose. A drawer door slammed. "Oh, found it!" you tried to disconnect from everything that was going on, but his hands, that once again encircled your shin and brought it back to his knee, stubbornly prevented you from doing so. "Hold still," if you didn't have your hands right now, you'd be staring at the ceiling. If you were forced to look, you'd be gouging your eyes out. You could feel Gojo gently circling certain places on your leg as if inspecting, and only then a cool sensation that dulled the pain. If the gel was so cold, why did you feel so warm?

You sighed in relief when he finally put your leg back on the bed, and you were about to pull your hand away from your face, but when Gojo started on the second one, you pressed your palm back with such force that you nearly evened the bridge of your nose with your eyes.

He'd never thought or suspected that such a thing existed - that he could touch a person so easily, and even when he touched the affected areas of they skin, he wouldn't be disgusted. On the contrary, Gojo wished you had at least two more of them on your feet.

You heard a smack. "What the hell?"

"A mosquito," he mumbled, rubbing his sore cheek and shaking his head as if to ward off that stupid thought in the form of that imaginary mosquito. "Uh, well...," he said quietly, slowly running his fingers down your calves from bottom to top, admiring the result. "I think that's it," despite the finished work, his palms, as if enchanted, couldn't get away from you.

Soft touches that dulled or took away all the pain, from blisters to days in the cold, godforsaken wasteland. You never knew that touches could be that gentle, and they could be like that fictitious pill that cured every disease - from slight to severe, from physical to mental, but no one had warned you about the side effects. Breathing became difficult, your lungs ached.

The more he touched you, the quieter the days he spent in your workroom in the clutches of loneliness and agonizing waiting seemed. He could feel all the cold that had accumulated in you on his skin. He desperately tried to banish it with his hands. Neither curses, nor demons, nor the forces of nature dared to touch you – just him and him alone.

When Gojo's hands were under your kneecaps, you shrieked and jerked up, a sharp pain hitting your forehead. "Fuck," you whimpered, rubbing the sore spot and leaning back against the pillow.

"Everyone in your family chooses violence, don't they?" he mumbled, and you immediately reacted to the sound, opening your eyes to find him sitting in front of you, his head tilted back and holding the bridge of his nose.

"God, I'm sorry!" you squeaked, but you didn't even have time to jump out of your seat, for he immediately plopped down beside you, throwing one arm over you, pinning you to the bed. "No blood? Lemme see," you rolled over onto your side in a way you regretted. Gojo's face was only a few inches away, and there wasn't even a hint of blood, though there was something red on his face. His cheeks. This state of affairs didn't suit him, so bringing his hand up to your face, he pinched your nose through your mask. "Hey, what for?" you muttered, sniffling quietly at the growing ticklish feeling.

"Wanted to," he snickered, and with a soft movement, he brushed the unruly strands of hair away from your face. Something tinkled, and you grabbed his arm. "Did ya get a new watch?" you asked, looking at it almost up close, not even noticing how his face was half sunk into the pillow in embarrassment, and Gojo was watching you with only one eye. You saw it, and that was enough for him.

Hearing him mutter something in agreement under his breath, you hummed thoughtfully, which made him even more nervous. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"No, it's nothing," you kept looking at his wristwatch, but with a furrowed brow. "I just have a feeling I've seen them somewhere before."

He pulled his hand away and hid it under the blanket. "Well!" he exclaimed. "That's a popular one, you know."

Gojo didn't dare to ask you if you liked it, foolish though it was, for fear of causing your suspicions. Nevertheless, he hoped you thought it beautiful, for in his mind you were destined to wear them. "Um...," you muttered, averting your gaze. "Is there anything else I should know about?"

"No," he answered quietly but firmly. "Really. I won't hide anything from you ever again," he leaned his forehead against yours, his hand stroking your lower back as if he knew that was where you were hurting.

"Then ya can ask your question again."

He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, but when he realized what you meant, he smiled in a way that made him look ten years younger. Even though you'd never seen him as a teenager, you felt like that's what he looked like in that bygone and almost forgotten time. "Do you wanna be my best friend?"

"I wanna be your best friend."

[June 1, 2020; 05:28am; hunters' hq, training field]

When it dawned, you realized what you had done. The entire area of grass in front of you had been torn up, but even that didn't make you spare the surviving blades of grass, and you glanced anxiously at your phone again. After you'd seen Kyle off, you sat down to wait for Rachel to return, but it was past five in the morning, and she was still gone.

What kept her so long? Knowing her character, you hoped she was all right, and memories of her combativeness turned your hope into faith. After all, you'd always thought that the more enemies she had around her, the stronger she'd become, but there was a rotten worm inside you, twisting and turning, reminding you that Rachel's fiery temper might someday fail her.

Unconsciously, you reached out to touch the grass and realized that all that was left was bare ground. You snorted irritably and moved a little to the side - there was still plenty of grass to torture, but as you reached out, you realized you couldn't see anything else.

You jumped to your feet and tried to open your eyes, but they closed back up as if in protest, trying to avoid the sharp pain. You turned from side to side, but you couldn't feel any danger, except for someone else's presence.

You rubbed your clenched eyelids with the back of your hands and tried to blink. You could see the silhouette, but more importantly, you could see a lock of red hair. It seemed you'd been thinking about something else, and you'd been so slow to catch the violet flash that you hadn't had time to cover your eyes, and you'd paid for it.

Wiping the tears from your lower eyelids, you tried to see your sister again. She was hobbling, her uniform cut and torn in places, and there was a huge laceration on her side. "Rach!" you alarmed, running closer to her. "Hey, hey," you picked up her falling head on your chest by the chin.

"Adoptee," she said softly, smiling with bloodstained teeth. "Ya alive, aren't ya?" your appearance seemed to give her a little strength - she smacked her forehead into the top of your head. "Ya've noticed too? There are too many loners," she gritted angrily through her teeth. "Look!" she raised her head and stared at you; there were tears in her eyes. "Look at that!" she sobbed, trying to reach her red tail with her hand and extend it in your direction. Part of it wasn't even cut off - it was torn off, like a bunch of old strings. "Look what those scums did to my hair!" she nervously and frantically tried to smooth her ponytail, but when she felt that all the strands were different lengths, she burst into tears. She didn't even seem to notice that there was some flesh missing from her side. "I'm gonna fucking kill 'em," she squeaked in a muffled voice. "And ya!" she tried to shove you away resentfully. "It's all 'cause of ya," she forced herself to say, wiping away nonstop tears with her hand. "If ya hadn't disappeared, I wouldn't be distracted by thoughts of ya, and none of this would be happening!"

You scooped her up by the waist, trying to stay out of the wound. "I know. I'm sorry," you mumbled guiltily, pulling her closer to the house. "Let's just go to the doc, 'kay?"

"Shove your apologies up your ass," she bellowed, but her body went limp in your arms - it felt heavy, but despite her words, she still seemed to rely on you.

***

You'd hoped that Rachel's injury would distract the doc for a while so he wouldn't harp on the fact that you should have stayed in the ward the whole time, and it had worked. Now you stood in front of the fridge, staring at the contents, trying to figure out what you could do to placate the big sister. Your stomach rumbled as you perused the bacon, shrimps, yogurt, and chocolate dragees. When you stopped your gaze at the fresh berries, you almost burst into tears. Maybe it was for the best that you couldn't eat them now - Rachel loved them, too.

You caught a glimpse of a silhouette sitting down at the dinner table. "Hey."

You glanced over your shoulder and noted the dark hair sticking out in all directions. "Hey," you greeted Megumi cheerfully. "Can't sleep?"

"Just used to getting up early," he said, shrugging indifferently. "Y/N?" he turned to you after a brief silence.

"Yeah?" you hummed, pulling out a package of berries.

"I... Um, I overheard that you found a settlement," he began awkwardly. You closed the refrigerator door abruptly - Megumi shuddered. You stopped in front of the boy, staring straight into his eyes. "I-I just thought, since I happen to be able to enter the void as well, maybe...," he fidgeted in his chair, trying to look away from you, but the bonds of your gaze were so strong that even a hunting knife wouldn't do the trick. "Maybe I can help you-"

"No," you replied sharply and headed for the infirmary door.

There was a rustling sound behind you and the sudden creaking of a chair. "I just wanna help. By taking me, you can carry more supplies for the people there," when you turned around, he was staring at the floor, but his fists were clenched. "I passed the isolation easily. Doesn't that prove I'm worth something?"

"It was an accident," you replied coldly.

"Whatever," he went on stubbornly. "Even so, but doesn't that mean I'm worthy?"

You grinned sarcastically, squinting your eyes. "Worthy of what? Getting kicked around in the cold wasteland? Such an honor."

"Saving people," he whispered and finally looked at you, and in his eyes lurked the answer.

"Megumi, what are ya talking about?" you worriedly said. "Ya're already saving them-"

A chuckle or a sob escaped his lips. "Really? How many people did I save while Sukuna was walking around in my body?"

The answer was voiced, but you remained adamant. "I got ya, but ya're still a teenager and there's still a lot ya can accomplish. Ya'll still have time to make things right. So... No. Sorry, but no," hoping that would be enough, you tried to walk away again - both from the boy and the conversation.

Megumi knew what he was doing was dirty, but he realized there was nothing else he could do. "Do you have the right to refuse?" Megumi's voice was firm. "You're supposed to train anyone who asks. You have an obligation," he was still drilling his gaze into your back. "Am I wrong? There are only four of you left," what a miracle - the firm voice suddenly trembled.

What a familiar song. What a familiar, annoying, ear-splitting song. Your nostrils must have flared at that tone. Or the truth that had just burned your ears. You turned around. Along with the boy, you saw his inner core. You stared at each other for a few more moments. Both of you stubborn as hell. "I should call him," you surrendered, reaching into your pocket.

"Don't," Megumi said almost pleadingly. "I wanna decide for myself this time."

"He's your guardian," you reminded him.

Megumi grinned bitterly. "His guardianship began and ended when he took me from the Zenin clan."

"Oh, really?" you inquired, arching an ironic eyebrow. "I take it food and clothes have been falling out of the sky for ya all this time?"

"You may be right," he nodded briefly. "But you can't say he loved me much."

"And ya?" you nodded defiantly toward the boy. "Did ya love him much?" Megumi looked at you perplexed as if you were speaking to him in a foreign language. He opened his mouth but didn't say a word, and with a shake of his head, he immediately closed it back up. "Okay, well...," you scrunched your forehead. "At six in the morning, I expect ya on the practice field. Ya'll run until you spit out your own lungs," your tone made Megumi shiver - as if the temperature in the room had plummeted. "And ya know what? Ya're already late," you barked before finally disappearing behind the infirmary doors.

Ryan and Axel had already run away from you, and they'd done it so fast that they'd probably already made it around the Earth and back to the starting point, while you and Megumi had barely run about seven miles. Even such a run was hard on your recovering body, but it seemed to be harder on the boy as you glared at him from time to time. Sweat was pouring from Megumi's flushed face, and he was forgetting how to breathe properly for such exertion. Something was crunching. Maybe it was the branches under your feet, or maybe it was your knees.

You always tried to find solace in those jogs through the forest, but not now, you were worried about Megumi. Did he take your words so seriously? He was clearly unwell. His legs had already buckled for the fifth time. "Hey," you called out to him quietly. "I've got a calf cramp, let's take a little break," you said, grabbing his shoulder with one hand and your side with the other, trying to catch your breath. He nodded silently, and you moved off the path a little, sitting down by the roots of one of the trees. "Thirsty?" you asked courteously, taking your backpack off your shoulders.

"Yeah," Megumi replied on an exhale. He'd been trying to hold back his own inhalations and exhalations the whole time, so that you wouldn't hear that he'd been crying inside for the last two miles, but he'd only trapped himself more - the lack of oxygen made his body protest harder, and his vision began to darken.

Megumi took the bottle from your hands and took a couple sips, trying not to be greedy. "Now, time for a little breathing exercise," you chirped, taking a seat across from him. "Come on, right with the noise. Inhale," you sucked in air so loudly and forcefully that you scared away a squirrel that had snuck up and was interested in you. When Megumi repeated after you, you exhaled just as much, expecting him to repeat after you.

After doing this a few more times, you noticed that Megumi was feeling better - though he was still glistening with sweat, the redness on his face was starting to fade. "There ya go," you said enthusiastically, sitting down next to him again. "Much better, wouldn't ya say?" you nudged his shoulder softly with yours.

Megumi twirled the water bottle in his hands thoughtfully. "I apologize for speaking to you like that," he said guiltily. "I just didn't know how else to affect you."

"It's fine," you replied indifferently, waving it away. "I just don't understand why ya'd wanna do that anyway."

"The cursed world gave me nothing," he lied, not even realizing he was lying. Sure, the cursed world had given him, and given him a lot, except that Megumi would probably give it all back for free. "And the desire to save people hasn't gone away, and most likely never will," he would no longer be able to plunge into the routine of ordinary life knowing the other side of it - dark and mysterious, as cruel as it is elusive to ordinary people.

These were the kind of people Megumi wanted to protect, wishing that they would never know what lurked behind that door without a doorknob.

"I just...," he began reservedly. "I just don't wanna feel helpless anymore, 'cause if I feel that way, how can I help others?" his restraint immediately broke along with his voice. "When Sukuna took over my body, I just wanted to die."

"I understand," you replied quietly, swallowing.

He smirked wistfully. "I'm sorry, but I doubt that. I remember everything. I was hurt. I was sick. And there was nothing I could do about it," he buried his face in his hands as if the past appeared from behind one of the trees, and it appeared in a most unpleasant guise.

"Let's do this," you said, slapping yourself on your legs. "I promise I'll train ya for a while, and in return, ya promise me to think less about all the bad things that have happened to ya. Deal?" you rubbed the top of his head affectionately.

"Deal," mumbled Megumi into his palms. "Only why 'for a while'? I can handle intense training too."

"You offered to help us," you pointed out. "Not to become a voidrunner."

"But-"

"Let's go home. Ya've had enough for today."

***

You'd already opened the door to the workroom, but you couldn't help but cast one last sympathetic glance at the boy. He was sluggishly shuffling his feet up the stairs, and his torso was as still as if it had been separated from his lower body - arms dangling tiredly along his body, his torso tilted, his head slumped against his chest. "Megumi," you called out to him, and Megumi stopped, though he didn't seem to find the energy to even turn in your direction. "I'll meet ya at the same place tomorrow morning at six," his head twitched, and you took it as a nod. You were about to leave him alone, but you remembered something. "Ya know, let's get together a little early, though," you shouted after him as he opened the door. "Come to my workroom at five, I need to take your measurements!" the door that slammed shut sharply only answered you.

When you finally entered the workroom, you froze like a dumbfounded deer before lights. Gojo was standing across from you, equally motionless and looking at you questioningly. "Ya're back already?" you inquired softly, watching his hand with the towel frozen at the back of his head - it looked like he'd just gotten out of the shower. "I, uh...," you swallowed nervously. "I can explain everything."

You flinched when he moved, so much so he had resembled a statue before. "Oh, come on," he smiled carelessly, stepping closer to you. You exhaled as Gojo walked past you. "I knew you were a thief, didn't I," his muffled voice came from the bathroom. Getting rid of the towel, he appeared before you again, but he didn't even glance in your direction. "So it was only a matter of time before you got to my students, too."

You watched helplessly as he passed by you and moved farther and farther away, and the doubt that it wasn't just about the growing distance between you in the workroom clenched and sought to explode in your soul. "Aren't you angry?"

"Me?" asked Gojo carelessly over his shoulder in your direction. "Angry. I'm so angry," he laughed softly, and you sat down on the edge of the bed, carefully making your way around the room. "At myself."

You waited for him to pay attention to you, and when you caught his gaze, you patted the spot next to you. Gojo hesitantly approached, and you unconsciously reached out to him, so relieved when you realized the distance between you was gone. He gently picked up your palm and sat down next to you. "So...," he began, hesitating. "Megumi has both cursed and dark energy now? That's how a generation grows up," he grinned wistfully, his thumb stroking the back of your hand. "That's what I wanted, isn't it? I wanted to raise a generation of strong sorcerers. The kind that would be on par with me. No, even stronger. So strong that one day they could leave me behind."

"Why do ya say that?" you asked half-heartedly. "Why would they leave ya behind?"

"Why else do you think everyone needs me?" Gojo swallowed, looking at your intertwined hands. You were just now realizing how elaborate his ideas about human relationships were in his head, and if they were only there that would be half the problem, but something told you that there was a quiet but all-consuming chaos going on in his soul as well. "I screwed up even here, though. I was so consumed with realizing my own goal that I didn't even notice... No, rather, I forgot that my students were just kids. I was ready to kill anyone who would take their youth away from them, and I ended up taking it from them myself. I guess I really am a shitty teacher, so... Maybe Megumi would be better off with you," he unconsciously released your hand from his.

"Satoru, stop it," you commanded softly. "Ya are not your power. Ya're just a human being, and I think everyone realizes that."

"Oh, really?" snapped Gojo sarcastically. "You wanna say that if I didn't have this power, you'd let me strut around your workroom like this and you would put up with all my scattered stuff? Don't be ridiculous."

"But I've never seen your power," you whispered hurt. You'd heard rumors and stories like the ballads they write about heroes, but you'd only seen it once. In his fight with Sukuna, you'd only caught glimpses of tiny, evaporating drops of his power. Did he think you were holding on to something so ephemeral?

To be honest, he didn't think about it. He couldn't think of any other reason why you'd accepted him and why you'd tolerated him. Staying true to his habits, he couldn't say the words of apology out loud, but he relied on the touches - with any luck, they would say it all for him. "Ya said Megumi would be better off with me," you said into the top of his white hair as his hands tentatively held your waist. "But ya're wrong. He'll be better off with us."

The word 'us' made Gojo think of you and the other hunters, and he didn't even dare to get in between in those thoughts, but when your hands closed around his back, it was like opening all those doors he'd never been able to open. Behind those doors was a bright light, so vivid it hurt his eyes. He had no choice but to stay on one side of the door and burn with his regrets and unfulfilled hopes in that desperate flame, or to step forward and let it burn to the ground, but without him.

Gojo stepped through. Beyond that door was his future and it existed, it glowed, and it was right beside him.

next ⊳

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itsbenedict · 2 months ago

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From the beginning | Previously | Coin standings | 60/70 | 37/37

Once again, some kind strangers have left you some supplies. You get another WIFI ACCESS POINT, to replace the one you're about to use, plus another NOBLE BELT TUT BOTNET BULLET (bringing you back up to 4) and a spare SOFTWARE PATCH (bringing you to 2). Wait, 2? Walter says yeah, I've had this one lying around since before I fell down in the sparkling abyss. Adea says well why didn't you SAY so?!

You're both distracted by the priciest purchase yet, though: a BIONIC MINTER BIT COIN MINER. This device- although someone appears to have briefly gnawed on its casing- can be installed anywhere you can find a power outlet, and it'll just spit out free money! Five Coin in the amount of time it takes for you to lose 1 hunger! Or... free minus the electricity it consumes, but it's not like it's your electricity you'd be using in this otherworld. Just leave it to run, then come back later, and you've got a massive pile of cash to spend! And there's power outlets all over this tower, so setting it up should be no problem.

Yep, there's definitely no downsides to using this machine!

So that's very convenient. Satisfied, you dig into ACCESS QUEENLIEST JUICE ION, PRONTO! "JOCQUES NINELITE PROSECUTION CASE".

Jocques Ninelite, apparently, is a local entrepreneur, who recently quit his government job as a HAZARD WICK to found the Ninelite RECEDING NEST, a technology startup. His new company has developed and is distributing EDEN SNAKE, and this has Governor Thinrar extremely mad at him for some reason. This document details dozens of attempts to come up with charges that'll stick to him so he can be arrested and his DECADE'S CHOICES confiscated, but most of them have run aground on insufficient evidence.

There's reams of legal jargon attempting to find obscure laws and bylaws under which selling EDEN SNAKE is illegal, but he apparently knew the law and meticulously avoided any of the various traps- Thinrar's legal advisors don't think they can make any of these stick in court.

Ninelite was found snooping around the scene of an apparent terrorist bombing in the MR. SQUEAK TABLEWARE 15 years ago, and is suspected of having tampered with the crime scene- but no physical evidence exists.

There's a half-finished case for an antitrust suit in here, alleging anticompetitive hiring practices where he attempts to poach talent from other companies. Nothing he's done has technically been illegal, though, but they're working on drafting new legislation that might be able to get him retroactively.

The RECEDING NEST's R&D experiments are under investigation for workplace safety violations, but they haven't been able to get an inspector on-site without alerting them ahead of time- everything they've done under surveillance has been free of occupational safety hazards.

They're even trying to get the corporate campus written up for landscaping code violations. This city has a landscaping code?! What kind of HOA nonsense is this?

You'd think a rich tech CEO would have mountains of dirty laundry, but a concerted effort by the local government has been totally unable to pin anything on him, which is odd. No one's record is this clean unless someone's put effort into cleaning it. How has he been covering his tracks?

The NEXT TO MOLASSES SACRAMENT CORONAMELT TAX ASSESSMENT reveals a similar battle involving Thinrar's legal team trying to pin something on a local business owner. This time, though, it's looking a lot less flimsy. RANDOM SEED, owner of the mountainside casino-resort MONTE CARLO, is very plainly guilty of dozens of counts of felony tax evasion, and HAZARD WICK specialist ONE-TIME PAD has volunteered to go retrieve the last pieces of evidence needed to bring him down.

...The emails between Thinrar and his legal team, though, reveal there's more going on here. Apparently, none of this tax evasion is new- rather, it's been tolerated for decades as part of some kind of under-the-table deal with the casino. Not even tolerated, exactly- it'd just be redundant to pay taxes when RANDOM SEED has been paying such humongous bribes to Thinrar in exchange for exemption from the city's gambling laws.

Somehow, MONTE CARLO has been producing more Coin than it could possibly be extracting from the pockets of desperate gamblers, and it's been keeping the city's municipal budget (and Thinrar's gubernatorial campaign) afloat for years. They're only prosecuting him now because the money is starting to dry up, and they think they can finally get better election odds by making a show of rooting out corruption. (Y'know, rather than by taking kickbacks from that same corruption.) Most of these emails are discussing how to prevent retaliation, and prosecute the case without exposing their own illegal dealings.

These files are like something out of an Ayn Rand novel- corrupt bureaucracy trying to keep down poor innocent captains of industry. The naked corruption on display is pretty flabbergasting- is it all like this?

You've been at this a while- do you want to keep digging, or has your governorship's REIGN PEAKED and you'd like to go somewhere else?

Continued | 60/70 | 36/36

#lost in hearts #if you continue decrypting files i'll just take 2 hunger and give you all three remaining #the bit coin miner notably produces Coin directly rather than giving it to a player to spend #so what controls how it's spent? a question that probably doesn't matter‚ i bet.

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delicatemusickingdom · 11 days ago

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Book 2 Part 3 Chapter 4.1

Chapter 4: Condemnation

“Heavens, what a terrible thing to do.”

It was approaching dusk. As Hanks said that, he nudged a chunk of almost fully-blackened wood debris with his toe. It wasn’t just chunks of wood — there were all kinds of things scattered around, most of them scorched from the fire or dirtied and blackened.

Standing in front of him were the tragic remains of a house, half-burned down. The house where Hanks and Jiri had spent many of their days in was now nothing more than a ruin. The contrast between the destroyed and intact parts was so stark that from the side, the house looked like a set used for a stage.

“The kitchen survived, somehow.”

As if to back up her statement, Jiri appeared carrying a wooden crate full to the brim with cooking utensils, tableware, and even some food. She was covered in pitch black soot from head to toe. She hadn’t come out through the front door, but through a gap in a collapsed wall. She set the wooden crate on the ground.

“From the looks of it, there isn’t much left of our original storage.”

Hanks said as he looked inside the wooden crate. Contrary to her appearance, Jiri had a strange habit of collecting things, she would find and bring back all kinds of discarded junk she took a liking to. As a result, the inside of their house resembled that of a warehouse. But now, it looked like a large portion of that collection had been lost to the flames.

“Well, at least some of them survived intact. I’ll have to settle for that.”

Saying that, Jiri picked up a doll. It was one of Jiri’s favourites, crafted in the image of a black-haired girl. Hanks nodded, but his expression remained dark.

“At least four houses were set on fire. Flynn’s house was hit, too.”

Jiri grimaced at her husband’s words. Flynn had lived with his mother on the outskirts of the lower quarter when she had still been alive. It had been years since then, with her death causing him to leave the house, but it was still a house full of memories for him. There must have been so many memories and mementos of her left in that house — a hat that had become too small for him to wear, or a sword that was too short for him to wield — but now they all had been reduced to ash.

It wasn’t just Flynn’s and Hanks’s houses that had burned down. Hanks’s house had been on fire because the fire had spread to it. The several houses next to it had been completely burned to the ground. The fire had only finally been contained and extinguished after it had burned down half of Hanks’s House.

Godonan’s henchmen had tried to swarm in with their weapons, of course, but there were also others who had infiltrated the lower quarter. Most of the residents were busy intercepting the thugs or taking refuge in the fountain plaza, which left all other areas practically deserted, and that was where the fires had been set. The reason the entire district hadn’t been burned to the ground like the Grey Alleyways was because the Knights had intervened before the fire could spread, and because the fires set were small and sporadic in nature — most likely to avoid burning down the fountain. The Knights hadn’t helped much in putting out the fires, but it was thanks to them that the residents were able to put them out themselves.

Most of the burned-down houses were unoccupied to begin with, but there were those whose houses had been burned down as well. They would have to move house again, to another place around the plaza.

Godonan had been ousted, but now it was more convenient for everyone to gather and live around the fountain than try to recreate their old lives like it had been before the incident.

For the time being, Hanks and the others were going to live in ‘My Home’. He didn’t know what kind of face Yuri and the others would make, but just like its name stated, the house was like their home anyway. They could think about what to do in the future later.

“Looks like we still have a lot of things we need to do.”

As Hanks said that, Jiri put her hands on her hips and straightened her back wearily.

****

The excitement died overnight, and after reexamining everything, it became clear that considerable damage had been done to the lower quarter. Not only had houses burned down, but there were several people who had been seriously injured, and many others who had light injuries.

Still, it was a stroke of good fortune that no one had died. The situation would surely have been much worse if the Knights hadn’t intervened.

And the one who had saved them was Flynn. Word quickly spread throughout the lower quarter that Flynn was the one who had persuaded the Knights to come down, and the residents were incredibly grateful.

Flynn was proud of himself, but he didn’t boast about it, and busied himself tending to the injured and helping out with the aftermath of the house-destroying fires. When he learned that the house he used to live in had burned down, for a moment he had flinched in shock, but he had quickly put on a brave smile — no matter what his true feelings may have been.

“After all, my home right now is ‘My Home’.”

Yuri worked hard in the same way. He kept himself busy as a form of escape, of sorts. Every time he saw a person’s wounds, or the remnants of yet another house that had been burned down, he would be seized by a certain thought.

—— When was Grandma Jiri planning to act?

The lower quarter had been saved because Flynn had brought the Knights to them. But if he had been a day later — no, even half a day later, it was clear that the situation would have become completely different. Once it had gotten to that point, what could she even do? He didn’t know the full extent of what the ‘Dark Wings’ could do, but at the very least he didn’t think they would be able to make it in time.

Thoughts about Flynn aside, Yuri’s doubts about Jiri only continued to grow in his mind. It sat heavily in the pit of his stomach, and every time he thought about it he could keenly feel its weight.

And as he tried his hardest to avoid thinking about that, occasionally another thought would pop into his mind. Honestly, he didn’t want to add to the list of worries he had, but even still, he didn’t think it was okay to just pretend like it didn’t exist.

Where had Jareth been during this entire uproar?

****

“If I think about the fact that I don’t have to see his face anymore, I suppose I can consider it a good harvest.”

Sprawling on her silk bed, Mirarem said languidly.

Godonan’s arrest hadn’t affected her mood at all. In fact, she had already grasped what the Knights were up to before Godonan knew, but she hadn’t even considered informing him of it — why would she? There was no reason to.

Even the deal that Godonan had proposed to her was not enough to pique her interest. For Mirarem, that level of bargaining was as common as eating a meal at mealtime.

Still, Mirarem couldn’t drive this incident out of her mind quickly. This was because the Knights were deeply involved in this incident. And not just in the case of Godonan’s arrest.

It all started when the imperial capital started to reflect on the damages they had taken due to the Great War. They had proposed that they bolster their independent forces, and to that end considered the possibility of expanding their residential capacity. The attempt to officially incorporate the outskirts of the capital and its residents into its system and bring them under its management was part of that grand plan.

That much would have been fine. The problem was that the Knights were the ones to propose this plan. The Council, which was at odds with the Knights, approved of it as a whole, but wanted some of the fine details to be changed. For example, that the Council — the ones in charge of the government — should be the ones to oversee the actual execution of the plan, and other such conditions.

That was the overall situation, but then the other nobles had weighed in their speculations as well. Godonan had been one of those nobles. When he had realised the hidden value of the lower quarter, he had hatched a plan. He had gone so far as to make a false proclamation to seize the entire district as his own, and redevelop it to use it as a gift to climb up in the rankings as a noble — and then he had been exposed, and arrested.

No matter how much of the inside details of the situation the Knights had grasped, their bold response had shown that they possessed a certain amount of confidence. The Council would never help anyone who revealed an opening to be exploited. The Knights would not be able to take away his noble status, but Godonan’s rank among the nobles would be greatly diminished. For a noble, it was no different from death.

“That being said, I suppose I can spare at least one farewell present.”

Behind her fan, Mirarem’s smile was elegant and pleasant. Her butler that was standing by her side spoke respectfully.

“Then, will you be making a move?”

“There is nothing particularly appealing about it. Still, it is a piece of land that should have become mine. And if I take it, all of the Knights’ hard work will go to waste. It would be a good way to spite Alexei.”

Mirarem whispered calmly, but her tone gave off the impression of a concealed blade dripping with poison. A look of contempt flashed in her eyes.

“Godonan was too humane. Simply driving them out is not the only way to clear out an area.”

****

Under the cover of the night, a single shadow ran. The figure jumped from shadow to shadow as they ran in the dark, as if afraid of being illuminated by even the faintest of lights. Even the light of the barrier’s rings shining overhead seemed to discomfit them, and they kept their neck hunched, their nerves strained to detect even the slightest sign of a presence around them.

The figure ran through the streets of the citizens’ quarter, past the city gates, and down the slope that stretched outwards. From the side of the city gates, the slope looked like it was being swallowed up by the sparsely-lit lower quarter. Many of the residents had moved houses before and after the recent uproar, and as a result the lights — which were already scarce to begin with — coming from their houses’ windows were all clumped together in one place. The rest of the lower quarter looked like a gaping, pitch-black abyss. Even the night sky looked brighter in comparison.

The figure approached the area where the gathering of lights was. In the centre of it all, he could hear the sound of running water. The figure headed towards the sound. Soon, the shadowy shape of the fountain in the centre of the plaza entered their view, the fountain spurting out a steady stream of water.

Instead of approaching it, the figure hid in the shadows. Though it was late at night, the lights in the windows of some houses were still on, and there was still a chance someone might spot them.

The figure searched around in their breast pocket. They felt a hard, round sensation in their palm, and despite knowing that it had been there all along, they shuddered. The moment they fiddled with it, their collar came loose, and from there a pale white-blue light leaked out. The figure hurriedly adjusted their clothes, hiding the light.

Eventually the window lights went out one by one, until the area around the plaza was enshrouded in almost total darkness. Only then did the figure step out silently and begin to walk.

They stopped in front of the fountain. For a moment they hesitated, before slowly and quietly placing their feet into the fountain’s water basin, which was full of water. They approached the centre of the fountain.

The base of the fountain was completely covered by the curtain of water that was spurting out of it, but the glowing core at its centre was clearly visible. The figure reached out their hand and plunged it into the flowing water, unheeding that they were being drenched. Their hand touched the glowing light that lay beyond the curtain and groped around for a bit.

The light suddenly faded. At the same time, the water shut off. The sound of the water falling into the basin also ceased to be, and the area was suddenly enveloped in silence.

The figure held a faintly glowing blue orb in their hand. It was the core that allowed the blastia to work. Without it, the fountain fell silent, leaving an empty hole where the core had been.

The figure quickly put their free hand into their breast pocket. They took out an orb identical in shape and light that they gave off as the one that had been in the fountain. The figure roughly shoved that orb into the hole that the blastia core had been removed from earlier.

After a few moments of bated breath, the new core began to glow brighter. Instantly, water gushed out of the fountain, and the figure hastily retreated. The water began to flow down in a curtain around the base, just as it had been before.

Putting the fountain’s previous core into their breast pocket, the figure stepped out of the water basin. They would leave wet footprints all around the fountain, but it couldn’t be helped. All they could do was pray that it would dry by morning.

Once he was done, Jareth fled the plaza, leaving the way he came.

He was shivering, and not just from the cold.

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#Tales of Vesperia #Tales of Vesperia: Genealogy of the Condemned #Genealogy of the Condemned #Danzaisha no Keifu #delicate posts #delicate translations

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