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cindylouwho-2 · 6 months ago

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ETSY FIRST QUARTER 2024 EARNINGS REPORT - No Idea When Sales Will Improve, But Lots of Change Coming

(Above: Slide 18 from Etsy's Investor Presentation, © Etsy. The top 6 categories were down across the board)

As Etsy predicted last quarterly report, gross marketplace sales were down in the first quarter of 2024, but contrary to predictions last quarter, the top brass now do not expect anything to improve in the second quarter. They didn't even try to sugar coat it much.

However, this turned out to be an interesting call anyway. Given that they had bad news and little new to announce, they actually had to divulge more details on how the site actually works, and the search plans for the near future. I strongly suggest that every Etsy seller familiarize themselves with what is coming down the pipe.

First, here are the official sources:

the press release

transcript of the conference call

slides from the conference call

video of the call (click on “Webcast”)

my summaries of the first quarter 2023, and the fourth quarter 2023 for comparison

Then, the basic numbers (covering January to March 2024, compared to the same period in 2023):

Sales on Etsy were $2.6 billion, down 5.3% year over year

Total sales for all 3 marketplaces (Etsy, Reverb, and Depop) were $3.0 billion, down 3.7%. [Elo7 was officially sold in mid August; its numbers were included in the comparison totals from 2023]

Etsy’s revenue (including all 3 sites) was $646 million, up 0.8%

Seller service revenue was up 3.2% to $179 million, while marketplace revenue was down 0.1% to $467 million

Net income was $63 million, down 15.5%

Active buyers on Etsy alone stand at 91.6 million

Active sellers on Etsy alone are at 7 million, up over 1 million from the first quarter 2023 but no change from the 4th quarter. [Note that “active” means one charge or transaction in the past 12 months; many “active” shops currently have nothing for sale.]

Etsy sales where the buyer and/or the seller was not in the United States were 48%, although across all three sites it is only 45%

As usual, I am mostly reporting on what Etsy said, but my own comments will be in square brackets, as well as in the analysis section at the end of this post.

Gift Mode and Gifting Initiatives Aren't Going Away

Etsy's front office seems happy with Gift Mode so far, and note that gift buying on the site in general is already increasing. "We're pleased to report that Etsy's total site-wide gifting GMS in the first quarter grew in the low-single-digits year-over-year," which was better than other gift sites they were tracking.

Gift Mode was also a huge success at getting attention, with over 4 times the news coverage of any previous Etsy public relations campaign. CEO Josh Silverman said they were happy with the Super Bowl ad, and would consider doing one in the future if the company had another big thing to announce.

And finally, we heard the real reason that Gift Mode sucked when it was released: the team that came up with it in the summer of 2023 intended it to be released in 2025, but Silverman insisted that they do it for 2024. He admits it needs a lot more work. [So a lousy product that doesn't do anything it is advertised to do was launched a year early because the CEO was out of other ideas and needed something fast. No doubt that is why a lot of the ads and emails are leaning into the personas instead of the main function of choosing a gift for a particular person and occasion.]

Etsy Search and Discovery

They've been talking about this for a while, but this time the comments were far more explicit: Etsy search has too much "clutter". The whole quote is important:

"All too often, when you visit Etsy, your search is cluttered, showing you too many items that feel very similar...failing to highlight the incredible diversity that is a towering strength for Etsy. In addition, you might not be clear as to why each of these items belong on Etsy. For example, which are handmade by the seller themselves, which are designed by the seller, but produced in close collaboration with the production partner and/or which are personalized and customized by the seller. While there's demand on Etsy for each of these categories of items, it depends a great deal on the buyer's shopping mission." [my emphasis]

Slides 8 through 10 discuss how Etsy plans on solving this problem.

The first point - removing non-handmade items - is covered below.

As has been mentioned in previous calls, Etsy wants to change its search to show more "quality" products. This means adding factors "such as the quality of the listing and photography, shipping price and reliability and customer reviews into our organic search algorithms." [This is likely the reason Etsy recently updated the search legal policy page, mentioning these sorts of factors in their recommendation algorithms. Yes, as I have been telling people for a while now, image quality is becoming part of Etsy SEO and its other algorithms. Looking at the listings which have "Etsy's Picks" badges is a good way to spot what Etsy currently thinks is "quality", but that could easily change at any time. Note also that he said "organic search algorithms" - apparently they are not planning on doing this with Etsy Ads just yet, meaning shops who lose visibility through organic search may have to pay for ads to make up the difference.]

Their definition of quality excludes "sellers that have higher levels of refund or consistently ship late" - they want the customer to be happy with the whole buying experience, not just the product. So above-average rates of returns and late shipping are also likely to factor into Etsy's many algorithms, if they don't already. [Shipping late is a policy violation, and those are search factors under the Customer & Marketplace Experience Score. All of this is Etsy SEO now. We already knew they hated refunds/cancellations because some sellers have received payment reserves for having too many - as few as 1 or 2 in some cases - in a short period of time.] Silverman did agree with a comment that returns/refunds lead to lower Etsy revenue as well.

They also seem to be working on some new way to categorize or filter items, as hinted above with the comments on production partners. "Better organizing our diverse listings into cleaner aisles will declutter our site." This could be referring to the previous attempts t auto-filter large generic searches into narrower categories; see examples in my third quarter 2023 summary. It might also connect to 2 other quotes worth reading:

"[T]he first page of search results might be 30 things that look very, very similar... If these 30 things are virtually identical, can't you just tell me, which one is the best or what are the three, and what are the trade-offs between them? And that's harder for us where we don't map to a catalog. But I think with the latest machine learning and GenAI techniques, it's easier and easier for us to start to understand what the stuff is, what's very substantially similar and really try to give you fewer choices of just the best."...

"Gen AI is actually going to be, I think, more and more helpful at understanding how much value did this particular seller truly add to the product. And we're looking to prioritize items that are really original where the seller really added value and then be able to explain to the buyer exactly where the seller did add value. Did the seller make it themselves, did they design it and produce it with a production partner, did they personalize it, I think that buyers are interested in knowing that." [my emphasis]

So the search plan is to show fewer items that look similar to each other, while adding more diverse items to the first page, all while boosting listings where the seller "added value". That sounds difficult to accomplish. Think of some searches where it is clear that many of the shops are using the very similar supplies, using the same fonts etc. In his ideal version of Etsy search, are most of those items going to disappear from the early pages in favour of things that look different and/or more complicated to make?

[There were 2 separate mentions of the differences between handmade vs. designed vs. personalized, including in the prepared remarks. Are they actually going to do something to make this more evident to shoppers, and if yes, how? If a shop sells POD and has their production partner linked, Etsy could display that more prominently on the listing, and even use that fact as a search filter. However, many owner-designed products don't have integrated production partners, and Etsy has done almost nothing to enforce disclosure there. We know from experience that AI will do a poor job of figuring this out, but Silverman doesn't seem to have noticed that yet. I am intrigued, but not hopeful.]

"Keep Commerce Human" and Handmade Policy "Violations"

They continue to tout increased removal of items and shops under the handmade policy, and mentioned the AliExpress bot again. If the image exists on AliExpress, "our default now is we take that down". Silverman mentioned that sellers can appeal the takedown, but failed to mention that the process takes weeks or even months, and the shop loses a ton of sales and their listing quality score in the meantime.

Handmade removals more than doubled in the first quarter compared to the year before. Etsy has lost a bit of money due to more aggressive removal of listings and shops as handmade violations; they estimate sales are 0.5% lower than they would have been if nothing was removed. Since the push started, they claim millions of listings and tens of thousands of active sellers have been taken down.

The annual transparency report should have more details; it will be out next week. [I will write my review of it the week after, when I return from a short vacation.]

The Economy

In case you haven't heard, some people feel they have a shortage of discretionary income these days. Silverman claims that Amazon and Walmart are only growing because they sell "everyday essentials". [Remember when Etsy said they were a site for everyday essentials too? The early pandemic was a wild time, and Etsy might be better positioned today if they hadn't assumed the ecommerce boost would continue forever.]

One of the analysts expressly asked if Etsy could still see itself as "a growth company" when they weren't showing any growth, and if they were planning on making really aggressive moves to restart growth this year. Silverman insisted they were all about big moves, citing Gift Mode as an example.

[Perhaps in frustration, this is where Silverman slipped up and swore, saying the corporation does "a sh**-ton of measurement" on the value of its projects, which for me was truly the highlight of the call. I like it when the talking heads show they are human.]

CFO Rachel Glaser pointed out that Etsy is still growing in the higher income brackets, and that when economic conditions improve for lower income households, Etsy will be in great shape.

Miscellaneous

In shipping updates, Silverman reported that:

"Our fulfillment team recently launched a new machine learning model, which reduced our estimate of USPS transit times by greater than one day, resulting in a nearly tripling of the percentage of eligible orders for which Etsy is now able to show an estimated delivery date of seven days or less."

[This would explain why so many shops are reporting items due to arrive before they ship, or have the wrong processing times on them. Any time Etsy applies machine learning to anything, there are widespread errors. They do seem to have fixed the processing time issue, however. Expect Etsy to continue to push for shorter processing times all year, and to have issues with USPS estimates.]

We finally got updated information on buyer app use: 45% of active buyers use the app. That does not necessarily mean that 45% of purchases come from the app, just that those customers use the app at least once in a while. Oddly enough, this was the first quarterly report in years that did not mention sales from mobile. Last quarter, 68% of sales across all of Etsy's sites came from mobile. If those stats are identical on Etsy - that's a big "if" - and if the 45% app use number was actual sales (not just occasional use) that would mean that 45% of Etsy sales would come from the app, 32% from desktop, and 23% from mobile browser. They will be pushing the app much more again this year, "since purchasing days per app user are 75% higher than our non-app users."

the $15 sign up fee for new shops reduced both new sellers and fraud attempts. Silverman referred to "low-effort sellers" and stated "if you're not prepared to invest $15 to get your shop going on Etsy, you may not have the skill or the will to really succeed." [This is such a huge change from the years of him bragging that anyone can start a shop for 20 cents that I wonder how he doesn't get whiplash from these reversals.]

we got a little more info on the planned loyalty program, but not a lot. It won't even be out in beta until the second half of the year, and "the focus is going to be on occasional shoppers...and [how to] turn those people into more loyal buyers."

Reverb and Depop both had good quarters, in part due to their "appeal to value-oriented shoppers".

My Commentary

The biggest takeaway is that algorithms will be changing, and that could hurt a lot of sellers who are currently doing well. They've been saying this for a while now, but recent policy updates and more details on their vision makes this feel much closer.

If they are truly going to narrow down searches to the best of the similar, a lot of items will be shown a lot less than they are now. The difference in "quality" between one listing and the next could be very minor, so setting the goal of narrowing the choices down to just a few means some top sellers could be impacted.

If you want your Etsy shop to keep being shown to visitors, work on:

eliminating late shipments. Extend your processing times and extend individual orders as required. Make it easier for your customers to understand they need to provide information for custom items. [This is tough to balance, because longer processing times and cancelling orders when you don't have the information from the buyer yet are both things that also hurt your visibility. It's just another way in which Etsy is sabotaging sellers of truly custom made items on the site.]

reducing returns and cancellations as much as possible. Examine the reasons people cancel or return orders in your shops, and look for common complaints/reasons you could potentially decrease though information in descriptions and images, FAQs, automated notes to buyers, and Message snippets. [I once stopped selling a product because too many people couldn't figure out how to use it properly. I thought I was explaining it well, but obviously I was not. There is no shame in failing, as long as we recognize the fact.]

improving image quality. This includes making sure your photos are at least 2000 px in the shortest direction, and are clear, uncluttered, properly white balanced and attractive in composition.

making your unique contributions evident in the photos and description. If you "add value" to the product, let everyone know that.

when considering new lines, doing your best not to look like everyone else. Aim to sell that original version that Etsy wants to display as evidence of Etsy's diversity.

remembering that shipping price is a search factor. It may eventually be necessary to bury some or all of the shipping fee in the product price, or to discontinue low-margin and expensive-to-ship products, if they are going to be narrowing down to only a few "quality" products for each query.

I'll have more to say on the handmade violations initiatives after I read the transparency report next week. My current feeling is that the seller community needs to be more publicly vocal about how Etsy's refusal to "keep commerce human" by hiring more support and more handmade screeners is harming truly handmade artisans. Removing items that are also showing up on Aliexpress or Shein as the default action, then forcing small business owners to wait weeks or even months for a resolution, is the antithesis of "human". Oh, and instead of picking on handmade items, try turning AI on the boxes of commercial snacks and foods that continue to violate Etsy policies and cheapen the site.

Some people seem really worked up about the loyalty program plans, but since we know virtually nothing about it yet, I will reserve judgement. A properly-planned loyalty program should produce enough extra revenue to cover the costs, just as Etsy aims for with its periodic "save $10 on all orders over $40" offers.

Finally, last financial call they said they expected to see things picking up in quarter 2, now they say that is not expected until the second half of the year. What happened? Is it truly economic pressure, or did they have to abandon their plan to make more money by forcing shops into tiered subscriptions, at least temporarily? Silverman did stress that they think the gifting initiatives will pay off more as the year goes on, but the tone of this call was so different from the previous one that I can't help but feel that they had other plans just a few months ago.

My prediction from last quarter - that 2024 will be a rough year for many sellers - still stands.

#EtsySellerNews #etsy #seo #ecommerce #microbusiness

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traditionalproduct · 11 months ago

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The classic beauty of brass cookware: a collection that all food lovers must have

Introduction: It's not just a bunch of pots and pans; cookware is an important part of the cooking process. Classical elegance and superior cooking qualities distinguish brass cookware from other materials. Let us talk about the benefits and appeal of collecting brass cookware for your home. The Rich Heritage of Brass Cookware: For generations, brass cookware has been revered for its durability, heat conductivity, and golden color. Brass is used in traditional Indian cooks and professional chefs' kitchens globally.

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1. Excellent Heat Distribution:

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From sautéing and simmering to frying and slow cooking, brass cookware adapts well to various cooking techniques. It is suitable for both stovetop and oven use, making it a versatile addition to any kitchen.

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Embrace the traditional method of grinding spices with a brass mortar and pestle. The weight and sturdiness of brass make it an ideal material for this culinary tool, allowing you to extract the full flavor from your spices.

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Hand wash with mild soap and warm water.

Avoid abrasive scouring pads to prevent scratching.

Dry thoroughly after washing to prevent tarnishing.

Occasionally polish with a brass cleaner to maintain its lustrous shine.

Conclusion:

Not only is a set of brass cookware useful, but it's also a celebration of cooking artistry and classic style. Quality brass pieces improve cooking and bring heritage and class to your kitchen. Building a cookware collection is like preserving a culinary tradition for future generations. Enjoy the timeless beauty of brass cookware and improve your cooking.

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lightwithinthedarknessu · 14 days ago

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Getting a chance to share my fic focusing in Vivi for @ff9zine with spot art from the amazing @mariibeann thank you so much for bringing this story to life with your beautiful art!! I had so much fun writing an epilogue for Vivi, he’s such a sweet little guy and deserves all the love.

Leftover Sales are open for @ff9zine ! There are still a few merch items left and a chance at the digital zine. It’s such a gorgeous zine, so if you haven’t yet go on over and take a look at the options here

You can check out the fic here below or on AO3

Summary: The ultimate gift of a journey is one well lived. As Vivi comes to terms with his life, he looks back on the letters he once sent—deciding to compile them together as a last message to all of his friends. One in particular for his dear friend Zidane in hopes he’ll return someday. Set before and after the epilogue.

At One with the Sky

Vivi bobbed his head back and forth, teetering his bum on the edge of a small wooden stool. Life had changed drastically since his dear friend Zidane had gone off on a journey that even now, Vivi wasn’t sure when he’d return. Back then, Zidane had said he was taking life more seriously because of Vivi’s influence. With those words, Zidane went off to save Kuja and never came back.

Vivi knew someday his friend would come back. Just…Vivi might not be there to welcome him. And so, today the little mage decided to put himself to the pen once more. His journey had been filled with nights spent writing in a small “journal” given to him by his Grandpa. Unlike most journals, it was a simple leather folio, bound with black twine that wrapped around a brass button that acted as a simple closure. Vivi gingerly unraveled the twine until he could peek inside. The space was large enough to hold the mage’s quill and pen, alongside a stack of nine completed letters.

Master Vivi, what is that? Steiner had asked him that question once.

Letters to my Grandpa, Vivi had replied, adjusting his hat to stealthily hang over his eyes. He couldn’t bear to explain that at first, he thought it was a “journal.” Over time, and after learning more about the world Vivi had come to know keeping a journal was different than the art of letter writing. Still, in his own way—writing letters was an act of keeping a record of his life.

Zidane was the one who explained the difference. The memory tugged at the edges of Vivi’s whirring heart. Back then, his friend had caught him writing by candlelight after they spent the night at the Black Mage Village. Zidane, being Zidane had swiped the letter Vivi had been writing and began teasing the little mage after he told him to “give his journal back!”

A Journal? Isn’t this a letter? See it reads like one too! Zidane laughed, then began to tease Vivi by reading his letter out loud. Slowly, the rogue’s face fell as he read Vivi’s statement that the little mage probably had a year or so left to live, maybe more. Maybe.

Neither addressed the moment and instead quietly went to sleep. But the next morning, Vivi found a scrawl from Zidane on his letter. He wrote that Vivi shouldn’t think about it too much and just keep moving. Vivi took the words to heart. If Zidane, Dagger, Steiner, Eiko, and Freya were able to keep moving forward—maybe someday he’d stop worrying about it.

Vivi tugged on his hat. The memory made his head feel fuzzy. Tears pooled at the edges of his golden eyes as he looked out the window of Alexandria castle. The sky. Right, the sky was so blue the day Vivi had finally had enough. He was frightened, scared that the feelings plaguing him would never go away. He wanted them to stop.

You don’t have to do everything my way, you know? Vivi…Well…in the end, it boils down to two simple choices. Either you do or you don’t. You’d think with all the problems in this world, there’d be more than two answers. It’s not fair…but that’s the way things are. The choice is yours. I just wanna protect the people I’m with. Doesn’t matter whether I can or not. It’s what I believe.

Those words Zidane spoke took root in Vivi’s heart and slowly but surely, a sense of peace overcame him. It helped Vivi keep searching for the answers he sought—and when he found them—life made no more sense than before. But Vivi kept going. Even when Zidane wasn’t there to encourage him anymore: he remembered those words.

Vivi took a deep breath. Time was fleeting. Life was slowly seeping out of him. But he wanted to leave something and relive his journey one last time.

The little mage set out a leather book cover he had obtained from Queen Garnet.

I’d be honored to hold your memories. Hold them for him—for his return.

Vivi shook away the ache forming in his throat. Words that couldn’t be said. Words of thanks that conveyed a journey well lived. Slowly, the little mage began to unwrap each letter and put it inside the cover. Soon it would be bound by the court archivist.

As he picked up each one, Vivi began to relive his journey.

****

Grandpa, I set off today on my adventure.

It’s been about a week since you faded into the sky. For days I didn’t know what I should do. It was scary, being alone and not hearing your stories anymore. So, today I decided to head to Treno. It was scary at first, there were so many people! But I met a Moogle who gave me a ticket to see, “I Want to Be Your Canary” in Alexandria. I hope it’s as good as your stories. Next time, I’ll tell you tomorrow about what the town is like!

I met a Moogle!

The world is so much bigger and sometimes scarier than I thought it would be. But the sky, it’s so clear and bright here. I keep looking up at it and wondering just how far I can go. I’d like to think I’ll be able to visit everywhere the sky touches.

But Grandpa, Alexandria is filled with so many people! I fell over once and almost lost my ticket, but it wouldn’t have mattered if I did. The man at the ticket booth said it was a “fake” and I wouldn’t be able to see the show with it. I wandered around not sure what to do next. But then, another guy as little as me came running through the streets with a ladder! He helped me get a spot on the roof to watch the play. I think I like it better this way, you can see the sky and the tops of the houses for miles. I’ll tell you how the play was later, the show is about to start!

The Evil Forest is really scary…

I’m scared. I don’t know how it happened, but I was taken away from the play on an airship with a bunch of “kidnappers,” a “knight,” and the princess herself! Somehow right after we took off the airship broke apart and we fell into this dark forest. My head feels a bit fuzzy from it all, so much has happened. I know you told me there were things out there that wanted to eat me, but I didn’t think plants would! I passed out after that, then Mr. Blank gave me some yucky medicine to get the seeds out of me. I thought I was going to die. The world really is dangerous.

I hope the princess is ok. My new friends Zidane and Mr. Steiner said I could help save her with my magic. I couldn’t do anything before. I was able to help myself but not the princess. I feel like I’d just be useless. Can I really help? Mr. Steiner called me Master Vivi and seems to believe in me. I’m not sure what to think about that, but I’ll try my best.

Maybe I can be useful too!

I was able to use my magic! I feel better that I was able to be useful. I’m happy to have made friends with Zidane, Mr. Steiner, and maybe I will be with the princess too when she wakes up. I hope she’ll get well soon. Right after defeating the monster, the entire forest attacked us! We barely made it out.

Grandpa, it’s strange. I’m all messed up inside. Mr. Blank worked so hard to save us but—the Evil Forest took him too. I couldn’t do anything again. From now on, I’ll work hard to not be afraid and use my magic to help keep everyone safe. So far, everyone’s said my magic is really useful. That made me really happy. Is it strange to want to be needed by my new friends? I feel like, maybe they can help me find where I belong.

What am I? I never thought about it before…

In Dali, I found dolls that looked like me. What does it mean? Why do they look like me? I don’t know what to think. Zidane said that they only looked a bit like me. Maybe he’s right. They don’t act like me at all, and their clothes are different. But when I got on the airship, they were up and moving—just like me! I tried talking to them—but it’s like they don’t even see me at all. Then another one of the Queen’s mages attacked us. The dolls tried to protect me. And that mage killed them all….

I couldn’t do anything…they were swallowed up by the sky. I got so angry. I asked my friends: “Were those black mages and I…the same?”

Steiner said it didn’t matter, even if they were. And Zidane said that I’m an “individual.” I’ve decided to believe in those words. I’m me and no one else.

Grandpa, I’m so happy to have friends. Maybe they’ll help me find out who I am. I miss you. If you were here—what would you say?

Lindblum’s Grand Castle is so huge!

Dagger,

Thank you for bringing me here! The food was really tasty, I think my Grandpa would have loved it. I even saw something that looked like his sesame buns in one of the shops. It’s so busy and people from all over are trying to live their dreams! I’m sure you know that…you’ve been here before after all.

I was really excited about attending my first festival until Zidane signed me up to hunt the monsters. I never thought I’d be using my magic that way! Zidane won, but I had fun touring the city while hunting monsters.

I felt useful until we saw that Burmecian soldier die. When I heard that the enemy soldiers might be the same black mages—I realized it’s even more important to find out who I am. Dagger, I’m like you—I was really sad to see him die. And scared. I’m scared to find out what I am. Maybe, I’m not even human. But, I feel it’s my duty to visit Burmecia and find out. I think—I understand why you did what you did. In your own way, you’re fighting too.

The rain just won’t stop falling…Burmecia is gone…

Freya,

I’ve never seen so much death before---so much sadness. Grandpa once told me death was a part of life. But, is this really what he meant? I don’t think so. I’d like to ask Zidane, but something aches in my chest. Freya told me that it’s possible the answers I seek will change my life for the worse. But—I think it’s worse if I don’t find out what I am. Thank you Freya, for worrying about me even when you’re the one hurting the most. As we journey together, I hope we’ll both understand someday and be able to turn our anger and hurt into something meaningful.

I don’t understand…

Puck, I’m sorry! Steiner, what can I do?

So many people have died. I keep seeing the Black Mages kill people over and over. I haven’t been able to stop them—tell them that they don’t have to kill. But that’s all they’ve kept saying: KILL. All I’ve been able to do is watch—watch them kill. When will it stop? I don’t understand—why does everyone around me keep dying? How…how can I help?

I’ll keep going. I gotta know why.

I visited a village…filled with mages like me!

Grandpa,

There ARE others like me! They talk and they’re scared of humans! I couldn’t believe it, there was a whole village! It’s in the middle of a dying forest and Black Mage 288 told me they traveled all the way across the ocean to get here. But…I found out something else. One day, a Black Mage will “stop moving.” When Mage 288 told me that, I ran away. Zidane asked me if I was ok, but I lied. I’m scared.

These mages talk and live like me. They have hobbies, jobs, and people they love—friends. They don’t kill, they just live peacefully away from humans. Earlier tonight I asked Black Mage 288 more about it. He said, our lifetimes are limited—it varies but after a year most die. He too fears death; he doesn’t want the others to know—sometimes he��d like to run away too.

“The joy of living with them far outweighs the fear of death. Isn’t it the same for you? Traveling with your friends gives your life meaning.”

I didn’t know how to answer him. I don’t know what to think. What does it mean to live? To exist?

Everyone in the village asked me to see the outside world and tell them all about it. I think continuing my journey will help me find the answer.

It’s not fair, but don’t think about it too much. You should keep writing your letters, Vivi. I know all of us would like to read them, even your friends in the village. So, just keep moving forward. That’s all you gotta do right now. – Zidane

A new friend!

Quina,

I made a new friend, her name is Eiko and she can summon Eidolons just like Dagger! It’s a bit annoying but Eiko likes bossing me around. It’s ok, I think she does it because she’s lonely. Maybe being around friends will make her stop teasing me someday.

I’m learning a lot!

Grandpa, I’m running out of ink…so it may be a while before I write again. Once I can, I’ll tell you all about everything that’s happened. I think…I’m beginning to understand myself more.

Holding onto anger doesn’t help anyone.

Grandpa,

I got so angry after we ran into Kuja again. He’s the source of everything—all the pain and death. But thanks to Zidane I was able to pull myself together. I’m still mad, but I was able to get a new pen and quill in Alexandria at Dagger’s coronation. Kuja…he’s caused a lot of pain for Dagger too. She lost her mom. Brahne was terrible and I hated her too–but seeing her not moving anymore and how hard Garnet cried made me realize something. Life is precious. My existence too—I want to make it all mean something.

I’m so glad I met my friends

Eiko,

Zidane hasn’t been himself lately. He was angry and said things he didn’t mean. But Zidane is like me, he was created too—so maybe that’s why he got so angry back then. I was able to help him like he helped me, I think. Zidane is Zidane again.

I’ve learned that someone be there for you when you need it is important. I think I’d still be angry, lost, and scared if I was alone But my friends helped me realize that it’s ok not to know yet what your existence means. We all still have time to think. I’m so thankful to have met my friends. Regardless of what we face next: I’m ready to face it all.

It’s been a while…

Zidane,

This is my first real letter. Remember when you said I should keep writing them? Well, I’ve learned how to properly write one thanks to Steiner. Everyone’s gone their separate ways now. Garnet is doing well as Queen with Steiner and Beatrice protecting her as always. Eiko was adopted by Regent Cid, can you believe it? She has a family now and seems really happy. Freya went on a journey with Sir Frately. Even if he doesn’t remember her, she’s getting to be with the person she loves. I see Quina now and then eating at places all over. Amouranthe—I hear stories about him everywhere I go. I hope to see him again.

Oh, that’s right! I’m traveling again too and making a big book filled with drawings and stories to share back in the village. I…don’t know how much time I’ll have left. So, Zidane. When you get back. I’m going to ask you a favor, ok? I’d like to meet you again, but even if I don’t—I’ll always remember what you taught me.

I feel like I have so much to say, but there isn’t enough time. So, I plan to write a letter to all my friends. A letter that tells them how thankful I am. Maybe, I can leave more of myself behind that way. Maybe…my memories will become a part of the sky and keep going on with you. I really…love the sky. I hope a part of me keeps journeying with everyone, somehow.

****

Zidane closed the bound record of his friend’s life with a reverence he had never experienced before. The soft light of the sun peeking through the glass latticed windows of Alexandria castle warmed the cold sensation that had been seeping its way into his heart. Vivi really was gone—at least the Vivi who left this journal. He had come back to find so much had changed, and yet so little. It felt overwhelming at first, but Zidane being Zidane sorted through it all quickly with Vivi’s help.

Garnet had handed him the journal with tears kissing her eyelashes. He didn’t fully understand till now what those tears really meant. With a sigh, the former rogue made his way to the top of the castle. The bright sky above was such a deep blue he could almost feel himself falling into its cloudy maw.

“One with the sky, huh? Cheeky kid. Making the sky all about him.” Zidane chuckled. Soon he found himself opening the journal again, staring at that last line. Hastily he scribbled his own words beneath it.

Alright, well if this journey is going to continue with you: then I hope you don’t mind me borrowing your journal. I’ll finish filling out every last page. Till we met again, little guy.

#FFIX zine #final fantasy ix #final fantasy #Vivi #zidane tribal #FFIX fanfic #my fanfiction #my fanfics #final fantasy IX fanfic #long post

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yatescountyhistorycenter · 3 months ago

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The curious case of the short-lived Combination Vender Company

By Jonathan Monfiletto

From furniture for stores and schools to carriages and buses to metal fixtures and more, the Penn Yan area has been the site of various industrial endeavors creating a variety of interesting products. One such venture was the Combination Vender Company, which was at one point located on Water Street in the building that is now the site of Water Street Wines & Spirits.

Though it seems to have begun with promise, the Combination Vender Company also seems to have come in like lion – putting out a roaring good product for the Yates County area and beyond – and seems to have gone out like a lion too, with a ferocious argument between the company’s founders. The Yates County Chronicle of August 31, 1904 features the first reference to the Combination Vender Company in a Yates County newspaper, though it is unclear when the company started. That edition of the Chronicle notes Combination Vender recently moved from the Commercial Iron Works, located on Commercial Avenue in the Lake Street corridor after the 1872 Jacob Street fire, to a building on Water Street owned by C.H. Conklin.

A few months later, on February 8, 1905, the Chronicle carried an article titled “Penn Yan’s New Industry” and subtitled “Davis Brothers and F.B. Townsend Doing a Rushing Business on Water Street.” The article describes Combination Vender as a new industry that opened on Water Street after beginning in Beebe’s carriage factory the summer before. The Water Street building had previously been occupied by the Penn Yan Wine Company but now was the home of a firm managed by brothers Jacob and Lewis Davis and Frank Townsend, who invented the machine the company patented on October 25, 1904 and produced in its factory.

Though newspaper accounts call the machine a slot machine, it wasn’t something you would see in a casino even though in practice it might work that way. In essence, the machine was – as the company’s name suggests – a vending machine. According to the Chronicle, the vending machines had four compartments to carry four different commodities, such as candies and peanuts and more. Items cost one cent each, so a person put in their penny and chose the item they wanted. The machine received the penny and carried it back to the drawer and retained it. Then, the desired item fell through the opening into the hand of the person.

Interestingly, the machine also had a magnet that attracted steel or iron or tin and thus prevented fraudulent coins from being used to obtain items. Since a penny is made from brass and not magnetic, it moved through the machine as intended.

At the time of the 1905 article, the company employed 13 people and and had 1,000 machines ready for shipment, with a total of 3,000 or more orders. The Chronicle detailed the company’s process for making the machines on Water Street: On the first floor, oak woodwork for the machines was cut to the right size by circular saws and into the right shape by a machine carrying different knives. Then, the wood was smoothed and polished by a revolving wheel. On the second floor, the iron and brass were prepared, with the iron cut into shape by metal dies. On the third floor, the machines were put together, varnished, and prepared for sale. At that point, every part of the machines was made on Water Street except for the enameled iron front – made by the Lisk works in Canandaigua – and one little casting made in Buffalo.

Combination Vender had moved to Water Street in 1904 to “largely increase its capacity,” according to the Chronicle, and indeed by the end 1905 the company was reported to employ “fifteen or sixteen men” and its machine was touted as “one of the best on the market and … finding a ready sale in all parts of the United States.” The company incorporated in early 1906 with a capital stock of $100,000, with the Davis brothers and Townsend among the directors. “These gentlemen have an excellent invention, a money maker, and are to be congratulated,” the Chronicle said.

In December 1908, the Combination Vender building was the victim of an apparent arsonist in the Penn Yan business district. The engine room, where the fire ignited, and another small building were significantly damaged, and the building sustained water damage. However, a little more than a year later, in the first Chronicle edition of 1910, an article headlined “Prospering Industries” highlighted Combination Vender along with other industries and interests throughout Penn Yan and Yates County. the sub-headlines boasted, “Penn Yan’s Factories and Mills Show Marked Progress During 1909,” “Railroads Show Increase Over 1908,” and “Northern Central Business for November and December Gains $14,200. Factories Nearly all Busy. Outlook for 1910 Very Promising in all Industries.”

For the article, Combination Vender reported an increase in business from 1908 to 1909 and had “every reason to be assured of a prosperous year in 1910,” with no decrease in its workforce during the winter despite such a cut being the rule in similar factories. “This firm has a great deal of competition to meet, but its machines are satisfactory and increased business naturally follows,” the article states.

However prosperous 1910 may been for Combination Vender, 1911 appeared to usher in the downfall of the company. On May 31, the Chronicle reported the factory was shut down and the employees put on vacation because of strained relations between Townsend, the company secretary, and Jacob Davis, the company treasurer. Davis had apparently fired Townsend, giving the secretary “a notice that his services were no longer required,” but Townsend refused to stop working. Davis delivered Townsend another notice, this time accompanied by a witness, yet Townsend still refused to quit. Townsend stated his firing by the treasurer required the consent of the board of directors.

Davis called a meeting of the board of directors, which voted to discharge Townsend. The secretary still refused to step down, claiming the notice of the meeting must specify its purpose. With the factory slated to reopen the following week, Townsend said he would be there while Davis said Townsend would not be allowed to work and the factory would be closed again if needed. It was noted Davis held the majority of shares in the company, while Townsend was a stockholder and was also superintendent of the factory for some time.

The Penn Yan Democrat of June 9, 1911 sheds more light on Townsend’s side of the argument, stating the secretary had asked the treasurer for a sworn statement of the condition of the company but Davis failed to do so. While Townsend said he made the request in writing that March, Davis said he had no recollection of it other than presenting a statement to the board and giving it to Townsend to examine. However, at that meeting, Townsend said he asked Davis to swear to the statement, but Davis would swear only to part of it. This argument apparently led to Davis seeking to fire Townsend.

According to the Democrat, Townsend sought a penalty for Davis for his violating a law that requires the treasurer of a company or corporation to render a sworn statement under certain conditions. Townsend also sought back payment for his prior work for the company. Indeed, Townsend filed a lawsuit against Davis for the violation of corporation law. The presiding judge dismissed the action, however, stating Townsend, as a director of the company, had “every opportunity to acquaint himself with the financial standing of the company,” the Chronicle stated on December 13, 1911.

As reported by the Chronicle on June 4, 1913, the Appellate Division ordered a retrial, with this time the jury deciding the case in favor of Townsend and the presiding judge awarding $680 (equivalent to $21,298 in 2023 dollars) to Townsend as a penalty to Davis. This verdict appeared to ring the death knell for Combination Vendor.

On January 9, 1914, the Democrat reported a man was looking for a suitable building to manufacture gas fixtures, and one place under consideration was “the brick building on Water Street until recently occupied by the Combination Vender Company, this company having moved into the adjoining wooden building,” formerly occupied by Sanderson’s coal office. A year later, on January 15, 1915, the Democrat reported a fire destroyed the three floors of the Combination Vender building. Baldwin’s Bank owned the building and had it insured for $3,000, while Davis had the machinery and company stock insured for $8,000.

The last mention of the Combination Vender Company in Yates County newspapers came on December 3,1924, when the Chronicle reported a fire at Clumm’s Accessory Store – apparently located in the wooden building once the home of Combination Vender – in which 500 of Combination Vender’s machines were destroyed. Davis, then living on Rochester, stored the machines there until they could be distributed in nearby areas, and some of the machines were recently purchased by a Rochester man. Instead, “all of these, charred by the fire and soaked with water, were dumped down through the two stories to the ground floor,” the Chronicle wrote.

#historyblog #history #museum #archives #us history #american history #local history #newyork #yatescounty #pennyan #business #manufacturing #industry #building #vendingmachine #slotmachine #combinationvenderco

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rmoonstoner · 2 years ago

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Lovely Little Sky Chapter 9

18+

***

Books and Relics

MK System x Reader

Warnings: Smoking and drinking, weed might be in this or implied, angst, fluff, graphic depictions of abuse, slight sexual situations, so 18+

Summary: The auction ends, and you get a few goodies. You sleep in Jake's room. Steven becomes jealous and gets mad at you. Steven and Jake have a weird argument.

***

A few items crossed the sale floor, all being sold for minor prices. Jake whispered to you about the history of some of the items he saw, some he mentioned he would have to find at some point after tonight, but they had to wait until he completed his goal with Allistar. You wondered if this man was supposed to be killed, or maybe he was leading Jake to a bigger boss. You didn't know, and Jake kept it that way to keep you safe.

Jake was just telling you about the last item, a genuine flying carpet. It was made by Doctor Strange himself, modeled after his cloak, and was then gifted to some dignitary in India. It was recently reported as stolen, and Jake was keen on putting that item on his list of things to recover.

"And here we have a beginner's set of magical items…" Another thing was brought up to the auction display table, or rather, a whole set of things. You sat up straighter and watched the auctioneer show off an old book. He unwrapped the protective leather, and showed what appeared to be a stone cover on it. Jake leaned forward when he saw your attention on it, his eyes darting over to see what caught your eye.

"This is an ancient Egyptian book. It's a poetry book that has been enchanted to withstand the test of time. It looks brand new, like the day it was made. It comes with a set of crystal pillars and points, jars of ground unknown ingredients, and it comes with two other books. Unfortunately the other two are blank, but it looks very nice as a set." As the man described what the book was, you leaned in to Jake.

"That's not a poetry book. I'm not sure if that guy can read the hieroglyphics, or what he was told, but that clearly has Thoth's name on the cover." You whispered to Jake. A rustling of the air around your skirt alerted you to look around for Khonshu.

There, right on the stage at the front, was Khonshu. He was inspecting the books and the crystals. He bent down, hands in his suit pants as he looked at the old tome. With a quick flash, he was now standing beside you, bending down.

"Yes. That's definitely not a poetry book, but if those idiots believe it to be, let them. Jake, bid on this set of items." Khonshu confirmed to you, then he pointed at the stage. Jake sighed, and he held his paddle up.

Allistar was watching how you seemed to take an interest in the item set that was currently being auctioned. From his view, it appeared like you asked 'Steven' to buy it for you. He grinned, figuring you were after the copious amounts of shiny rocks.

Jake ended up winning the auction without much of a fight from the other buyers. He was completely unaware of Allistar disappearing into the back where the items were held for the buyers.

Another few items came and went, with nothing worth noting. Khonshu had appeared again, and he quietly motioned to Jake. It looked like they were having a silent conversation. After, the old bird vanished, and Jake got ready for the end of the auction.

The last item to make an appearance was something fairly odd. It was a small ring, and you couldn't tell if it was brass, bronze, or copper. The announcer didn't have much to say about it, except that it used to belong to a Mystic of sorts.

A few people started bidding on it, mostly men with wives that wanted an obscure piece of jewelry. Jake had nothing on the ring, and he didn't seem interested in it, so you figured why should you be?

"Jake. That's a useful item." Khonshu's voice came out slow and the words precisely enunciated. Jake nodded and sat up a bit straighter, his chin resting in one palm as his other hand came up to bid.

The bidding war started, with four people decidedly wanting this mundane ring. You whispered to Khonshu, asking him what the ring was, and why he wanted it. He told you that you would have to wait and see. You didn't like his answer, but you didn't argue with him.

One guy dropped off the bidding war, and went quiet when the ring reached one million. Another stopped bidding when Jake raised it by five hundred thousand. That left him and some guy in the back.

The next bid brought the total up to two million, and Jake hesitated for a moment. He checked his pockets, and then Khonshu growled at him.

"I don't care if you have to go back to the car for more money, just make sure you buy that ring." The God commanded, and Jake grumbled as he raised his paddle again.

It took two more bids, but Jake managed to win it. After the auction was finished, Jake had to leave you to go to the limo and grab more cash. You hovered by the bar and ordered another drink as you sat back and waited for him. It took him only five minutes to come back from the car with a briefcase in his hand. He glanced at you from where he was, nodded, and went off to the buyer's area to claim the goods.

***

Jake was in the back room, which was really a parlor attached to a library. He waited with a few others to claim their things. Surprisingly, his were brought out first, by none other than Allistar Shingle himself.

"Ah, Dr. Grant. Are you happy with your purchases tonight?" Allistar asked with a wide smirk. He set a box down that contained the books and crystals, and then handed over the ring.

"I am. The girlfriend wanted the crystals for her collection, and I'm going to put these books in my personal library."

"Sounds good. What made you purchase the ring?" Allistar asked while Jake looked the chunky ring over. He noticed small details on the thick metal bar, and wondered why it was so special. It required two fingers to wear it, and it didn't look like it was very comfortable.

"Anything a Mystic has owned should be an interesting conversation starter. I might display it in my library. I'm not sure yet." Jake replied while pocketing the ring into his breast pocket. Allister nodded, and he turned away.

"I do hope to see you again, Dr. Grant." And with that, Allistar left the room. Jake departed the buyer's room, and went to find you. You were exactly where he had left you, and you were just finishing off your drink.

"Time to go, mi cielo." Jake said, and he took your arm to lead you out of the mansion.

Once the items were loaded into the back seat with you, Jake drove away. He was being careful to make sure he wasn't being followed. Eventually he brought you back home, and he took you to his small bedroom.

He stripped you of the jewelry that you wore, placing it away into his closet. You were sure you saw a safe in there, but you didn't want to get caught ogling it. He set the box of crystals and the books down on his desk, and then placed the ring down beside it.

"Dunno what the old bird wants with these books, but he was very adamant about me acquiring them."

"Well, the front just says Thoth in big letters. The rest of the symbols are a bit tricky to read. It's definitely not a poetry book."

"Well, I'm sure he will tell me what it is for at a later date. For now, I'll put them away in my safe." Jake replied, and did just that. But the ring, the ring he handed to you.

"Khonshu wants you to hold onto this. He said not to wear it, but to keep on you at all times."

"Uh, okay. I'll put it into my purse for now."

As you did that, Jake went to his dresser. He changed his clothing to more comfortable house clothes, a white sport shirt, and a pair of black sweatpants. You were about to leave when he started to change, but he asked you to stay for a little bit.

"Stay with me tonight." He asked, and you sheepishly grinned at him.

"Well, okay, but I really want to get out of my clothes…" You smiled and he reached up to help you take off your Kimono, then your dress. Once it fell to the floor, he reached into his dresser and grabbed a large, black tee, giving it to you with a grin.

"You can wear this, and a pair of my boxers. They are generic enough for the other two to think you're wearing their clothing." He said as he fetched you a pair of black, loose-fitting boxers. You changed and crawled into bed with him.

"Thank you for your help, tonight." He whispered softly. His hand slowly caressed your arm, while the other held his head up. You smiled and reached out to cup his face. He was slowly growing out his facial hair. It had been three days since any of them had shaved.

"You're welcome, Jake." He smiled at your reply, and moved in to kiss you. This was the softest kiss he had given you yet. He was gentle and tender, his hand still stroking your arm.

He slowly let go of your lips and leaned back with his hand behind his head. You nestled down next to him, resting your head on his chest as he brought his other arm up to rub your back. He didn't try to initiate sex with you tonight, and instead, he lulled you to sleep with a gentle massage. The last thought you had, before drifting off to sleep, was how sweet he could be as you listened to him whisper soft words in Spanish.

***

The next morning you awoke and the bed was empty. You gathered your things and left the small bedroom beside the garage and padded to your own room. You showered and dressed in baggy sweats and the shirt Jake had let you borrow. You came out and went to Steven's floor to make a cup of tea, where you noticed that there was music coming from the library area. You got your tea and went over to see what was going on.

Steven was listening to some jazz as he sat at his desk. He seemed like he was writing some things down, looking focused as he looked from one piece of paper to another. He was dressed in blue sweatpants and a brown cable knit sweater, a set of square framed glasses on his nose.

"Good morning." You greeted him, causing Steven to stop what he was doing to look up at you. He smiled widely, and got up from his seat to come over to you.

"Good morning, love. I've been up for ages. I woke up on Marc's couch, a bottle of whiskey beside me, and you nowhere to be found. I figured you went to your room after I fell asleep on the sofa. I'm sorry that I blacked out last night. Marc just got up. He's also is sorry for blacking out." Steven said as he reached out to hold you. He rested his chin on the top of your head, both arms wrapped tightly around your body.

"It's alright. I had a great sleep. Not hungover, either. My back hurts, but I am sure it'll be fine later." You replied as you pulled away. Steven held a concerned look on his face, and lifted your chin so you had to look at him.

"How was the auction with Jake, last night? Everything fine?"

"Oh, yeah. It was pretty boring. But I did see one item that interested me."

"What was it?"

"It was presented as a poetry book, but the front cover just had the word 'Thoth' on it. Its cover was made of stone, and the pages inside are made of parchment or something." You told him a little about the book that was currently downstairs. Steven's brows knitted together, and he hummed.

"It looked like this." You said as you took your phone out and showed him a photo of the book that you took in Jake's room. Jake had asked you to ask Steven about it, hoping his alter had information on such an artifact.

"That… That's the Book of Thoth. That's a book about magic. Ancient priests would learn its secrets, using it for the greater good. There was a bad priest once, and he used the magic he learned inside to do bad things. The book was lost to the ages, until the 1960s, when it was recovered from a German general's home." Steven explained as he inspected the photo, turning it so he could read the symbols along the border of the cover.

"That book is a powerful book of spells. Both dark and light magic can be learned from the information inside." Steven went on as he ran his hand through his hair.

"God, I'd pay an arm and leg to get my hands on something like that." Steven said with a small chuckle as he pushed his glasses up to the top of his head. You laughed nervously and switched the topic to something else, while trying not to think about the fact that he technically owned it, and it was currently in a safe downstairs.

"I just wish I could learn magic. You know, any form of it. I know the Scarlet Witch has different magic than Dr. Strange or Loki. And they are all different from the magic of ancient Egypt. It just would be neat to be able to do things like unlock doors or light a fire." You said as you told Steven about your wish to learn magic. He gave you an odd look, his head tilted to the side.

"You want to break into places and commit arson?" He asked with a dumbfounded expression. You laughed and waved at him.

"No, look. Wouldn't it be cool to be able to make light when you need it? Or perhaps use magic to teleport someplace? Hell, I would be happy to even have just the cool cloak Dr. Strange has. Flying would be so fun, you know, without the threat of falling to my death." You chuckled as you explained yourself better. He nodded and smiled.

"I personally would want the knowledge that comes with that sort of stuff. If I could, I would use magic to learn more, to learn everything I could about the world." Steven replied softly as he glanced at his reflection in the stainless steel statue on his desk. Marc was grinning ear to ear.

'I would prefer having all the cool magic shit we used to have when we worked for Conrad.' Marc said a little too quickly, before actually thinking about it. Steven scowled at him, hissing when Marc met his gaze.

"Marc, that's not-" Steven was about to scold Marc for what he had said, but the look on your face screamed that it was far too late for that.

"Wait, you had magic when you worked for Conrad?" You tried to sound surprised. You weren't exactly surprised, but you were a little bit when Marc opened his big mouth.

Steven's face melted into a hard thinking mask, and you knew he was trying to think up a way to explain himself without sounding insane. He only ended up looking incredibly worried and guilty.

"Steven?" You said his name again, and reached out to touch his arm. He was still processing what to say, and for once, Marc was just letting him stumble through it on his own.

Of course Marc would, since he was the one that fucked up.

"Okay, I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me-"

"No. I'm sorry. I haven't been very honest with you. We haven't been very honest with you."

"What?" You feigned innocence and waited for Steven to go on in more detail. He clasped his hands behind his back and he began to pace around his desk. He paused, placed a hand to his chair, then ran one through his hair, effectively knocking his glasses to the floor. Before they could actually hit the floor, Steven had reached out and snagged them with lightning quick reflexes. The moment he did, he froze.

He had never been able to do that, unless he was blessed by Khonshu, and Marc knew it too. There was no way he could keep lying to himself and Marc about everything happening to them. He sighed, and looked up at you.

"Okay. First off, please don't think I am crazy. I mean, I cannot stop you from thinking it, but I am merely requesting that you don't freak out I suppose…"

"Steven, I don't think you are crazy. Marc isn't crazy either. Just tell me, what's wrong?" You asked, this time coming around the desk to cup his chin. He closed his eyes and turned to look at you.

"Remember how Marc was dying in the desert, and Conrad saved him?" Steven carefully said. You nodded as you kept staring into his soft brown eyes. Eyes that were so different when Jake or Marc piloted the body.

"Well, erm… Conrad used magic to heal Marc, but… Bloody hell, it's hard to explain…" Steven stumbled over his words and he looked down at his hands, which were shaking badly.

"Steven… I can assure you I will believe whatever you and Marc have to tell me. Remember, this world has mutants, supers, aliens, and Gods." You assured him you wouldn't think he was lying and he took a deep breath.

"Okay. So… Marc was dying, and at this point, I wasn't aware of his presence. It didn't know about my condition, or that I didn't really have a sleeping disorder…" He trailed off as Marc glared at him, his arms crossed in the reflection of the statue.

"...Which are all things you already know. Anyways… Well.."

'Hurry the fuck up, Steven, or I'll take over and tell her.'

"No. How about you shut the fuck up for once? Let me talk!" Steven shouted at Marc, then he promptly gave him the middle finger. You had to stifle your laughter, knowing that Steven was getting mad. You didn't want to add to his temper that Marc was helping to brew in him. Steven looked back up to you, and he took another breath through his nose.

"Okay. Long story short. Marc was dying. He was trying to save some people, but he couldn't, and he almost got himself killed. He crawled a great distance, hoping to find anyone to help him, but all he found was a building with a statue inside. The statue was one of Khonshu, the moon God. He offered to save Marc, if he agreed to serve him, being his righteous fist of vengeance. Marc agreed, and then he became Khonshu's Avatar." Steven was talking fast, and his hands were wildly animated as he paced around the room. He stopped at his fireplace and looked up at the mantle. Steven grabbed a small item from the shelf and turned to hand it to you.

It was a small, golden scarab.

"Marc was his Avatar for a while. Think of it like being a vigilante superhero. Marc was blessed by Khonshu's magic, and in return, Marc had to punish those that evaded the law. But… But he only took down people of great significance. Drug ring leaders, human trafficking rings, murderers, pedophiles…" Steven paused again to gauge your reaction. You just stood there with a smile, a look of patient understanding on your face.

"That's good. Why aren't you guys still working for him?" You asked, and Steven's brows went to the top of his forehead.

"What? Because the guy is… He's…" And as he tried to gather the words, Marc spoke up.

'Because Khonshu is an asshole. He's manipulative, selfish, and only cares about justice. He doesn't care about us. He watched us die multiple times, and he didn't even bat an eye.' Marc growled out the words with a seething hatred. You glanced at him, then at Steven.

"He can't bat an eye, he doesn't have eyes. Not eyes like us, anyways. But yeah, I guess? He was always mean to me. Called me names, like 'the worm', or 'the idiot'. Sometimes he would call me useless and stupid, yet he’d demand I handle some things because I think things through better than Marc…" Steven huffed and he glanced at Marc.

"He would constantly threaten Marc, telling him he would take Layla as his Avatar, which isn't something he can actually do if she wants nothing to do with him."

"Oh, well, uh… That's not very nice at all." You replied as you tried to hand the scarab back, but Steven whirled around to point up at strange staff that hung above the fireplace. He didn't even tell you about it, or the little beetle in your hand.

"No. No it's not. He took advantage of us. Us! We're broken, we're messed up in the head, not quite right."

"Steven, you and Marc are not broken. You're not messed up. Yes, you have D.I.D., but that doesn't make you broken. You work together with Marc, and that's that's a lot more than others get out of their alters. Some have alters that do bad things, you guys don't do that. You're good people. You have a successful job, a big fucking house, and money for days. You don't purposely try to mess around to hurt each other."

"Thanks, but I'm not so sure about that…" Steven looked up at the light fixture, and he squinted hard at it. He could have sworn he saw a set of angry eyes staring at him from up there. He quickly looked down at his feet, and hoped he didn't see what he thought he just saw.

'We saw him the other night.' Marc suddenly said, and you turned to look at him with a brow raised.

"Excuse me?"

'Khonshu. Pretty sure we saw him the other night. The night we had sex.'

"You did?" At this point you were growing confused, and a little anxious. This conversation was quickly going downhill, and you didn't want to lie to them.

"Yeah. We both saw him. It wasn't a pretty sure, but a definite hell yes to seeing him. He's stalking us. Why? I have no bloody idea why." Steven muttered as he went to his desk and pulled out a bag of what appeared to be candy. He shoved a few into his mouth and chewed aggressively. It was during swallowing that Marc stepped in to take over.

"I fucking know why. I bet he's waiting for us to get hurt, hoping we'll ask him for help. Maybe threaten us a bit more to get his way…" Marc grumbled as he popped a few more candies into his mouth. He chewed for a bit, and then he suddenly got an idea.

You watched him slow down, his jaw halting in its movements. His brows suddenly went up, and he slowly turned to look at Steven in the statue.

"Steven." He whispered so lightly, you couldn't hear him.

'What?' Steven snapped back at him. He was holding his face in his hands, trying not to look at you.

"She's got that sight thing that Taweret mentioned last night. Remember?" Marc continued to whisper. Steven looked at him and bit his lower lip. All he could do was nod. Marc turned back to you and he was quickly closing the space between you both.

"Have you seen a nine-foot tall, lanky as fuck, mummy with a big ass crow skull? He usually carries a large metal staff, a crescent moon on the upper end." Marc asked, and you suddenly felt your insides squeeze painfully. You opened your mouth to answer, but just as you did, a large crashing noise could be heard downstairs. It was mostly outside, judging by the open window near you.

"Stay here." Marc was immediately darting off towards the noise, leaving you standing there, your heart beating wildly in your chest.

"That distraction will only buy you about five minutes. Ten, tops." A deep voice rasped. You knew who it was, and you looked around the room, yet you couldn't see him.

"Marc's going to be pissed. I smashed his windshield." The voice continued as you went over to the window where you could see the driveway. Marc was just coming out of the garage, and his hands flew up into the air.

"Oh come on! I have a fucking big ass, gated yard, and this fucking happens to my car!?" Marc sounded pissed. Like exceptionally pissed.

You looked at his car and your eyes went wide. Your hand shot up to your mouth as you took in exactly what Khonshu had done to the car.

There, where the windshield should have been, was now some sort of hunk of black metal. It was literally on fire, and glass was everywhere on the ground. The hood was half caved in, and the wheels had all burst from the impact. Even the frame was fucked and bent in all sorts of places.

"I think you broke more than just the windshield." You looked at Khonshu then back at the car. Marc was now facing you, but from his angle, he couldn't see the moon God. He held his hands up, motioned to his car, then dragged both hands through his hair. He looked very distraught.

"Fuck! Now I have to tell Matt a fucking…" He paused as he squinted at the melted chunk of metal.

"...Random piece of an airplane randomly smashed my car…" Marc was now walking around the poor destroyed vehicle. He kept looking straight up at the sky, and then looking all around to see if he could see or hear a plane anywhere, which, at that current moment, there wasn't.

"Uh, maybe put the fire out? Before it spreads to your garage and house?" You called down to him. He rubbed his face and darted into the garage to grab a fire extinguisher. He came right back and only had to spray the car a few times, before the flames receded and stopped burning. He slowly slid down the side of the garage, one hand tightly holding a fist full of his hair.

"Do ya want me to come down there?" You asked, and he shook his head.

"No. It's fine. I'll just have to call the insurance company today, and see if plane parts are included in my warranty, which it probably isn't." He replied as he got up and walked back into the house with the fire extinguisher.

"You don't have to lie completely to them. Tell them you've seen me around. Tell them I spoke to you, asking you questions about them. That's not entirely a lie."

"And what fucking then, you nasty, old bird? What do I tell them after that? What did you talk to me about?"

"I didn't want to have to do this… But tell them I am concerned about them."

"Like they will believe that at all-"

"Silence, human. Tell them I've been watching them."

"That's creepy and will just scare them."

"Okay fine. Tell them that you saw me at the auction, inspecting the goods. That's not a lie."

"You're not making this easy on me at all." You grumbled as you heard heavy footsteps approaching. Khonshu grunted, and faded out of sight.

"I'll teach you how to use that book in Jake's safe, if you can defuse the situation." His voice whispered into your ear, and you bit your lip. That was a dirty thing for him to do. You were about to scream at him, when the library door was flung open, and Marc came stomping in with a bottle of whiskey.

"Can you fucking believe that shit? An airplane part hits my car. Not our house, not our garage, and none of the gardens, but my fucking car."

"Well, look at it this way. It could have fallen about a hundred feet this way, right where we were standing." You tried to make light of the situation, but Marc just opened his whiskey and chugged back a large gulp. You could hear Steven whining about the booze, begging for Marc to go easy with it.

"Yeah, you're right. But, fuck me, this sucks."

***

Lucky for you, the talk about Khonshu had been completely forgotten about. Marc spent the afternoon drinking while he was on the phone with his insurance company. He had gone through two small flasks of whiskey by the time he had gotten off the phone. He was just done for the day, and Steven had stayed in the mirror talking to you. It was odd to see Marc in the body, piss drunk and sleeping on his couch, while Steven sat completely sober and awake in the reflection of the flat-screen television that Marc had.

Steven could tell that you were confused about that, so he decided to explain it to you. He said he would be fine, so long as he stayed in the headspace, but if he took over the body while it was intoxicated, he would immediately become just as drunk as Marc. That didn't really make any sense to you, as his brain should have been just as pickled as Marc's. He went on to explain he was kind of shielded from that, because he was technically not in control of the body while it was intoxicated. Like a voice of logic and reason that lingers until you black out. That made even less sense, but you didn't argue with him.

Steven was now quiet as he twiddled his thumbs. He wasn't sure what to talk about that weren't the many questions he had about Jake. He didn't like the way Marc was slumped in the crook of the couch, and he could see him drooling.

'Fucking pathetic. Loses his shit over a car, whines like a damned baby, gets piss drunk, then passes out. And he calls you the weak one.' That damned voice spoke up again. Steven quickly looked at you to see if you heard it.

'She can't hear me, because I don't want her to.' The voice scoffed at Steven. Steven looked down, trying to act natural.

Which was hard to do as a reflection.

'You should take the body. Let that oaf sleep the rest of the day.' There was a cruel laugh that rang through Steven's ears. Steven was carefully looking around through his curtain of black curls.

'You won't see me in the reflections, unless I want you to.' The voice murmured quietly, and Steven slumped even more.

'Oh, right… You can't take over the body, then you'll be just as buggered as he is.' The voice mocked him, and Steven was growing angry with it. He knew it was egging him on, trying to get him to react, and possibly scare you in the process.

But then, before Steven could really think about it much more, he noticed his body was stirring. He sat up straight and looked at you, then his body. You weren't really paying any attention, just idly skimming your phone as you waited for Steven to speak.

Steven was hoping Marc was going to get up. He was hoping the healing factor was working, and maybe his alter would regain some sobriety, but as he watched his body sit up, his face fell.

The expression on the body's face was a hardened look, brows set together in concentration, the eyes quickly coming to look right at Steven. His eyes, but they were so dark and cold. It sent shivers up and down Steven's spine. Those were the eyes he had seen multiple times, showing Steven a side of his own body he wasn't even aware of. One that was foreign and forbidden.

He watched his own face grin with a devious glint in his eyes, giving Steven a wink as he got up off the couch and padded over towards you. You were so engrossed with typing up a text to Safiya, that you didn't notice.

Steven was certain that wasn't Marc.

He watched you finally notice his body was up and walking straight toward you. You put your phone down on the coffee table and stood up.

"Are you alright? You downed a lot of alcohol." You asked him, noticing that he wasn't stumbling, and his expression coherent. All your words did was earn you a wide grin.

"I'm fine." He said in a rough voice. He reached out to grab your wrist, yanking you towards him. You gasped as he kissed you hard, quickly backing you up against the bar. You mewled for him, feeling his hand go for your neck as he jammed his tongue into your mouth.

Steven was wide-eyed and shocked. He brought his hand up to his face, and chewed on his sleeve. He was scared for a brief moment, wondering if you knew what was going on. He wanted to speak up, but he was too stunned at how receptive you were being.

Within seconds, you felt a hand cup your crotch, while a knee pushed your legs open. You were swimming in the kiss, feeling your head fog up as you bucked into his hand.

"Mi cielo…" He groaned as he pulled away from you. You looked up, your face heating up.

"Oh, it's you." You whispered back, your hands coming up to thread through his curls.

"Sí." Jake whispered back, and then his eyes looked over to Steven. Your eyes followed his, widening once you realized Steven was still there, watching.

"Steven is watching. Shall we give him a show?" Jake purred in your ear while his hand moved to dip into your pants.

"But… You're not supposed to-" You tried to say back, but his fingers had found your core, sliding his rough fingers over your clit.

"He already knows about me. It's Marc I don't want to find out." He rasped in reply, circling his fingers around your sensitive nub.

"What if… Oh God… What if Steven tells him?" You hissed back as your legs trembled.

"He wouldn't fucking dare…"

"Don't be m-mean to Steven, Jake. D-don't be like that old b-buzzard." You replied between whines. Jake stopped moving his hand and he gripped your neck a bit tighter.

"I'm nothing like that God." He growled, and you tugged on his hair.

"I know. But please leave Steven alone. He's so sweet."

"Fine. I'll be nice to him."

Steven was sitting there still as a post. He couldn't hear any words from either of you, only the submissive noises you made for Jake, and the growling of his voice. Steven was legitimately shocked to hear that his voice box could make that type of feral sound.

Jake slowly pulled his hand from your pants, then he looked directly at Steven with a shit eating grin as he licked his fingers clean. Steven was now scared, confused, and aroused.

'You're not Marc.' Steven finally spoke up as he stood up. Jake laughed as he approached the television where his reflection was.

"How very observant of you, Dr. Grant." Jake sassed him with a mean looking sneer.

'Well, who the fuck are you?' Steven spat back.

"I think you know exactly who I am, hermanito." Jake snickered and he went straight for you again. He grabbed your hand and brought it up to his face, still staring at Steven as he kissed your knuckles.

Steven bit his lower lip. He felt an odd rush of jealousy course through him, and he balled up his fists as he felt anger fill his chest. Steven slowly looked at you. He saw how your face was a mixture of worry and concern.

'You're the groundskeeper, Jake. Jake Lockley.'

"Ha! Yes. I'm the guy that keeps our yard looking nice. I'm the guy that hired her. I'm the guy that keeps you and that fucking uptight asshole safe." Jake paused and pointed to himself.

"I'm the reason you two are still alive, and I'm the cause of your fucking blackouts when you two clam up." Jake boasted as he went to his room, dragging you behind him. Steven hurriedly followed behind, until he was inside Jake's small bedroom.

Steven watched as Jake took off the shirt Steven had put on earlier that morning. Jake grinned at Steven while he grabbed a white collared shirt and buttoned it up.

"Mi cielo, pass me one of my ties, por favor." Jake said to you, and you quietly grabbed one from his closet, handing it to him as you stared at the ground. Steven called out your name, and you gave him a sheepish glance.

'How long have you known?' He asked you, sounding almost pitiful and hurt. You chewed your lip and looked away.

"Jake hired me. I met him first." You murmured softly as you sat down, looking at the mirror beside the bed. Steven frowned, and he looked at Jake, who was just tucking his shirt into his black pants that he had switched to. He put a nice black leather belt on, followed by the same belt buckle he wore at the first auction.

'Oh…' Steven stared at the buckle, seeing the moon phases on it, and he scrunched up his nose. He had seen that particular buckle once a long time ago, but it went missing along with his favorite pair of leather gloves.

"I'm sorry I didn't say anything, Steven. Jake asked me not to." You apologized to Steven, and he took a deep breath.

'Did you fuck him?' Steven's voice was harsh, like he was upset with you. You could hear the jealous tone in his voice. You looked down at your hands. Steven looked at Jake again, and the man was combing his hair back, only to set his flat cap onto his head. He turned and sneered at Steven.

"Oh, I fucked her alright. Fucked her before you or Marc could get to her. I fucked her good and hard. She loves the way I touch her. The way I told you to touch her." Jake taunted Steven as he grabbed his blue jacket and put it on.

Steven huffed and he looked down at his own hands that were half hidden in his sweater. He was doubting himself all of a sudden, and the terrible thoughts of his inadequacy started to bubble up in his mind.

'Did you fuck me out of pity, then?' Steven hissed. You blinked and looked up at his face.

"Of course not, Steven!"

'But you fucked him first. You obviously like him… The complete opposite of me.'

"It doesn't matter who I had sex with first. Steven, I had sex with you, because I wanted to. Because you're attractive, both physically and mentally, and you're such a sweetheart. You're smart and funny, and I like your voice." You told him the truth, and he looked away. You could tell he wasn't believing what you had to say.

'I don't know how I feel about it. The fact you literally saw my penis, before I got to show it to you, really bloody irks me.' Steven paused and he gripped his hair with both hands as he felt a wave nausea go through him.

'And you went out with him? Right after we had sex, didn't you? Did ya fuck him after?' Steven asked. His voice was becoming hollow, and you could feel the hurt radiating off of him. You couldn't even speak.

'Ah, I see. You did. Then you did it again after the bar, last night. I bet you enjoyed getting railed by him two nights in a row. That's why I couldn't find you this morning, innit? Sleeping in his bed I bet.' His bitter voice cut you like a knife. It hurt, because you and Jake didn't have sex last night. You just cuddled and slept in his bed.

And why did it matter? You had fallen asleep in Steven's bed for a nap, then in Marc's not long after. Why was it so terrible that you slept in Jake's? They all had the same body, so what did it matter? Wasn't it good enough to know that you liked every part of them?

"Look, Steven. What the fuck does it matter which one of us fucked her first or where she sleeps? Isn't it enough that she's not running away, hermanito? We share a body, a body she very much likes, and we're nice to her. She's genuinely nice to us. All of us." Jake said, his voice suddenly a lot softer, exactly like he was trying to talk to a younger brother.

'It matters to me because she lied to me! This shit is huge, Jake. You're a part of me, and I had no idea…'

"Cut the shit, Steven. You knew I was here, and have known for a long fucking time. You chose to ignore the signs."

'No… No I didn't…' Steven protested as he lowered his head and shut his eyes. Jake stepped right up to Steven, jabbing the reflection where Steven's chest was.

"Yes, hermanito! You two fucking assholes got us killed, and you found each other, while I was locked in a God-damned sarcophagus! I heard you open the door, I heard you two talking! But did you two come and fucking open the fucking box to let me out!? No!" Jake shouted in anger. His fist was shaking, and the vein on his forehead was popping out with his emotions spiking. You were stunned to see that his eyes were red with unshed tears.

"I was shaking that fucking tomb so hard, screaming and pounding on the lid, but you guys just walked away and left me there!" Jake growled the last few words out through a tightly set jaw. He was devastated, a single tear running down his left cheek. Now you felt bad for him. You wanted to reach out to him, but he was so wound up, and he looked like he wasn't finished speaking yet.

"When I finally got out of that fucking coffin, it was an empty mental hospital. There was no one in it. Just empty rooms, equipment, and flickering white lights, yet I know I heard people in it before. I walked all through that damned place, seeing no one at all. I finally came to a door that didn't just lead to an empty room or a closet, and it was a terrifying memory…" Jake lowered his fists and grabbed the hat off his head with one hand, while the other gripped his hair tightly.

"Then more doors opened, all to the worst memories that we have ever had. The memories you both don't remember…" Jake's voice was cracking and turning raspy. He was now faced away from you and Steven.

'What memories? Marc said the same thing to me. Said there were terrible things he had to endure, and he didn't want me to know about it.' Steven asked while he had a chance, his hands resting flat against the reflection like he was actually touching the object from the inside.

"Beatings. The ones that were too bad for Marc to endure. Our mother would hit us a lot. Sometimes, when she was intoxicated, she would escalate the beatings, using improvised weapons. That's when I took over." Jake revealed to Steven. Steven gasped, a hand covering his mouth as tears started to form in his eyes.

'No… No… It can't be true…'

"It is, Steven. Your right hand. Look at your pinky. There's a bunch of small scars there along your wrist. We were nine years old. Marc was late coming home from school, but he was there late, because of you, Steven. You had an after school reading club, and he wanted you to enjoy the club. He walked in the door, barely got out a hello, before she screamed and attacked him. I stepped in. She threw a wine bottle at my head, and I blocked it with that hand. It shattered everywhere. I spent hours alone in our bedroom trying to remove the glass. I bandaged myself up…" Jake patted his jacket down, fumbling to withdraw a pack of cigarettes. He grabbed one and lit it with his zippo, then he turned around.

Steven was absolutely mortified and disgusted that Jake was smoking, but he let it slide, because Jake was literally spewing out his past trauma like a broken water pipe, where with Marc, he had to pull it out of him painfully slow.

"Another time, our mother smashed my head through a window, just because Marc dropped a plate. She did it by grabbing my hair, and slamming my face repeatedly at it, until it shattered. She left scars on our scalp. We were thirteen years old!" Jake aggressively inhaled and exhaled his smoke, making small hissing noises between hits.

"Another time… We were fifteen, and Marc had just signed you up for an advanced placement class for gifted teens. It was about ancient civilizations. He got home, managed to tell our dad about the class, and he was happy. He had to leave to help his friends, and mom came home drunk. She was mad that the class was useless and irrelevant to getting a decent job. She pestered Marc the entire evening, trying to get him to agree to dropping out of the class, but he kept refusing, knowing you already knew about the class, and were so excited to go to it. She lost her shit, and threw me out the door and locked it. I had to sleep in the cold weather, with no blankets…" Jake kept going, power puffing on the smoke until it was almost gone.

"All the injuries… I tried to stay fronting until the damage was tolerable. Most of the time Marc would take back control when the injuries were half healed, and he wouldn't let you back into the body, until they were almost completely gone. You got to live during happy moments, when mom was actually half decent. You thought she was nice, because of the drugs she was on." Jake whirled around and crushed the cigarette between his thumb and index fingers, then dropped it into the trash bin.

Steven was speechless, as were you. Jake turned to look at Steven, then to you. His brows knitted together, and he covered his face as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

'I'm… I'm so sorry, Jake… I didn't… I didn't want to believe there was more than just me and Marc. I didn't… I just wanted our lives to go right for a change. Marc and I were finally working together. I was scared, we were dying…' Tears welled up in Steven's eyes, clouding his sight. He rubbed at his face with his sleeves, and you wondered how he was feeling, and how tears and emotions worked in the headspace.

Jake's face softened, and he went right up to Steven again, but this time he placed his hand flat on the glass as he rested his forehead against it. Steven mirrored him, placing his hand over Jake's as he put his face against the glass in the same manner his alter had.

'I'm so sorry, mate. If I wasn't so scared, I would have checked…'

"I know you would have. It's not your fault. Even Taweret didn't know I was there. She was fucking gone by the time I got out of that loony bin. Just an old boat in a sea of sand. There was no place for me to go, the boat had already made its round trip to the afterlife. It was like everyone had forgotten about me, like not a single person cared…" Jake quietly muttered to Steven.

"Only Osiris saw me. He told me that you both had made it back to the world of the living. I was so pissed to be left behind…"

"But then… Then he said I could go back, that Marc and you couldn't free Khonshu without me. I was so happy, because the alternative was limbo. You guys blacked out while you fought Harrow's men, and I came out, and helped. I left just as quickly, because you both had so much shit to deal with. You didn't need to know about me. You needed to rest."

"I stayed in the background, constantly watching, always listening. I only slept when you went to work. When you fell asleep, I came out, trying to actually live a small part of my own life, for myself, and not for others."

Steven was again speechless. His brain quickly ran through more questions, which were appropriate, and which were not. He looked over at you, sitting on the bed and fiddling with your nails. You looked sad, and Steven knew he had done that to you. He turned back to look at Jake in their body.

You were so sad, that you had gotten up and made your way to the door, pausing to look at them both. They were so engrossed in their conversation, a very private and heart wrenching one at that. You slowly slipped out of the room and went to yours, tears streaming down your cheeks. You could still hear them talking, and you figured they needed to be alone to discuss things. You got into your room and sat down, trying to think about the short time you have been here with them.

"Did Steven get angry?" Khonshu's voice rasped to you. Sighing, you nodded and looked at him. He was sitting on your dresser beside the bed.

"Yes. He got mad." You replied, and then waited for him to get upset about the fact Steven now knew about Jake.

"Did you have sex with him because you like him? Or did you have sex with him because he looks like Jake?"

"I… I like him. The fact they all look the same because they share a body is a bit of a factor. They are gorgeous."

"Marc knows he's attractive, but he thinks that is why he can't find a genuine connection with someone. People see him as an attractive alpha male, then they find out it's not just Marc in there… They all leave after that. Not many people know about his disorder."

"Well I don't know if it's wrong or not, but I don't think of them as Marc having a disorder. I just think of them as three entirely different people that happen to coexist together in one body."

"That's all they want. They want to be seen and heard."

"Well I can fucking see and hear them alright. Do you know how fucking weird it is to constantly see them in places they shouldn't be? In places I shouldn't be able to perceive them?"

"That's good, if you think about it. You got to speak to a sober Steven, while Marc was basically dead drunk to the world."

"Yeah… But now he is disgusted with me. He's angry I lied to him."

"And he has a right to be angry, but I can assure you that he isn't disgusted. Jealous of Jake, yes, but he is not disgusted. If anything, seeing Jake smoke a cigarette probably made him feel ill. He will understand you were keeping a promise, and for that, he knows he cannot be mad at you. If he had asked you not to tell Marc something, he would fully expect you to keep the secret."

"I suppose you're right. I'm just scared one of them won't like me, and not want anything to do with me. It's been a long time since I had someone special in my life, let alone three."

"Well, count yourself lucky there are only three of them, and they all like you."

"But would Steven and Marc keep liking me if they knew I kept you a secret?" You asked him. Khonshu turned his head away and drummed his fingers on the dresser.

"I don't think they will stop. Marc is the one that resents me. Steven actually enjoyed working with me, even though I was mean to him."

***

"Steven. Please don't be mad at her. She's the only one that has ever shown me such kindness. I know I'm scary, and not approachable. She doesn't care about that. When she found out I had lied to her, she stayed."

'You lied to her?'

"Of course I fucking lied. I told her all about you and Marc, and our D.I.D. I was hoping she would assume I was your twin brother, and then… Then I couldn't help myself. I wanted her. She was so pleasant to me… She always talked to me when she saw me. She always made me my own food and put it away into the fridge. She made that torte we all love so much… The one that tastes like our grandmother's."

'Yeah, grandma always made the best desserts.'

"And look at her, Steven. She's beautiful. She's smart, funny, and she's got the gift of sight. She can see us. Really see us. All of us."

'Yeah… Yeah that's right. But she's gone now.' Steven murmured back while pointing to the empty spot where you were just moments before.

Jake's head whipped around, and he didn't see you where he left you. Panic filled his chest, and he grabbed his shoes, wallet, and keys.

"Fuck. We can't let her feel bad now. Not when she has been kind to us." Jake grumbled as he left his room.

He stalked down the hallways until he got to your room, and he hesitated for a moment to listen. He heard you crying softly, and his heart twisted in his chest. He was about to knock, when he heard voices inside. He frowned when he noticed Steven was in the reflection of the doorknob. Jake knew who you were in there with, and he immediately started to back away from the door.

'Who the fuck is she talking to?' Steven asked, and Jake froze in place for a moment.

'Jake. Who. Is. She. Talking. To?'

"Er, maybe a friend on the phone? Perhaps we should come back in a little bit-"

'A friend? But the voice sounds familiar…'

"Well it doesn't concern us, and we should leave. Now-"

'Oh my God. She's talking to him.' Steven's voice was thick with insinuation. Jake panicked and his eyes betrayed his normally hardened exterior. He hoped Steven didn't notice…

But oh boy, did Steven notice.

"Who is him?" Jake tried to pretend like he didn't know who Steven was talking about.

'I'm not fucking stupid. I know that voice. If you really have been lurking in the background all this time, you know who I am talking about.' Steven growled at Jake, switching from his position in the knob's reflection, to the slight faded one in the glass of a picture of the Nile.

How fitting that Steven would choose that particular photo to sit in.

'That voice sounds like that grumpy ass old pigeon. Why would she be talking to him?'

"You call him a pigeon?" Jake replied with a hint of a smile.

"I like to call him, 'pájaro esqueleto'." He looked at Steven, but he wasn't smiling.

'So she is talking to him, then. But why? Oh fuck. Don't tell me…'

"It's not what you think, hermanito-"

'She better not be his new Avatar. Marc will shit a bloody brick.'

"She's not his new Avatar, so chill the fuck out."

'Well if she isn't his new Avatar, then why the hell… Wait. No. No, no, no!'

"Steven-"

'No, you fucking asshole. You didn't… Tell me you aren't his Avatar.' Steven pleaded with Jake to correct him, but Jake merely looked down at his hands.

"Fuck. Damn Marc for making you have those damned judgmental eyes…" Jake muttered as he looked away.

'Excuse me, they are your eyes as well! Jake. Please… Please tell me that you're not working for that pompous arsehole.'

"I wish I could, but I… I can't."

***

Thank you to @mics59 for the Spanish translations

Not proofread by anyone this time.

***

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