#city index excel

[kmrealtygroup]

Is Chicago, Illinois Cheap or Expensive? Here’s the Answer.

If you’re mulling over a move to this bustling metropolis and scanning the “real estate for sale in Chicago, Illinois”, you’re likely curious: Is Chicago cheap or expensive?

Housing Costs in Chicago

When it comes to the housing market, the prices are as diverse as the city itself. A general consensus shows moderate costs compared to coastal cities.

Chicago’s Real Estate Market

From luxury condos downtown to single-family houses in the suburbs, Chicago has a range of accommodation styles. Naturally, the cost varies depending on the type and location.

Luxury Living in Chicago

If you opt for the high-end spectrum of “new properties for sale in the Chicagoland area and surrounding suburbs,” prices can reach into the millions.

Middle-of-the-pack Living

For more modest budgets, homes outside the hub can be attractively priced, providing excellent value in terms of space and amenities.

Cost of Living Index

Considering other living costs, Chicago’s index stands at 106.9, slightly above the U.S. average of 100. While some areas could be expensive, others are surprisingly affordable.

Food and Leisure Prices

Dining out in Chicago can be both a bargain and a splurge. Street food is wallet-friendly, whereas fine dining experiences can be quite steep.

Transportation Costs in Chicago

Getting around Chicago with public transit systems is reasonable. Meanwhile, parking and gas prices can significantly increase the commuting costs for car owners.

Verdict: Cheap or Expensive?

As seen, it completely depends on your lifestyle and where you choose to live and dine. By researching and budgeting, it’s possible to find cost-effective solutions.

Find Your Preferred Lifestyle

The housing options align with a wide range of budgets, whether you’re browsing budget-friendly homes or looking for extravagant properties for sale in the Chicagoland area and surrounding suburbs.

In Summary

Ultimately, living in Chicago can be cheap, expensive, or somewhere in between, factoring in your individual budget, lifestyle, and specific choices — particularly in housing.

KM Realty Group LLC — your trusted source for all your real estate needs in Chicago, Illinois!

[reallyromealone]

Day sixteen 🎃 curroption

Pantalone x Barbara's brother male reader

Warnings: male reader, nsfw, smut, slight dubious consent, tough sex, blowjobs, facials, bottom male reader

Masterlist

(Name) hummed as he wandered the path, currently on a pilgrimage throughout the countries to give prayer to the gods and learn about the other lands beyond his own, dressed in winter clothes he was thankful he brought //imagine Barbara's outfit but fur lined and more masculine// as be looked through the endless winter before him.

Snezhnaya was not far off from what he was told but he found the cold almost delightful as the snow crunched beneath his shoes.

The young Deacon looked for a church or Cathedral of anything throughout the city when he noticed up high on a hill was a grand cathedral "thank goodness..."

"Excuse me?" A young girl dressed in fur lined clothes asked "who are you?" She asked curiously and (name) smiled warmly "I'm a Deacon of Mondstadt, I'm currently on a pilgrimage" he said with a kindness like no other, an emotional warmth radiating off him and giving a sense of safety.

"Really? That's so cool?" The girl said wide eyed and the two were unaware of Fatui guards taking notice of this and bringing the information of a Mondstadt Deacon in their city to Pantalone.

(Name) was in awe at the country and despite its unforgiving weather the people were kind to him, regarding him warmly as he made his way to the cathedral.

"Pardon me, are you the Deacon I heard of?" A deep elegant voice rang out, catching (name)s attention to the tall man with a false smile "hello! Yes, my (name) is (name)! A pleasure to meet you!" Pantalone noted be couldn't be older than 19, a bright and cheerful nature and radiating innocence and purity.

Pantalone wanted to own this adorable bunny.

"What brings you to our fair country little Deacon?" The spectacled man asked with false curiousity, trying to get information from the pretty boy who beamed and told him so honestly what he was doing "very noble of you, you must make those at home proud" Pantalone comments and (name) shook his head "I don't do this for the praise of others, I do it for the gods... They all deserve prayer and kindness..." He said genuinely and Pantalone was a greedy greedy man.

"Would you like to join me for dinner?"

Pantalone was selfish and greedy as he took in the others form as he watched (name) take off his coat to reveal how wonderful he was on the eyes.

"Thank you very much for inviting me! You have a beautiful home" (name) said genuinely and Pantalone imagined how wonderful he would look perched on his lap or spread in his bed dressed in barely anything or better yet nothing at all.

(Name) stared at him with his full attention, as if he were the the gods the Deacon prayed to.

"I must confess... I didn't ask you to join me to dinner for innocent reasons..." A false remorse making (name) look confused but let him continue "you see I was entranced by your beauty..."

He was entranced by his beauty, his innocence and would make an excellent lover to him.

"I must say... I find you quite handsome" (name) was flushed as he looked away, embarrassed at his confession only for the man to pull him closer "that's very sweet of you to say" Pantalone gently took his chin with his index and thumb "you're so beautiful..." He whispered before taking (name)s lips, pulling him into his lap fully and hands wasting no time touching "w-wait..." (Name) gasps, clinging and already debauched from a kiss "t-tgat was my first..."

"Kiss? Tell me... Have you ever bedded a man before?"

"I... I never..."

Pantalone grinned as he moved so (name) was under him and wasted no time recapturing his lips, determined to break his brain till he could only remember the feeling of his cock in him.

(Name) felt dizzy as be tried to keep up, covering himself when the other removed his shirt "don't cover yourself" Pantalone said pinning his arms above his head with one hand and continued his exploration, biting and sucking anywhere to get those sweet inexperienced moans from the others lips as his hand moved to rub the Deacons clothes cock, groping and playing with it before slipping under to fondle with the hardened cock, hot and leaking with pre-cum.

"Already close to cumming?" Pantalone teased "is my slutty little Deacon close?"

"I-I..."

"I-I" Pantalone mocked as he licked one of his nipples "come on bunny speak up"

"I don't... I-I don't know... Knot..."

"A knot? Where?"

"My stomach.."

"That means your slutty little cock is going to cum..." Pantalone said gripping his cock and jerking it off and watching the Deacon come undone "you ruined your pants..." Pantalone tisked as he stripped the beautiful man fully "such a wonderful body..." He breathed out as he took in the other.

mondstadt didn't deserve him.

"Wanna be a good boy?" Pantalone asked with a condicendingly sweet tone and (name) hazily nodded, unsure what he want but he wanted more...

"Then get on your knees infront of me"

(Name) moved so he was on his knees before the other, looking up at him so innocently "be a good boy and suck my cock nicely, get it ready"

(Name) wasn't fully sure what he was getting it ready for as the banker fished it from his expensive pants and gently smacked (name)s face with it "hop to little bunny" and watched (name) nervously take the cock in his hands, almost in awe at it's size as he pumped it a few times before tentatively putting it in his mouth.

"Good boy..." Pantalone said with a sigh as (name) sucked his cock like he was made to do so, he knew there was an eager slut underneath that Innocence...

(Name) didn't understand why he wanted to be such a good boy to the man whom he just met, never being touched like this before and found it additive.

(Name)s mouth was like a vacuum, the sweetheart giving it his all and Pantalone decided that he was going to put a ring on his pretty little finger, make him stay here forever.

Dress him in pretty clothes and break his pretty brain and form it into a dumb cum slut.

That sounded wonderful.

Pantalone gripped the back of his head as he slowly fucked his mouth with a low groan, feeling the others hands grip his thighs, loving the fact he was fully dressed compared to the Deacon being nude as it should be from now on.

(Name) looked so hazy and almost adoring as he bobbed his head, the taste and feeling addictive and the weight of it on his tongue was wonderful.

(Name) gasped as Pantalone forced his mouth off his cock, mouth open with a gasp as he came on his face, white ropes like a wedding veil and Pantalone felt himself harden again as (name) licked the cum almost hypontized as he did so "god you're such a little slut"

Pantalone could see (name) was almost in a headspace, the eager bunny just wanting to please his owner.

"Come here" Pantalone pat his lap and (name) crawled in it, their cocks touching "if you wish to continue I must tell you something" Pantalone said seriously and (name) nodded slowly "if you wish to have sex with me, you cannot leave my side again, I am a selfish greedy man and I refuse to let such a precious thing like you go"

"Was this not... You know... That?"

Even after sucking cock and getting jerked off the sweetheart still couldn't bring himself to say sex, god he was precious.

"Oh darling we barely begun~" Pantalone said groping his ass cheeks "would... I be able to visit my family...?" (Name) said holding back a moan "I could arrange it..." Pantalone said and (name) bit his lip "would we be... Lovers?"

"That's my intention" Pantalone took one of (name)s hands and kissed his knuckles, watching the Deacon swoon "please... Have uh... sex with me" he whispered the last bit as Pantalone grinned, watching as (name) sealed his fate forever.

(Name) yelped as Pantalone lifted him, cock hanging heavy as he walked through the halls of the grand mansion till they reached the master bedroom and the man placed (name) on the expensive sheets, mentally noting how perfect he was in the pattern.

Pantalone grinned as he grabbed an expensive bottle of oil, pouring it on his hands "this may be uncomfortable" Pantalone said leaning to kiss his thigh before spreading the others legs "oh my, aren't you flexible" Pantalone grinned before his oil covered fingers moved lower to prod at his entrance and gently pushed in, not wanting to hurt his bunny...well at least not like that.

(Name) whined at the foreign intrusion "shhh" Pantalone silenced the other as he began moving his finger and pumping in slowly, (name) head lulled as he let out soft moans and pants, mouth opening wide when the other added another finger and doing a combination of a skissor motion and a hithering motion, stretching and pleasuring his sweet lover.

His lover.

God Pantalone would spoil him to hell.

(Name)s hips spasmed a bit as Pantalone hit his prostate dead on "w-what...?"

"Seems I found your prostate, that's a spot inside you that's going to make you go insane" he smiled before adding a third finger and without warning began aggressively finger fucking the poor man and fingers beating against his prostate.

"Ohh~ I-I can't... To much~" (name) was shaking and crying as his toes curled and looked like a mess but god was he beautiful Pantalone noted silently, already fucked out and he hadn't even put his cock in yet.

God he loved how honest he was with his reactions.

(Name) was so close, he could feel the knot tighten again.

Then Pantalone retracted his fingers, grinning sadistically as (name) looked annoyed and confused "don't worry, the best part his coming"

Pantalone lubed his own cock before rubbing it at (name)s entrance before pushing his cock in "hn!" (Name) cried out as he clung to Pantalone "t-to much... Can't fit..." (Name) cried out and the black haired man kissed him "shhh it will fit don't worry" Pantalone soothed and (name) cried softly as the other bottomed out fully "you're doing so well, do you like my cock?"

"Big..."

Pantalone felt his ego rocket as he began slowly thrusting back and forth, caging (name) in his arms as the poor man clung to anything he could "ah ah!" (Name)s moans bounced with each thrust, the stretch and sensation of the head rubbing against his prostate to much as his eyes crossed a little, moans increasing in volume as Pantalone increased his movements and slowly began pistoning his hips, the sound of skin slapping and beautiful moans filling the room "I-I" (name) tried speaking but got cut off by his own moan as the two shared a sloppy kiss, teeth clashing as he fucked into (name), the Deacon cross eyed and swore he was going to become addicted to this newfound pleasure.

"I-its.. cumming!" (Name) let out a loud slutty moan as he came between them, cum staining both their chests but Pantalone kept going, chasing his own orgasm as (name) felt himself go crazy, overstimulated and body hot as the man pounded relentlessly, hands gripping his hips and no doubt leaving bruises.

"Mine..mine" he mumbled as he reached orgasm, poor (name) cumming again and passing out, completely fucked out.

"All mine..." Pantalone mumbled as he pulled out, watching cum leak from his pretty ass "and you're never leaving..."

[theoutcastrogue]

My thoughts on the best strategies to preserve human knowledge and creation in perpetuity

1) don't put all your eggs in one basket

archives need to be paper and digital, public and private sector, centralised and decentralised, fully legal / by the book and rogue, in vaults and cabinets and servers and torrents

create as many redundancies as you can: make copies, and copies of the copies, and copies of the copies of the copies, ad nauseam; anyone anywhere who can make copies, should

spread the physical hubs (paper stacks or servers) geographically, in as many places as possible; you never know what kind of natural disaster or man-made horror will take out a whole building, city, region, or continent tomorrow

2) entropy is a bitch, think longterm

pick methods that are more likely to last

schedule regular copying: you gotta transfer the stuff to a new medium before the old one falls apart, so have some idea when it's expected to fall apart

3) keep converting to new formats

no format becomes obsolete instantly, there's always a transition period; use transition periods to furiously convert everything

4) indexing and searching is as important as the content itself

self-explanatory

5) eyes on the prize: the end goal is public access

if a random nobody, with no status and no money, can't access it easily, freely, and anonymously, the job is only half-done; you've built the back-end and neglected the front-end; get someone to complete it ASAP, because now it's just sitting pretty and isn't doing anything; or isn't doing enough, in any case

bonus: use. fucking. torrents.

It is truly bonkers that the bittorrent protocol is not being used for archiving. It's an ideal method for digital archiving and it should be standard procedure. If a university has stuff on a hard disk, it can put it on its server, and if it can put it on a server, it can torrent it and seed it 24/7. If the same archive is useful for another university on the other side of the planet, that one can download it and then stay in the swarm, also seeding it. If a library or city council anywhere on earth finds the archive of interest, it can do the same. The more the merrier, every download is a potential redundancy and every seeder is an actual redundancy.

If you got space to store it, you got space to share it. And of course, any private individual can at any time join the swarm. So we get excellent preservation (with multiple redundancies, spread far and wide geographically) AND public access, global and free, which is what preservation is FOR in the first place! It ain't for the heck of it, it ain't only for the eyes of the elite, it's for everyone, that's the purpose, that's the end goal. If that's not your end goal, you're doing it wrong.

[nissho-ku]

shidou doesn't think he's ever been this nervous before. the excitement that thrums through his veins has been set for a while as he planned this exact scenario for months. secretly purchasing plan tickets, reserving only the best fine dining and a hotel stay for them in one of the only other places rin had wanted to go after his spain trip with sae; paris france. they both knew the language, fluent in french to hold their own while they tour for two weeks. it was hard to keep it a secret, it was harder to get rin to take time off for the surprise trip as well without telling him what he had planned. thankfully he had, and the glee expressed from the other as he surprised him with those tickets made shidou happy enough, but that wasn't all that he had for him.

the flight there was nothing short of amusing. seeing his lover so excited for touch down and the whole ride there provided shidou more entertainment than the on-board provided movie the stewards put on for them. shidou made sure their flight got them there at night so they would have the remainder of their vacation to explore as much of the city and some as possible. their first night spent making lazy love in their room, shidou letting his lover express his gratitude before succumbing to sleep.

today however... today was different. shidou woke up that morning giving the birthday boy his first of many gifts, mouth on his pulse, all over his body. marking him with love and possession only the two of them have for one another. “happy birthday rin,” shidou murmurs with so much love he almost ruins his plans right there, but he can't. he worked too hard to set this all up to make it all moot. after having rin in the shower, they make it to breakfast. he let's rin take pictures of the two of them to upload to social media and send to his brother. they visit art galleries, a baking class shidou flopped at but rin excelled at making croissants, and a boat ride along the canals circling the city.

at every opportunity, shidou only stared and smiled at rin, taking in his expressions and relishing that he would want this forever, he will have this forever. he needs to only ask.

dinner reservations were set for when the sun would be near it's lowest before sinking below the skies and the lights from the eiffel tower were ablaze in all its glory. jules verne. they were lucky in getting a private table near the window, they could overlook the park and all the people going about their night while enjoying a fancy dinner and recounting the days events. shidou's back pocket was feeling a bit heavier than usual this night, his stomach too as it twists itself in knots. his nervousness wouldn't stop him though, wouldn't stop him from reaching out and holding rin's left hand, squeezing it gently. “rin,” shidou calls to him, getting his attention.

it's now or never, and the thought of never was something that terrified shidou more than this. rin was everything to him, and of course he wanted to make that known to his boyfriend after nearly fumbling it. shidou stands up, never letting go of rin's hand, prompting him to sit sideway in his seat. he knows the moment he drops to his knees, he just had to get everything out before completely losing his nerves.

“rin... birthdays weren't really something i cared much about to be honest. i didn't really care or celebrate my own, and i never cared much for the reason why others would celebrate why they were born, but ya came into my life and changed it all for me.” shidou grasped rin's hand a little tighter, “i'm happy that you were born on this day, or else i wouldn't've met someone who changed my whole life. i treasure ya a lot, and you deserve to have that expressed to ya every day.”

shidou reaches into his back pocket, a silver band sat between his index and thumb. he doesn't break eye contact, wanting to see the precise moment rin realizes this is really happening. after the fight, the admittance that he was scared of commitment, asking for time to prepare everything to be perfect for him. rin deserved nothing less than perfect, even if shidou himself isn't. the ring is a perfect fit on his hand, because of course shidou measured it six times just to be absolutely sure it would fit snug on his ring finger. “rin, will ya marry me?”

@maxstats / happy birthday rin

[strangelockd]

Never Doubt My Love For You

Pairing: Sinister!Strange x Fem!Reader

Synopsis: Its your birthday and you would rather not bother with it but Sinister changes your viewpoint of the day you used to dread.

Word Count: 843

Warnings: Angst, Major Tooth Rotting Birthday Fluff, Fluffy Sinister Showing His Soft Side, Slight Adult Themes

A/N: This is my little birthday fic for myself that I wanted to share with all of you. Its semi proof read. I hope you Enjoy it.

It felt like any other day in the New York City Sanctum except it wasn’t for it was your birthday. You didn’t want Stephen to make a fuss about it, so you opted to not mention it. Looking around the place you grabbed the trinkets on the tables and organized them. Taking the duster and cleaning the place as spotless as possible to push the day out of your mind, it you keep busy the day will be over soon enough. Moving to the chambers you dusted the wooden furniture, taking the time to make sure the bed was properly made and looking presentable. Not that it mattered anyways for you and Sinister were the only occupants in this universe.

Only once your tasks were completed did you notice that you haven’t heard from Sinister, usually he was always within eye shot of you or at most the room next door. Placing the cleaning supplies in the closet you quickly changed into Stephens Columbia University hoodie with black sweatpants. Closing the bedroom doors, you roamed the halls seeking your husband. Looking through every room Sinister was nowhere to be found, it was the oddest thing. Did he go out without me or something? Worry started creeping into your mind as you descended the stairs only to suddenly notice a pleasant smell…chocolate? 

Noticing the smell was coming from the kitchen you walked over and opened the door to the most tender sight. Sinister didn’t leave, he was only baking you a birthday cake. Leaning against the doorframe you kept silent as you watched Sinister carefully apply the icing. Taking in the slight smile on his face as he smoothly spread out the chocolate frosting you couldn’t help but grin yourself. It was only when you gave out a soft sigh did, he even notice you were watching him. He was then attempting to pat some of the flour off his dark robes to little avail.

“Oh, my love. I wasn’t expecting you to see this until I was finished. I wanted to surprise you with a homemade cake.” 

Slowly stepping towards him you smiled, “Ah yes, I can see that. You really didn’t have to do this Stephen”

“Oh, but I wanted to. You know I love doing things for you” he smiled gently while placing a candle in the center of the cake. 

Wrapping your arms around his waist you pulled him in for a kiss. It was gentle at first, but as Sinister felt your lips pressing firmer, he parted his welcoming the sweet taste of your tongue. He locked a hand at the base of your neck pulling you in as close as possible, tilting your head back to gain deeper access to you. Hearing your soft coos made his trousers tighten and his heart skipped a beat. 

Stephen was always an excellent kisser without a doubt but this one felt special and more intimate. He wanted to show you how special you are always but, on your birthday, he always tried to show more so his love for you.

Pulling away with just a hair breath distance he lifted your chin facing him declaring, “Never doubt my love for you my precious dove”

He lifted the cake up to you making a quick gesture with his hand and the candle lit up. You couldn’t help but smile brightly giggling.

“Happy birthday make a wish my kitten,” he purred softly.

Taking a small inhale, you closed your eyes pausing a moment and blew. Sinister removed the candle and reached for the knife when you grabbed his hand and pulled him in once more making his eyes slightly widen.

“Im not quite in the mood for cake just yet,” you cooed.

“Well, what would you like to do then, its your day,” he smiled.

Tracing your finger along the counter you took an index finger and ran in softly through the chocolate icing. Placing it inside your mouth you let out a soft moan as you slowly cleaned off your finger. Stephens eyes glimmered bright as he watched in awe; he knew what you were doing. You little minx. 

“I want you to make love to me”

Stephen wasted no time pulling you in for another kiss. He wanted to be gentle but at this point with the hunger in your voice and desperation in your touch his skin was on fire, screw gentle.Hearing your moans deepen he tiled your head back to gain better access to your mouth. He wanted more and needed more of you always. You could make out the needy groans from the base of his throat making you smirk on the corner of your lips. Stephen always said you had this enchantment on him, he sometimes had a hard time believing you were real. Pulling away to catch your breath Sinister gently scoped you up bridal style resting his forehead upon yours. He slowly carried you to your shared chamber peppering your face and neckline with kisses.

“Who am I to say no to my birthday princess”

Leave a comment if you liked it. Interact! I will love to read all of your comments and opinions. It inspires me to keep writing.

If you want to be tagged in future points comment below.

Back to Main Masterlist

A special thanks to the followers who requested to read more of my work. Your all very special to me <3

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[vashtijoy]

index of meta posts, part three

possibly this is getting out of hand?

Indexes: [one] [two] [third semester] [akechi's confidant].

out-of-universe meta discussion

On Akechi's bodycount and how to interpret canon. (posted 2023/04/22)

Is Akechi obvious, or is Joker an unreliable narrator? (posted 2023/02/19)

On the "perfect victim" myth, and how Akechi does not consider himself a victim. (posted 2023/02/16)

Akechi's resemblance to Light Yagami is totally superficial and is meant to mislead you. (posted 2022/12/11)

cute things

Akechi uses the full title of the Featherman show, like Futaba. (posted 2023/04/26)

Goro, please carry an umbrella, you're killing me. (posted 2023/04/24)

What would Akechi's love language be? (posted 2023/03/25)

"Honey, I'm home": intimacy chicken with Joker. (updated 2023/03/26)

P5A: Akechi looks like a crow and shoots directly at Joker's head—and Joker laughs. (posted 2023/02/25)

"the fish are beautiful": Joker's impromptu diversion at the aquarium. (posted 2023/01/20)

sad things

NPC cop to drunk NPC: "Akechi-kun, your family is probably worried about you." (posted 2023/03/30)

The toy shop at the end of "Proof of Justice" is in Kichijoji. (posted 2023/03/014/09)

P5A: Akechi looks like a crow and shoots directly at Joker's head—and Joker laughs. (posted 2023/04/26)

Anon comment on Akechi getting dragged into the "found family" trope by the ankles. (posted 2023/02/18)

yes, there is gay subtext in your innocent waifu simulator. (posted 2023/02/07)

little details

[twitter] Akechi's main outfit is his school uniform. (posted 2023/06/23)

How did Morgana see Dome Town? Also, the RL TV studio. (posted 2023/05/30)

Akechi and the evil wristwatch he wears only on his own time. (updated 2023/05/03)

When does Akechi start using Joker's given name? (posted 2023/03/26)

Followup ask: can we pin this down more precisely? (posted 2023/07/22)

@somethingpersonarelated reviews Akechi's outfits [tags are mine]. (posted 2023/04/25)

Akechi's school uniform doubles as his day job uniform. (posted 2023/04/29)

The toy shop at the end of "Proof of Justice" is in Kichijoji. (posted 2023/04/26)

The toy gun, Proof of Justice, was likely conceived to be Akechi's palace treasure. (posted 2023/04/09)

tech stuff

[twitter] Material from the betas. (posted 2024/01/23)

[twitter] Technical requirements for Akechi's third awakening. (posted 2023/09/01)

Character signature colours and Yoshizawa's phone. (posted 2023/08/15)

Akechi's "cute wink" cut-in, and his "evil wink" cut-in, and when they're used. nb this is wrong and needs updating (posted 2023/04/08)

fic excerpts

Goro and his mother: Akechi at six. (posted 2023/11/30)

Goro and his aunt: Akechi at nine. (posted 2023/03/27)

Postcanon HCs and Ren finding Akechi again. (posted 2023/1/15)

Goro and his uncle: Akechi at thirteen. (posted 2023/04/26)

How would I like Akechi's story to continue? (posted 2023/03/21)

Shido confronts Akechi about the Metaverse. (posted 2023/03/04)

12/24: deduce, panic, kill: P5 as a comedy text adventure. (posted 2023/02/03)

other characters

How would Akechi and Mishima get on? (posted 2024/01/18)

Is Joker from the city or the country? (posted 2024/01/17)

Shido's Palace: what do the posters say? (posted 2024/01/14)

Deleted scene: Haru's hangout at Crossroads. JULIAN AND ANGEL WARNING. (posted 2023/12/14)

The Monabus was registered in Tsukiji. (posted 2023/11/20)

Haru: "we'll just take him out again". (updated 2023/10/19)

9/3: the Featherman allude to Haru on TV. (posted 2023/05/13)

How do we know Joker's grey shirt is sleeveless? (posted 2023/04/26)

@nardaviel's excellent guest post about Joker. (posted 2023/03/28)

On forgiveness: Haru's approach to Akechi. needs updating, sigh, that one Mementos line has at least another reply from Makoto. (posted 2023/02/12)

It's Yusuke who steps forward to tell Shadow Shido he was the worst dad. (posted 2023/01/02)

lolarity

P5 initially used "Saki Konishi" (the corresponding character in P4) as a placeholder name for Shiho. (posted 2024/06/07)

Incorrect Persona: "There was more than one lobster present at the birth of Jesus?" (posted 2023/12/25)

Miel et Crepes is (obviously) a pancake café. (updated 2023/05/28)

Would Futaba make Danganronpa jokes to Akechi? (posted 2023/05/15)

Akechi and the Russian takoyaki. (posted 2023/05/04)

Akechi allegedly smells like the sleazy Veteran Pick-Up Artist on Central Street. (posted 2023/04/30)

The other Goro Akechi (and the food blog). (posted 2023/01/22)

Akechi and Joker height truthing. (posted 2023/01/01)

Akechi, stop staring at Joker's bed. (posted 2022/12/27)

word of god references (other people's posts, etc)

from @starfirexuchiha: Some new Akechi trivia: What's in his attaché case? Akechi wears the argyle to copy Naoto. What's his apartment like? What bike does he ride? How is he with spicy food? Why and when does he eat with his right hand? Yes, Akechi awakened to both personas at the same time.

PQ2: rival characters have a greater presence when they're calm, and also Akechi probably painted the mural.

P5A: "for us, we know he's a detective."

P5A: why there is more Akechi.

"Maruki does not have concrete proof that Akechi is dead." (incidentally y'all, I would love a better source for this one.)

"Akechi's confidant is the key to the third semester". [JP]

[rrrrinmaru]

liveblog of 01 - to begin

first thoughts are that i really like the podcast-esque opening of the prologue with DPSC FM - it's giving wtnv vibes and the va does an excellent job of delivering his lines. i would actually enjoy hearing a full podcast version of the events of this game narrated through a radio station i think...

"traceback ii is about to pass the event horizon and enter the black hole" / "we are stuck in this loop, in this never ending journey" - pensive... is this related to the main storyline or is this foreshadowing about the multiple world theory?

"metaflux index" - it's fascinating that they've developed the technology to sense this metaflux index and identify problem spots in the city where wanderers are more likely to appear. they seem to be able to predict the rough locations where the wanderers will appear and likely can dispatch hunters to these areas on standby, but i wonder if they can narrow it down to the time itself?like "1400, wanderer attack down at the pizzeria", or if it's a shorter warning time, like the metaflux index spikes and it signals a wanderer attack in the next 20 minutes?

deepspace tunnel appearing leading to anomalous geomagnetic storms, which caused the wanderers to appear - i'm assuming the deepspace tunnel is something like a wormhole / space portal. does this mean the wanderers entered our planet through some portal / wormhole tearing a rift in space and time to deposit them directly on our planet (think loki and the first avengers movie when he brought the chitauri over with his spectre)? did someone create this portal or was it like some act of mother nature?

if you listen carefully during the 01 story, when tara is speaking to you, the president in the background says "but we only care about results. the ends justify the means." considering they view the wanderers as invasive aliens (zergs www), the standpoint makes sense, but it is quite funny to hear it be declared so self-righteously. does make me wonder how much you can get away with if you claim it's for the purpose of defeating the wanderers though... severe structural damage ala the avengers?

it seems that the new list of hunter graduates are released ahead of graduation and the leaders (?) of each hunting division / squad / team get to select the rookies they want to join their team - there doesn't seem to be any autonomy on the part of the graduates to indicate which team they want to join.

i do wonder why mc is the first rookie called up to receive the badge: from a gameplay perspective, it makes sense since it would be a chore to have to "sit through" other people before it reaches our turn. i don't think it's based on alphabetical order either since all the players' names are different, and it's likely that any numerical number (e.g. student number 12020) would be in order of name. from a plot perspective, are we like... hunter valedictorian???

tara being into tarot cards is so funny i won't lie. all this technological advancement and the venturing into space to see all the planets and having a wormhole tunnel appear in our planet and having to fight aliens and still bestie believes in fate. i mean so do i but it's still kinda funny wwww she's super cute though. i love her short bob.

interesting how mc uses a gun for the first mission - are they assigned guns only as beginner rookies? it's clear mc can use other weapons from the battle mechanics, so why gun - more importantly, have they invented auto aim in plot yet or does she still have to manually aim at people?

not sure if this is a gameplay thing or intentional plotwise - xavier's wounds were glowing with "metaflux" (suggests that wanderers' attacks use metaflux?) but the moment you touch him to try to wake him up, the glow disappears.

IS XAVIER COLLARED? COLLARED? COLLARED? HOW HAS NO ONE SPOKEN ABOUT THE COLLAR? WHAT THE FUCK? HE HAS A COLLAR?

"it activated its protofield" - are there any repercussions to like... just ignoring the protofield? like you see it manifest in front of you and you know a wanderer's lurking inside and you just decide no thanks and walk away? obviously you cordon off the area so the public can't wander in and stuff, but apart from that are there any... space time repercussions? like the protofield gets bigger the longer it goes ignored, or the wanderer can just dismiss the protofield and come back out to walk the earth?

protocores are crushable??????

erm very bold of xavier to just take my wrist and drag me along but ermmmmmmmm hehe hehe...... let's just say i'm agreeable.

hm i'm a bit confused. luminivores eat light - xavier's evol is light - they eat the light he produces (??) - therefore the warehouse full of luminivores is likely a trap for him. i think xavier mentions that the luminivores will respawn with the light if they don't defeat the luminivores quickly enough, meaning the luminivores consume the light and use it as refuel / to respawn with health. but when mc and xavier resonate, the combined power of the resonated light evol is "so bright" it seems to dissolve all the luminivores? does this mean it's like a speed / intensity thing? shine a bright enough /damaging enough light on the luminivores to hurt them faster than they can devour the light and it's enough to destroy them? maybe part of the hunter gear should include really, really, really high powered industry grade flashlights

protocores seem a lot weaker than i imagined... can they really be destroyed so easily? xavier crushed them in his palm and they were disintegrated by the power of the resonated light evol? regardless, protocores can be broken into protocore fragments - can they be pieced together to form a new protocore?

i do wonder - they can sense metaflux energy levels, and a high enough metaflux energy level typically means that wanderers will be appearing / have appeared in the area. is the reverse true, whereby a metaflux "explosion" (maybe in the research of metaflux energy and somehow the scientists accidentally create an explosion), will it draw wanderers to appear at that location like a beacon?

tara was about to try every method possible to contact mc, both scientific AND mystical? i would give money to see tara conduct a seance in the abandoned warehouse to try to triangulate my location. maybe pull out an ouija board. speak with any lingering spirits to figure out if i'm having a little tete-a-tete with a hot single silver-haired injured man in my area.

do teams like data analysis go into the field as well? that is so funny... imagine joining the hunter academy (?) because you've always been fascinated by metaflux and want to help develop technology / weapons to better sense and identify and hunt wanderers, and you suck it up throughout all the combat fitness and field training because you just want to be Where The Scientists Are and when you finally get assigned to data analysis you find out you still have compulsory field assignments. like i would end it all

mini drones with 360 degree eyes and infrared sensors designed to monitor wanderer activity patrol the sky - oh so we are in the Surveillance Society that all the sci-fi books predicted. got it

if jenna saved tara 14 years ago during the wanderer attack, and assuming jenna was like employed with some kind of law enforcement at the time, putting her at maybe 20-22 (at least), she should be about >= 34 years old? sexy... ok i am seeing the tara/jenna vision...

i wonder if they have flying cars....

fucking funny how rafayel just catches the fish and. lets it flop on the net pathetically for however long he talks, SUFFOCATING, before he plops it in your water container. he was really ready to just chat with you while he let his friend (fish are friends not food) die

HE JUST WALKS OFF OH MY GOD ok lilydally i see what you see in him. the bitch energy is hilarious

mc says she hasn't met zayne for over a decade and only recently met him 6 months ago for a follow-up checkup for her heart, but their families are friends and meet occasionally for meals - did they just stop meeting post wanderer attack? actually, did mc's grandma take mc in before or after the wanderer attack? if mc met zayne when she was 8 (and assuming this was pre-wanderer attack), she's at least 22 years old

not gonna lie if my ex-childhood friend turned out to be my primary care physician i might ask for someone else to be my physician... unless they were the best at their job and irreplaceable (which i assume zayne is?)

damn this office is fancy as hell... what kind of doctor's office has a whole ass couch inside? with a long table? with multiple couch cushions??

i like how low caleb's bar is. what matters is that you're alive. thank you chief.

military flights go INTO the deepspace tunnel?! by military she meant SPACE EXPLORATION? < with hindsight i now know by military, caleb is in the deepspace aviation administration. it's funny how they still call it aviation. the sky is vastly different from space, methinks........

you can find wanderers IN the deepspace tunnel? like are they floating? are they in their own spaceship of some kind? how do their bodies adapt to the change in pressure from space and on earth? if it's revealed wanderers are capable of flying spaceships too that would be so funny.... forget hand to hand combat on solid ground. let's have a laser battle in space in the deepspace portal. we'll see whose nuclear shields hold up better

caleb doesn't like cilantro... i will remember this

[groupfazza]

سمو الشيخ حمدان بن محمد : دبي أول مدينة عربية وإقليمية ضمن نادي العشر الكبار حسب مؤشر GPCI الصادر عن معهد الاستراتيجيات الحضرية – مؤسسة "موري ميموريال" اليابانية وجاءت في المركز الثامن عالمياً … نشكر كل الفرق التي عملت وتعمل من أجل هذا الإنجاز … لكن رسالتي لفريق دبي ومجتمعها واضحة، حبانا الله بوالدٍ وقائدٍ لا يرضى عن الريادة بديلاً ويريد دبي دوماً في المقدمة ومن هنا نطالب بمضاعفة الجهود فلا سقف لطموحاتنا، وبسواعد وفكر أهل دبي وفرق دبي وشركاء دبي قادرون أن نجعل دبي درة مدن العالم ونموذجاً لمدن المستقبل.

H.H Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed : Dubai leads the list of Arab and regional cities and ranks among the top 10 globally in the Global Power City Index (GPCI) 2023, issued by the Mori Memorial Foundation’s Institute for Urban Strategies in Japan. Dubai secures the eighth position globally in this esteemed index. We express our gratitude to all that contributed to this achievement. To all Dubai's team and its community: We are fortunate to have a visionary leader dedicated to excellence. Dubai consistently aims for the top, as our ambitions have no limits. Through the collective efforts of Dubai's community, teams, and partners, we can shape Dubai into the epitome of a global futuristic city.

Monday, 27 November 2023 الاثنين

[allycatcreatethings]

The Acceptance of Adulthood

Chapter 2: New Tales

How has Finn been holding up nowadays? And how are Emmet and the gang have been after all these years? When one plotline ends, new ones begin.

[First - Next - Previous - Chapter Index] [Word Count: 3613]

*~ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ~*

The morning sun rises to greet most people, and Finn wakes up from his soft bed, yawning from staying up last night, looking exhausted in the mirror. He stretched with his arms over his shoulder, cracking a bit of his spine before standing, and sighed as he saw his bedroom still looking like a bomb had gone off, dirty laundry everywhere on the floor, and his basket packed to the brim. 

"Oh… Okay. Good to know." Finn's words fell out slower; his movement was sluggish, moaning in pain of his tired body. He closed his curtains to the harsh lighting, only letting out a bit of the sunlight as he strolled over to the bookshelf and glanced up at Rex's Figurine in his place. "Need to ask Mom for my turn…" He said, trailing off his thoughts before shaking his head.

"Good Morning, Rex. I hope you had a good rest, unlike me, per usual." Finn said as he shrugged and chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. He soon put an open book in front of Rex for privacy like a screen as he stepped gradually to his dresser drawer and changed into new, clean clothes.

Finn chose a plain white shirt and blue sweatpants with small pockets—nothing too wild for the day. He grabbed his orange jacket with one of those strange patterns on older pillowcases, but he didn't care much about his appearance. Finn wasn't planning to go outside today because it often felt like bitter medicine. Finn and his younger sister Bianca had big plans today with the Lego sets. 

After placing the book away for Rex, Finn soon left his room, smiling excitedly before waving and saying goodbye, walking, and closing his bedroom door. "See you later, Rex."

He slowly drifted down the hallway of his house and descended the wooden stairs into the basement without saying anything to his parents as they were away at work for the day.

The Lego world has changed over the years.

The Systar System and Apocalypseburg had come together, although the new name was still in the works. They both went to the conclusion of Syspocalypstar. Finn giggles to himself at that name.

After five years of doing this Lego world and their story, it became much more effortless to cooperate and love the new ideas that bounced around the siblings. The teamwork in maintaining the new city is impressive to watch, and we can have our adventures if and when we want. It was acceptable because Finn often did it with Emmet and his friends, just like in the good old days.

I missed the good old days. "Good Morning," Finn said, sneaking up behind his sister with a tired smile.

Bianca flinched, wiped her head to see her brother, and returned a smug but startled grin. "Ah, Finn! Next time, warn me that you're coming down. I'm finishing making the decorations; look how cute they are!" she said, beaming and proudly holding them up to her brother. 

Her craft-making skill of creating things, not just Lego, has improved significantly over the years. She could make a tiny house out of nothing but glue, cardboard, and paint and still make it beautiful. Her Lego building skills are excellent, too, but Bianca often needed something to go off of before modifying it, like a spaceship or a house. Oh, how Benny would love that.

"Man, I'm still feeling fatigued today and just woke up," Finn mumbled and yawned beside Bianca, preparing some Legos for their play.

Bianca looked concerned as she touched Finn's shoulder, making him freeze in place. "Are you sure that you had-"

"No! Well, maybe…" Finn interrupted, glancing down at the Lego bricks in his hand in shame. Bianca placed her hand over his and gave her brother a reassuring smile. "I'm a bit unsure…"

Bianca seemed skeptical and raised a brow about Finn hiding his emotions again, and she sighed, "Well, I'll prepare the play set on the floor, and you relax, alright? Also, did you eat any breakfast?" 

"Yeah." Finn lied. He wanted to start playing with his sister and ignore what his body told him to do, not wanting to sleep all day. He had been doing that for a few days now and hated it. But the food did sound good. No, he'll be alright.

"Oh… Okay?" Bianca stated, unsure of Finn's answer, yet continued getting things ready. She then brings a part of Queen's Watevra Wa'Nabi castle, and soon Finn gets Emmet out of his home and into his car, bright and early for the day. Then they began their story, Finn smiling as he narrated Emmet's actions and words with ease, and it would be a memorable evening. Finn puts Emmet into his car with a list of things and moves it along the road as something special for his friends, and he wants to get ready for it.

*~ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ~*

It's been a long time since the colossal event of Armamageddon happened a while back, and Emmet never missed his older home.

Emmet hummed as he got out of his car and inside the Unchained Coffee shop and pulled out a list of drinks with a nervous sigh. Then something said in the back of his head to get donuts for the side for a beautiful surprise for his friends. Today will be a big day. 

"Hello, I got the list all ready to go! Oh, can I also get some donuts too?" Emmet said with his usual classic smile and manner we all know as he passed the paper.

The cashier grabs the list from Emmet's hands and then calculates the price, knowing the special from his frequent visits to the Cafe.

"That would be $128." The gruff cashier stated, giving Emmet a judging glare at the random choices.

"Oh-ho, Awesome, Thanks!" Emmet expressed with a smile as he paid with cash. He walked over to the table, sat in a chair, got headphones out, placed them on his head, and picked a playlist.

The playlist was more into musicals at first, and it featured "Another Believer" by Danny Elfman. Emmet grins while he waits patiently, humming along to the song while he kicks his legs to the beat in his little world.

At least this time, the cashier didn't say much to him out loud. Too judgmental to Emmet's liking.

It had been a long time since Emmet had a vision, but he was thankful his friends and Lucy were safe now. Ever since he touched the Piece of Resistance, images of destiny or the outside world occasionally crowd his mind. They stopped only a few months ago, and Emmet wondered why that was the case. But he enjoyed the break from the call of adventure. He deserves it.

Just as the song finishes, the order is ringed up and clicked Emmet out of his musings. He thanked the cashier again and took the drinks and donuts, saying good morning to everyone who passed him until Emmet got to his car. It had become a routine of his almost every morning, even in his Brickburg days.

He fumbled to get his keys and unlocked his car door. He was positioning the treats on the passenger seat and putting on the seatbelt before patting the seat mattress.

Emmet removed his headphones and let the tunes play out loud, not bothering to play music on his car radio. He gets in the driver's seat and checks to see the mirrors, clicks his seatbelt on, nods as he uses his left turn signal and shoulder check, and drives away to the castle. 

The song on Emmet's playlist switched to "Everything is Awesome (Tween Dream Remix)" by Garfunkel & Oates with Ebam Schletter. It was familiar, and it put a more generous smile on his face. 

Emmet drove past a new place called Raptor Resort, and he looked at it with a mixed expression. After Rex disappeared, there wasn't anyone to watch the Raptors, so Emmet was able to make a place for them to stay. He didn't know why the Raptors didn't disappear but was pleased they did not. At least the Raptors had been spared from becoming nothing.

The familiar song finishes up faster than he would have wanted, but that's what a good memory is like. It's arriving for a bit and then leaving once again. 

The next tune was an interesting choice to keep on his playlist, but it was called "Song of the Night" by Kikuo. It's a cute song, but it was in a language Emmet doesn't know, but he shrugs it off. 

It also fits because the castle is in a never-ending night sky. It works because the music that plays in the background keeps the illusion alive for the habitats of the old Systar Systems, which need readjusting to Syspocalypstar. We let the people get used to the rules of both, with one having so many in place for protection, while the other even has the laws of physics barely nonexistent. 

Sadly, he had to turn off his phone with the song so the magical music didn't get disturbed and ruin the illusion, but at least Emmet waited to let the song finish. After that, he had to go through security, and Emmet greeted him with a smile. He soon parked in the parking spot and turned his car off. 

Getting out of the driver's seat, Emmet took a deep breath, taking in the fresh air. Emmet sighs as he yawns. Odd, I didn't feel sleepy earlier, so why am I feeling it now? Oh well. 

Emmet opened the passenger door and grabbed the treats off the seat, ensuring everyone got something. 

The Rainbow Shake is for Unikitty; Benny got a Galaxy Latte, while MedalBeard got a Sherbet Raspberry Punch.

Batman, Wyldstyle, and Emmet, of course, have their usual coffee, two black and Emmet with a bit of cream with 25 sugars. 

Queen Watevra Wa'Nabi's drink was a surprise because she didn't choose which drink to try next, and Mayhem was the only one who didn't respond to his text, so Emmet got her the usual Caramel Frappe.

Mayhem is probably on her job today but should be here any minute, yet there is no need to rush. Everything was there, including the doughnuts; Emmet thought of them before placing the order. The people working at Coffee Unchained picked the doughnuts randomly because Emmet overlooked specifying which ones to have; oops. They probably gave him the unwanted or needed-to-get-rid-of doughnuts, and he forgot to say how many, as there were about two dozen doughnuts in there.

As he enters the castle walls, he hears the Stars welcome him with their cute little voices and songs. Soon Emmet saw Lucy holding the door to let him inside, saw how many things he was carrying, and offered her support. 

"You know you didn't have to do all that, Silly. Thanks for-" Lucy stops, sees the doughnut box, and sighs. "-Classic Emmet."

"Morning, Lucy!" Emmet chirped as he saw everyone else had started gathering the equipment for arranging the anniversary party. 

"Alright, everyone, let's set up this party for the big day!" Emmet declared, grabbing a clipboard from a table, "There's also the drinks and some donuts available on the table near the entrance if you guys want to have it right away!"  

Emmet has now assisted with the construction of the party, keeping his cheerful smile. MetalBeard had the strength to hold up the heavy pillars (even though they could build them), while Unikitty cheered them on while each was positioned and placed the tables down with their chairs with her magic. 

Wyldstyle helped the DJ with which music to play, and Benny flew around with the decorations, placing them where he landed. Most of the decorations were space-themed, and they had mixed colours. 

The hue was as vibrant as a rainbow, but the contrasting black and yellow stood for the other partner, Batman. Queen Watevra Wa'Nabi was getting ready for the outfits while trying to encourage her husband to wear something unique for their special day.

Emmet gets distracted as he watches the other couple having a small banter and tease, reminding him of Lucy and his relationship. While not officially married yet, Emmet and Lucy are happily together.

Everything went cordially to plan, but then Emmet realized something was wrong and missing. 

"Hey, Guys?" Emmet asks and waves to get the others' attention. "Who was planning to get the party food?"

"It was Unikitty, right?" Benny said, almost finishing up the adornments as he zoomed by Emmet. 

Unikitty looked puzzled as she shook her head, "It wasn't me; I was getting the things for the cute decorations. Maybe Wyldstyle?"

Wyldstyle didn't even glimpse back at the group, exclaiming, "No, I am doing my job right now with the DJ! Emmet, you should have the list, right?"

Emmet nodded back as he grasped his clipboard as went down with each check mark, not saying any words except for a hum. Did he forget somebody? Or Maybe everything won't work out as they hoped. "Oh!" A light bulb went off his head as he rushed to his phone to call them, wishing they would pick up. He walked away to get somewhere quiet as the phone rang.

It took the person only a few seconds before they answered. "Yes? Sweet Mayhem speaking."

"Hey, Mayhem, did you forget about the food? You were supposed to do that but haven't shown up at the right time as intended for the party...." Emmet said, looking sheepish as he stepped down a hallway for privacy. "A-Also, you have a drink here waiting for you and some doughnuts; it even has your name written all over it!"

"Aww… How sweet of you!" Mayhem sounded flattered by the kind gesture before realization came into her tone. "Oh Shoot, I thought that was tomorrow!" She answered as Emmet could hear a facepalm and a tired moan. 

"While I was doing the routine check-up, something came up on my radar earlier this morning, and I had to inspect it. There haven't been any missing reports. But I hope they're alright." Mayhem emitted and explained in summary to have Emmet understand.

Emmet went silent as she said about someone going missing, his breath stifled in worry. He almost left the call and wanted to space out, but Mayhem's voice returned. "Emmet?"

"Huh? Oh, Yeah, Mayhem?" Emmet said, sounding distracted. Plans needed to change again, but he was curious about the inquiry in her tone.

"When you were in the Dryar System with Rex, how did it feel when you were between both realms of the man upstairs and our world?" She asks seriously, hearing clicks on a pin pad. 

Emmet quickly tenses up at the mention of Rex, yet why is she asking the question?

He took a deep breath before answering, "I-It felt like I couldn't move right, like when I fell into that world for the first time. Restrict is probably a suitable word to describe how it felt. I felt helpless."

"I'm so sorry to hear that…" Mayhem apologized, yet her voice trailed off.

Emmet sighed as he continued down the random hallway, looking at the new and older memories hung on castle walls. He started to space out as Mayhem sounded concerned, her words became nothing, as Emmet looked at a picture, and it glanced at him with red, slit eyes as if it was eating him alive in grief. 

No, it couldn't be. Why was the only picture of Rex staring at me, and what was wrong with Rex's eyes?

Rex. The only picture of him left. Emmet was the one to take it before Emmet knew Rex as him from the future or time whatever, but as a friend- a hero. 

[My hero.]

Emmet could've helped him, but he tried, so why is this picture mocking him for his mistake?

[It was actually out of your control; please don't play the blaming game. You are my idol.]

[OUR HERO.]

Emmet’s breathing started to pick up, and he couldn’t move; why couldn’t he move?! The edge of his vision began to blur out, and he somehow got struck by fear of his mistakes…

*~ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ~*

… h... 

… … ..-hey?"

"Hey!"

Bianca shakes Finn's shoulder to get his attention. "Finn, are you alright? You spaced out!" Bianca holds her hand to keep her brother close, and Finn shakes his head in response.

The older brother then tried to explain, yet no words came out like it was a struggle. He began to stand up, only to fumble back to the ground as his legs were too weak to hold his weight. The sister rushed over, worried sick, as she got Finn to move his body to the couch to lie and sat beside him.

"Had another episode, eh? Jeez, that's like the third one this week…" Bianca checked to see if her brother was alright to ease their panic. "Doesn't seem like you got hurt. Do you need any food or water, Finn?" She asked as Finn nodded and gave her a thumbs up.

Finn's mind felt so fuzzy, and he couldn't do anything to stop it. A few months ago, Finn developed a condition where his body gives up and makes him faint, weakening him. No one could understand why it happened or how it started, but it almost cost him his life when it transpired in the shower, causing him to blackout for three days, only to wake up in the hospital. It was horrifying, but even before that, his body had become more fatigued, and everyday tasks were becoming more burdensome without support. 

His parents thought Finn was getting lazier after he graduated from school and had nothing to do, but things got worse when he couldn't stand upright on certain days and was entirely alright at other times. It became the norm for him to collapse to the ground and need a recovery every time, but Finn despised everything as it was out of his control.

Finn's mind kept returning to the game. He looked at the LEGO playset worriedly, frowned, and groaned in frustration. Great, the story has to wait…

*~ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ~*

Emmet suddenly felt weak. Mayhem's voice completely disappeared as he lowered to the floor, dropping his phone as the photo of Rex stared at his soul, looking completely distorted now with multiple red, slit eyes with colourful swirls, more becoming 2d Animation than the Lego that Emmet understands. He couldn't move and comprehend why something was paralyzing his body, like a deer freezing in the headlights. 

What's worse, Emmet started to have a vision again and saw a young boy who wasn't like him, hugging Emmet with giant moving walls, seeing his world becoming more miniature and away from him. He tried gripping his hair, but the paralyzing feeling shot through his veins; his face suddenly forced the blank smile, and his body became stiff into a straight position. 

He watched the vision play as the girl asked the other one if they needed food or water, to which the young boy only gave a thumbs up. The girl nodded, telling him to rest as she went upstairs, leaving them both alone. 

It had been such a long time since Emmet had a vision, but something was wrong; it felt way too real to be one. Suddenly, his eyesight adjusts to the harsh lighting in the Man Upstairs realm, and he quickly finds himself in the palms of a giant, unable to move.

It took Emmet a few seconds to process where he was without panicking, but he found himself in a basement again, close to the Dryar system, but on something else the person was lying on, but he was not quite sure. 

The youthful boy looked miserable, and Emmet could assume that he needed assistance. But how to do that when your body is stuck is problematic. Emmet first tried to scream to get the boy's attention, but nothing came out, and he could only hear himself like an internal dialogue. 

How he could get to the realm without falling or fainting was a mystery, but he had to communicate somehow with the giant. At least Emmet knew what hands were from Vitruvius Ghost, with some complicated explanation dumps and needing to ask to repeat the information.  

Then Emmet had another lightbulb and the most random idea, hoping the boy didn't freak out. He attempted to move and put in all his concentration, vibrating a little. The giant didn't feel it, so Emmet kept at it, forcing himself to move until suddenly he could move his arm, which got the giant's attention. Emmet maintained movement until his entire body creaked stiffly, not wanting to lose steam.

Move! Come on, notice me! Emmet mentally screamed, maintain forcing his whole body to move.

Finn briefly snapped out of his blank stare as he felt something and quickly thought it was somehow a bug crawling in his hand, and he almost freaked out as his fingers unfurled to reveal the Lego Figurine, and the feeling stopped when Emmet froze.

What in the world? Emmet? Why are you here? Finn thought with a head tilt before Emmet turned his head toward the giant and gave him a small wave, and Finn paused in fear and confusion; his eyes widened like dinner plates as his brain was slowly processing this. WHAT IN THE???

*~ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ~*

[inkofamethyst]

Summer Goals 2024

Personal goals while i'm here

get back on track for my 12-book reading goal (starting a nonfiction book last month grinded my progress to a halt, gotta catch up) (prob w SJM)

crochet one (1) item of clothing (preferably in a public park, a la "the most interesting girl in the city" ofc)

learn mosaic crochet so I can finally make a Journey scarf (but the cream and gold one bc mosaic can only use two yarn colors at a time)

keep up with coding! probably just working on my game(s) for fun hehe

hit da club - technically complete 11 may

flirt with ONE man - complete 25 may

export all R code from my undergrad dropbox

clean up my undergrad gdrive

read Nightwing Vol 1: Leaping into the Light (2016(?)) (and also the rest of that run bc the pinterest images have me hooked omg (though apparently it hasn't ended yet which,,,, ugh is annoying))

if not Nightwing then the Hawkeye run which my photo-friend believes is what Nightwing was in response to - complete 24 may

start learning music theory

try regular workouts at home or at the campus gym to gain upper body strength and improve cardiovascular health

cut out/assemble the pattern for that dress i wanna make

go to a classical music concert

open a HYSA!!!

Academic goals

brush up on my chimpanzee knowledge (1-2 articles a week) to prep for the class in the fall

go through the bioinformatics lectures on youtube from the class at this uni which is no longer taught but is apparently excellent (??? hours per week)

set up my coding environment and learn how to do basic bulk transcriptomic/epigenetic analyses

histology!!! (also fill out my lab notebook omg)

learn how to fully use a citation software (should only take a week or so)

Goals for when I visit home

make an indexed pattern binder so i can see every pattern i have up front and stop buying new ones that do the same things as ones I already own

assign many/most of my fabrics to particular projects

finish the black half circle skirt (waistband, bound buttonhole, hem!)

floral sleeveless mock neck top (mock up first?)

finish the trouser mockup

play my uke

play my flute... and earnestly attempt improvisation

binge pjo binge pjo binge pjo binge pjo binge pjo bi

The sewing ones are admittedly a little ambitious, as always, but I think the others are very very very doable, if a little crowded. The most challenging will probably be keeping up with python, working out regularly, music theory, and also finding the confidence to flirt (but who knows? maybe I won't have to force it). I don't anticipate being able to hit them all (I never do!), but it's nice to have options.

I think if I want to hit a lot of them though, I'm going to have to be structured with my day/week. Set up various curricula, timelines, (flexible) deadlines. Plus, some of these goals are very short-term, and should only take a day or week at most. I can totally sketch out what gets done when, and should have enough wiggle room in case things need to shift.

(also i did have 2023 goals i just never published them bc i forgor)

[ask-de-writer]

WIND MEETS THE ROM : Part 14 of 27 :

MLP Fan Fiction

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WIND MEETS THE ROM

Part 14 of 27

by

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

Cover art by @wind-the-mama-cat

54212 words

© 2023 by Glen Ten-Eyck

Writing begun 06/01/18

All rights reserved. This document may not be copied or distributed on or to any medium or placed in any mass storage system except by the express written consent of the author.

//////////////

Copyright fair use rules for Tumblr users

Users of Tumblr.com are specifically granted the following rights. They may reblog the story provided that all author and copyright information remains intact. They may use the characters or original characters in my settings for fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical compositions.

All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fiction is actively encouraged.

///////////////////////

New to the story? Read from Part 1, here!

///////////////////////

Just then, a pegasus in noble livery landed outside the camp and started to just walk in, announcing in a loud and disapproving voice, “If their Highnesses are done playing about for the day, I have the Kingdom's business. I see that there is some food on that serving table. Bring me a goodly portion of scrambled clover tops and some pie!”

Midnight blocked his way and snarled, “What part of INCOGNITO is unclear to you, BARON FLAPPERJAW?”

Not comprehending who he was facing, he snapped, “My name is Baron Widefield! Get me the Princesses, you peasant! My dinner too!”

Wind turned to Hanar to comment, “This should be fun to watch! Should we stand further back?”

Midnight simply raised her huge wings free of her Rom sashes. In a mild voice she replied, “This peasant, known to you as PRINCESS LUNA, will not get you food of any sort. You will yield to me the Dispatch Cases and remove yourself from this encampment of OUR ROYAL FAMILY and await our pleasure.

“If you desire anything, there are two booths that have opened to sell dinners to ponies setting up for the fair. BUY your food and do not try to claim ANY privilege of rank. That is forbidden at all fairs by Crowns Law.”

While Widefield was trying to grasp the magnitude of his gaffe, Midnight's magic took the Dispatch Cases and turned her back to him. She flipped her tail as if swatting at a fly.

As the chastened pegasus left, Wind snickered, “That's another baron who has assured that his heirs will ascend to a Baronial throne. He certainly won't rise to a County if one comes Vacant.”

Midnight, tucking her wings back into her sashes, and out of sight, grinned now that she could not be seen by Widefield. She snorted, “You have stumbled onto one of our secrets for selecting the best ponies for advancement. We let them be themselves in ways that we can see before they know their true selves to be revealed to us. Of those that show true courtesy, we choose the best administrators.”

She shrugged, “We are sort of stuck with inheritance of titles in family lines. Most learn to be decent sorts by the example of their parents. Of course, there will always be some few who simply will not behave.”

Hanar gave Wind a large slice of the pie. Wind gave her a sideways look.

She bobbed her horn in amusement as she explained, “If you are lucky and like the pie, you get a large portion. If I am lucky, you won't like it and I will get a large portion!”

Wind smiled back as she extended one of her big claws. She carefully, in several passes, cut the thick pie into two equal portions. “If WE are lucky, Hanar, we can share the pie together.”

Hanar settled quietly and nibbled her pie. She had a thoughtful tone as she suggested, “Wind, your home must be a place very different from here. Could you tell me of it?”

Wind downed her tea to wash down the last of her excellent blackberry pie.

“In most ways, it looks a lot like this one. We have mostly small villages rather than cities and towns like you do. Most of our peoples are upright on two legs, like me. We do have several different kinds. I am a mixed breed of cat and otter, myself.

“We do not have ponies there, that I know of, nor your wonderful roads. The whole place is mostly wilderness with villages and a scattering of castles, religious retreats, abbeys, monasteries or the like places.

“Of course, there are also monsters of various sorts.

“The real, fundamental difference is how the world is run. There is Mama Dragon who is called the Watcher of the World. Mostly, she doesn't need to do a whole lot but when she does, things can get really strange. Besides her, there are some supernatural and extremely powerful Spirits. They really mess with us. Most folks of whatever kind, will never have to deal with them. Those that catch their eye can be put into a living hell or wind up with huge rewards, if they manage to accomplish what the Spirits want.”

Hanar nodded before offering, “I think that I like it here. I have been wondering something, though. When you first came to us, you already spoke a clear Equestrian. Who taught you that, or have you adventured on our world some other place?”

Wind considered that carefully. “Hanar, you seem to understand the idea of many worlds or dimensions lying close together, almost like pages in a book. Am I right?”

She smiled and chuckled around her last bite of pie before answering, “Of course. I have been raised in the band of Marchhare all of my life. You really can't be here for too long without learning about that.”

Wind nodded. “There is another Equestria, not far from here, as travel between dimensions goes. It is largely corrupted, having fallen to Discord and it has much trouble with invasions of deadite demons. I learned Equestrian from a couple of ponies from there.”

“I see, Wind. Were they nice ponies. Were there any Rom?”

Wind paused to think. “I don't think that there were any Rom. The ponies that I knew were pretty nice, but strong. Ready to do battle at a moment's notice. Pen and Snow were devoted to each other.

Pen was an Earth pony who had figured out all sorts of weapons. Deadites and other demons were drawn to him like iron to a lodestone. He was tied up with some sort of destiny thing that I don't really understand. Something about a Book.

Snow was a Pegasus with more magic than most unicorns. Most of it, as you would expect, was weather magic but that wasn't all. In some way or another, she was also tied up with their Discord and their Alicorn Murder.”

Wind shook her head admiringly, “Pen had a sort of sister named Penny. She is really something! Her fur is brown and her mane and tail are nearly black. Strong. She does great smith work. I, I don't know, she and I get along. It sounds silly, maybe, because she is way bigger than I am.”

Hanar's head drooped a little as she asked, “Will you come back here, to Marchhare's band, after you are healed and you leave us?”

Wind reached over and stroked Hanar gently. “Of course I will. Along with my arm, I lost the only family that I ever knew when I was seven. Mama Dragon is really wonderful and she cares deeply for me but she isn't the same as a family. You all are.

“Sure, I will adventure and do such good as I can, but I will not forget or abandon either you or Mama Dragon.”

Just then music struck up. Hanar perked up and neighed, “Race you to the dancing green!” Her magic picked up the used plates and mugs! They both set out for the evening dancing but the plates and mugs sailed unerringly to the sudsy water in the wash tub to soak!

Wind admired Hanar's skill at hitting targets that she was not even looking at! They hit the dancing area almost simultaneously.

The dancing had barely begun, with most of the dancers working on their new slides and sways, seeing how they could fit them into assorted traditional dances, when the music slid to a discordant stop!

Both Tia and Midnight were glaring at Baron Widefield in a towering rage! “What is the meaning of this intrusion into our Royal Encampment, Baron?”

Cringing slightly, he held forth several documents. “Your Highnesses have made a grievous error in the important matter of Bittern Woods. You have failed to sign the annexation or the assignment Royal Roads benefices.”

In tones that would have flash frozen a glacier, Tia demanded, “And how, Baron Widefield, do you know that those documents were not signed?”

He drew himself up and replied, “I surely have a right! Those documents bear directly upon my Barony! You need only sign them and I will return the cases to Canterlot!”

Midnight spoke in a deadly soft voice, “Bearing on your barony or not, THOSE CASES WERE SEALED. Their business was dealt with and ready to be announced at the appropriate Royal Court. HOW DID YOU GET THESE DOCUMENTS?”

She lifted her head and called, “Guard Major Hawkwing! Please bring three of your Flight here before Us! Take formal custody of Baron Widefield at this time.”

The Major and three of his unit came, carrying manacles and wingbinding straps. The protesting Baron was quickly and efficiently bound.

Tia nodded slowly before requesting, “Major, We, your Princesses, need you to be a formal witness. You will be examining things that are above your Royal Security Clearance. This is authorized on Our joint authority.

We need your uncontaminated witness statements to the things that you observe. Do you understand?”

“I do, your Highness. What do you wish me to observe?”

“Please examine the Royal Dispatch Cases. Report to Us both what you directly observe. You may be asked to provide further evidence, based on those observations.”

“I see.” He began a careful examination of each of the cases. Looking up, he reported, “You Highnesses, of the nine cases, three show signs of being forcibly unsealed. Those cases are the Royal Intelligence Service case, the Royal Chancery case and the Royal Treasury case.”

Midnight looked askance at the Baron and required of Major Hawkwing, “This is beyond your RIS security clearance but is ordered by Princess Luna. Open the RIS case. In the lid you will find a list of document numbers. From the top down, the numbered documents in the case should be in the order on the list. For now, examine only the document numbers and their order.”

He opened the case after looking closely at the seal. He extracted the list and began to compare it to the documents. Looking up, he reported, “GR-3174 and PR-9077 are at the top of the stack. According to the list, they should be fourth and tenth respectively.”

“Very good, Major. Leaving all as you found it, return the list and close the case. Then please check the Royal Chancery case.”

He repeated his careful examination and opening of the case. “There is no document list in the lid pocket. If the documents are intended to be in sequential numerical order, number seven is missing.”

“Very well done, Major. Now please check the Treasury case.”

After his usual careful scrutiny of the case's exterior and seal he opened it. “Your Highnesses, there are five sections to this case. There are only four document lists. As the sections are labeled, and the remaining lists have matching labels, I would venture that the list for Royal Roads is missing. I noticed that each document in each section is sequential on the last two digits. Based on that, document RR 304-A113 is missing.”

Midnight smiled. “Thank you, Major Hawkwing. We shall shortly have a witness statement drawn up for you to examine. If it is fully accurate and only if it is fully correct, please sign it. If we have made any error, please point it out and we will fix it to your satisfaction.”

He bowed, “What of the missing documents?”

Luna smiled, “You will provide a copy of your witness statement to the Royal Road Police along with the prisoner. They will conduct that search and include their findings and evidence to be sent to the Royal Department of Prosecution for the Baron's public trial.

“None of you need miss the fun of the fair. The RRP have their temporary fairground station already set up. Let them handle it.”

The Major chuckled and told his ponies, “You heard the Princesses. As soon as we have that statement signed, we can be done with this pompous pony! And we have leave to play! We will be on duty so keep an ear out for any calls for service.”

Wind was leaning on Hanar, laughing. “Oh my! He not only broke into Royal business, he had the nerve to call their attention to it! I did not think that ANY pony could be that stupid! How did he manage to actually stand up? I mean, that takes coordinating FOUR legs! Does he have that much brainpower?”

Hanar replied, “I really don't know but I hope that Tia and Midnight can get back to their music soon. I want to dance some more!”

They did return soon. Marchhare was with them and they were all three laughing.

<== PREVIOUS ~ NEXT==>

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[stevetown]

Alan Wake II

Playtime: 21h 42m Completed: November 17, 2023

Fuck this game. I hated almost every moment of this twenty-hour slog. Mechanically, the game sucks ass. Enemies are bullet sponges and can teleport around you while you're stuck trying to move the camera through molasses. All the puzzles and hidden areas of the game net you nothing but ammo and then spawn more enemies that cause you to lose more resources than you gained. Saga's Mind Palace Place has you constantly recapping the plot by placing photos on specific index cards, to which there's only one right answer and no actual deduction happening.

And my dude, Alan Wake? He sucks so much. I think the game knows how much he sucks, but I was never sure. Half the game is dedicated to this chucklefuck running around, prattling on about his missing wife and his Dark Half alter ego while absolutely nothing of plot or character consequence happens. I know he's supposed to be a hack, but the game never goes out of its way to let you know if it's in on the joke or not.

Saga's sections were much, much better. She was genuinely a very funny character and there are some excellent character moments between her and some side characters who don't get enough screen time. Had we just followed Saga along some whimsical SCP adventures, I would have had a good enough time even with the god awful combat.

But no. The game is called Alan Wake, so we must suffer this water treading hack and his no-fun-zone version of New York City for at least half the play time.

To be honest, I wasn't a fan of the first game either, but was told that this one was focusing on survival horror a la Resident Evil. I was also told the game was True Detective if it delivered on the eldritch horror teasing. Neither of those descriptions proved true. The game goes nowhere. It sets up a sequel that I won't be tuning in for.

Like Alan rewriting the story in real time, I scratched out the game from my hard drive as soon as the credits rolled.

[talesofedo]

This is a work of fiction. (I'm finally rewriting it.) You can find more information about my tumblr, Tales of Edo, here, and an index for this story’s chapters, anything else I've written, and my art, here.

...

Suigetsu (Samon’s Story) Loosely inspired by Yagyuu Hijouken Samon (manga) / Also on AO3 CW: graphic violence, abusive family, physical & psychological abuse

Chapter 1

It was already well into the hour of the rat and the bright full moon hung large and white in an inky sky, casting deep shadows across the formal garden of the secluded samurai mansion in the valley below. Gathering storm clouds raced across the blackness, pushed by the strong winds that had been gusting since late in the afternoon; winds that tore at the ancient maple at the center of the garden, scattering its crimson late-fall leaves like embers sparking from a fire.

Samon sat cross-legged in the center of the porch facing the garden, far enough from the edge that the overhanging roof shielded him from the thick raindrops that had begun falling just then, the only person still awake at this late hour.

He was dressed in a white kimono and light blue hakama as if readying himself for seppuku, and the brightness of his clothing contrasted with the dark wood of the veranda like a reflection of the moon above. He was watching the trees swaying in the distance, trying (and failing miserably) to calm his unfocused mind.

Early the previous morning, a messenger had arrived with a wrinkled letter sent by an acquaintance in Edo, a servant girl working in his clan’s upper mansion, who had once embarrassed herself by confessing her love to him when he was still a boy.

The letter, difficult to read because of her unpracticed handwriting, had been unsettling: she wrote that Munenori, Samon’s father, had been beside himself with rage after finding out about the stipend His Excellency the Shogun had granted Samon, and that he had dispatched Jubei, Samon’s eldest brother, to the Yagyu valley to “set things straight."

She didn’t know what this meant, said a scrawled addition at the end, but thought that he deserved a warning, considering his father’s and his brother’s tempers.

Samon appreciated her thoughtfulness in sending the letter, but the message had given him cause to anxiously pace around the mansion and its grounds ever since, trying to collect his thoughts and preparing for the worst. He almost wished he’d never received the letter at all, that he had been left in blissful ignorance until Jubei arrived at his doorstep.

He understood, at least on some basic level, why his father was angry: Tokugawa Iemitsu, who had inherited the post of Shogun following the death of his father, was in a precarious position because many of the daimyo opposed his succession and instead favored his younger brother, Tadanaga, whom they considered more suitable. Anything those men could use as fodder to strengthen their case, like the relationship Iemitsu and Samon had failed to keep secret, threatened not only the shogun, but by extension the Yagyu, Samon's family.

It was because of these politics Munenori had sent his son away months ago under the guise of illness, and why Samon was now little more than a prisoner in the old family home in Iga, two weeks’ travel from Edo.

Samon often wondered whether the politics surrounding their situation had occurred to Iemitsu. Certainly, he must have given it some thought before trying to return his lover to Edo with the stroke of a brush, by making him a daimyo in his own right and therefore subjecting him to the Edo posting, which required all daimyo to live in the city every other year; ironically, a measure originally devised to prevent rebellion against the shogunate.

But perhaps Iemitsu hadn’t considered it at all, had worried only about the two of them being kept apart for reasons he didn’t fully understand or care about.

Samon would have liked to think Iemitsu wouldn’t be so shortsighted, but he also knew just how impulsive he could be: once, when Iemitsu was still a teen, he’d stabbed his older lover to death just for looking at another man, though Samon had not seen that side of him as the young future Shogun matured.

He realized, of course, that worrying about Iemitsu’s intent or consideration made no difference now: what was done was done, and the only path left was the one moving forward, regardless of where it might lead. Logically, this made it entirely pointless to worry about the What Ifs of the situation.

However, Samon did worry about his father’s plans for “setting things straight,” as the girl had put it in her letter. He found it difficult to imagine any scenario that didn’t end in his own death, and he’d paced around his rooms and up and down the veranda for hours, apprehensively pondering whether a simple thing like blood ties would stand in the way of his father’s ambitions and desire for power.

Would this even enter his father’s mind, considering Samon was merely his third son, and additionally only the child of a mistress?

Eventually, and perhaps overdramatically, Samon had resigned himself to the idea that he would likely be killed once Jubei reached the Yagyu valley, and he’d dressed accordingly to await his brother’s arrival, which he supposed wouldn’t be too long after the courier’s.

By the time he sat down on the porch that night – and honestly, he couldn’t have slept even if he tried, just like he hadn’t slept the previous night – his thoughts were all over the place still, but somewhere at the back of his mind, he’d at least made peace with the idea of death. After all, if this was the price to pay to keep Iemitsu safe in his position as Shogun, wasn’t it worth such an insignificant life as his own?

How strange, he thought, that both my father and I share the common goal of keeping Iemitsu safe.

…

The initial thick, slow raindrops had turned into sheeting rain by the time Jubei arrived, dressed in black and dark green traveling clothes, climbing over the back wall into the garden like a common thief, rather than a visiting relative. It was a familiar entrance for Jubei, who had come and gone by means of this secret back route as a boy more times than Samon could count.

But this was no childhood escapade. Jubei already had his long sword unsheathed as he stood on the tiled roof of the wall, one foot planted firmly on either side of the center ridge while he surveyed the scene before him, like a large bird of prey perched on a tree branch, looking for a juicy mouse scurrying along the forest floor.

Seeing that his younger brother was waiting for him, he jumped down and walked casually along the stone path winding between landscape features, entirely unbothered by the rain dripping from his face and soaking into his clothes.

A small, satisfied smile curled the corners of his lips upward with contentment because his brother was expecting him, but his eyes were cold and disdainful, just as they had commonly looked at Samon in the past.

“I always hoped we’d get a chance to duel,” Jubei said when he was close enough for Samon to hear him over the rain pattering against the tiled porch roof. “I’m told some people think you’re the stronger swordsman, but we’ve never had a chance to measure our skills against each other in the fencing hall, let alone with real blades.”

This was so like Jubei: the obsession to be the stronger swordsman, the strongest swordsman, had not let up since Samon had replaced him as Iemitsu’s fencing instructor five years prior, and it stood to reason that he had only gained more real-life sword experience in his missions and wanderings since.

Samon had already played out in his mind numerous scenarios of how he might draw and strike with his sword tonight, and in each of them had found himself lacking in the face of his brother’s skill.

Jubei was many things: he was hateful and short-tempered, inconsiderate and self-important, ambitious and ruthless. But still, Samon could not deny the fact that Jubei was also an expert swordsman possessed of a strength and speed that was like a demon’s.

And Samon was scared. Terrified, really.

So, this was it, then.

Samon took a shaky breath and uncrossed his legs to rise, uncomfortably aware of the sweat slicking his palms as he reached for the sword that lay beside him, waiting to be drawn.

He found it unmovable, because someone, some shadowy figure suddenly standing behind him, had planted a foot against the sheath, pinning it in place against the floorboards. As distracted as Samon had been with anxiety, and with his focus solely on his elder brother, he’d never heard this second man approach, never even felt his presence. It served only to remind him in this split second of sheer panic of how inexperienced he still was, despite his years of training.

The thought flashed through his mind that his father would have been disappointed.

Samon tried to draw his blade from this awkward position, but next thing he knew, a coarse rope was slung around his neck. Instinctively, he brought up his hands to protect himself from being strangled, but before he could grab the rope, the man behind him kicked him between the shoulders, causing him to slam face first into the dark wood of the porch.

In the seconds it took Samon to taste the metallic bitterness of his own blood in his mouth and try to push himself upward, the man had knotted the rope at the nape of his neck, looped the two loose ends around his elbows to pin his arms against his sides, and bound his hands tightly in the small of his back. No matter how Samon struggled, he already knew there was no point: he was completely defenseless in front of Jubei.

“Why are you doing this?” he gasped, the rope pressing against his throat as he still pointlessly struggled to get to his feet. The man behind him pulled him backward and Samon came to sit awkwardly as Jubei approached.

“Ah, don’t give me that angry look,” Jubei sneered, sheathing his sword. “Is this any way to greet your big brother?”

“Why would you go to such lengths?” Samon said, trying to keep his voice calm and steady but hearing it waver all the same. He was both seething with anger that his own brother would resort to using one of their clan’s shinobi to trap him like this, and utterly terrified at what Jubei had planned, now that a fair duel seemed out of the question. “I know you don’t believe I’m better with the sword, or that you need to resort to dirty tricks to kill me.”

Jubei shrugged. “I’m not allowed to kill you, so what need is there for a duel?”

Samon couldn’t hide his confusion as he studied his brother’s face for anything that might give away a hint of what would happen next. Of all the scenarios he had considered over the past two days (and there had been many), he hadn’t considered a single one that did not involve his own death, unless he’d somehow be able to best Jubei in a duel.

After all, what easier way was there to solve his father’s dilemma: If the youngest son presented a danger to both the Shogun and the Yagyu, then disposing of the youngest son would fix the issue, since merely sending him away had not. And although understanding the reasoning gave him little comfort, it was at least a thought process Samon could follow and he’d prepared, in his own way, for this worst-case scenario.

But this, whatever this was, loomed dark and foreboding in its uncertainty.

“If you aren’t here to kill me,” Samon asked tentatively, “then why are you here?”

The rain had started to let up by now and Jubei smoothed back some of the soggy strands of hair clinging to his face as he stepped onto the porch, leaving muddy footprints in his wake.

Looking around the yard as if he were studying its features, the large rocks and manicured shrubs, he explained: “Father sent me to ensure you’re no threat to our family due to your …” A sarcastic chuckle interrupted his sentence. “…intimate friendship with our Shogun. But, for reasons that are a mystery to me, he doesn’t want you dead. He wants to keep you around.” A shrug. “Your mother is his favorite mistress, after all, so perhaps he’s feeling some kind of attachment. Perhaps she begged him for your life. Who the fuck knows.”

He turned to face Samon. “At any rate, he doesn’t want you dead. But he does want me to ensure that you won’t be seeing our Shogun again and that the stipend and title, with which he tried to return you to Edo so desperately, are rendered irrelevant.”

Although Jubei’s tone was light and dismissive, Samon could detect the undertone of anger, which he supposed originated in his brother’s disappointment at having to miss out on a long hoped-for duel, and he worried this might spell disaster because Jubei had a terrible temper – always had, even when they were both still children – which showed itself in a sadistic side. Jubei truly was their father’s son in that regard.

“So, here I am.” The elder brother continued, spreading his arms wide to indicate the mansion and gardens around them, irritation plain on his face. “An errand boy sent to do father’s bidding, sneaking around the Yagyu valley like a thief. And why? Because my little brother can’t be entrusted with simply doing his job as fencing instructor. No, you just had to spread your cheeks for the Shogun like a cheap whore, caring nothing about rank or position. You truly are an embarrassment.”

He leaned in close, breath warm against Samon’s face, and, with a smirk that exposed his pointy canine teeth, he produced a small dagger from within his belt.

“It’s not death, sorry, but I promise it will hurt a lot.”

As if on cue, the man behind Samon grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him flat onto his back, tied arms trapped awkwardly beneath his body so that the boney parts of his wrists and elbows ground painfully into the unforgiving wood of the floorboards.

For a moment, their eyes met and Samon recognized the shinobi as Genjiro’s son, Taro, whom he had known since childhood. He felt betrayed that someone he’d once counted as a friend would do this to him, and at the same time realized what a ridiculous sentiment this was, considering Taro was in service to Munenori, just as his father Genjiro had been before him, and any friendship that might have existed between the two boys as children did not extent to their respective positions in adulthood.

Taro placed his hands on either side of Samon’s face to hold his head steady, and Jubei lowered himself over his brother, knees to either side of his ribcage, and leaned forward to look closely at his face.

Samon lay still and quiet, knowing there was no point in struggling now and having resigned himself despondently to whatever was going to happen next.

He couldn’t think of any other course of action to take; his whole life had been one of doing as he was told, no matter if the orders came from his father, his elder brother, or the Shogun. If His Excellency asked for a duel, Samon would let him win. If his father wanted to use him as a pawn in some political scheme, he would hold his breath and wait for it to be over, regardless of the sacrifices he had to make.

Once, he'd told Iemitsu that he didn’t fear death because he was dead already, though that had been a bit of a lie. He feared death. He just knew that his life had never belonged to himself in the first place.

Jubei studied his younger brother’s face, droplets of water dripping down from his hair and rolling off Samon’s cheeks as he leaned in close.

“Get a good look, little brother,” he said, his pale brown eyes searching Samon’s, which looked at him through long lashes. “I’ll be the last person you’ll ever see.”

He touched the side of his brother’s face gently, calloused fingers against smooth, pale skin, then brought his hand up to force open Samon’s right eye. With a flash of steel caught briefly by the moon’s brightness, he flipped the small knife, holding it as one might hold a writing brush.

Samon took a sharp breath in, reflexively trying to wrench his head from Taro’s grip to no avail.

Jubei paused, clearly savoring his younger brother’s expression of terror, of the pupils widening at the sight of the sharp blade, and then he brought the knife down to carefully, surgically, lift the eye from its socket and cut its attachments, all in one swift motion not entirely unlike shucking an oyster.

Samon bit down on his lip to keep from screaming as he felt the warmth of his own blood spill from his eye socket, but his body stiffened and he couldn’t keep his breath from quickening, coming in harsh gasps no matter how hard he tried to control himself to deny Jubei the satisfaction of hearing him cry out. He felt betrayed by his own body when he realized he couldn’t even keep himself from spilling tears.

Jubei noticed, of course. He switched the knife to his left hand and cupped Samon’s cheek with his right, wearing an expression of satisfaction that made Samon feel utterly nauseous.

“How sweet,” Jubei said, his voice soft. “Actual tears.” He used his thumb to wipe them, then licked it as if savoring the salty taste.

“Do you suppose a person can still cry if they don’t have any eyes,” he wondered aloud, not expecting an answer, as he switched the knife back to his right and turned it on his brother once more.

His sarcastic smile was the last thing Samon saw before his world went dark and blood spilled across the other half of his face. He clenched his teeth so hard he was afraid they would break from the strain, but anything was better than giving Jubei the joy of hearing him scream. Even so, he couldn’t suppress a whimper in his agony, and his body, which he’d tried so hard to control even through the pain, was shaking now, shivering as if with cold, and he could do nothing to stop it.

Jubei sat back on his heels, wiping his hands and the small blade on his black tattsuke bakama before reaching into his sleeve and producing a small square piece of silk, which he spread across his palm, carefully placing the two eyeballs on it.

He studied the now lifeless dark brown irises, pupils gaping black in their centers, and seemed amused by the bits of optical nerve still attached to the back, which flopped limply like dead fish as he turned the globes between his fingers.

He stood up and stepped away, engrossed in playing with his trophies. Distractedly, he ordered Taro to wipe up the bloody mess lest it should stain the floorboards of the family home.

Taro helped Samon sit up and began gently wiping his face with a tenugui, whispering quietly so that Jubei would not overhear: “Please bear with it just a little longer, wakasama. I have prepared something for the pain and will give it to you as soon as your brother leaves.”

After a few minutes, Jubei wrapped the eyes with the cloth and tucked them into a pouch for safekeeping. Then he turned and said, almost as if to himself, “Our dear Shogun has always been so attracted to your dark eyes and those pretty lashes.” Every word was dripping with disdain. “I don’t suppose he would find you as attractive now, were he to lay eyes on you.”

You think him so shallow, Samon thought, but he couldn’t help wondering how Iemitsu would react if he saw him like this. After all, he had so often praised Samon for his appearance, just as Jubei said. He tried to shake the thought from his mind.

“Ah, but don’t worry, little brother,” said Jubei, watching him carefully. “You needn't be concerned that he’ll see you again. After all, these lovely little eyeballs I’ll be taking back to Edo…” He jiggled the pouch in his hand, even though his brother obviously couldn’t see it. “… these will serve as proof that you’ve lost your mind being separated from your lover for such a long time. He’ll want nothing to do with a madman who’s gauged out his own eyes, I suppose.”

So, that was the story father was planning to fabricate.

It was brilliant, in a way. Keeping Samon sequestered in the Yagyu valley had not done the trick. Instead, it had served only to embarrass Munenori, making him the subject of gossip around Edo castle once his son had been awarded that ridiculous stipend.

This, on the other hand, would solve the problem: once rumors that Samon had taken leave of his senses and disfigured himself to such an extent would begin circulating around the city, as assuredly they would with Jubei’s help, Munenori could rest safe in the knowledge that the Shogun would at last heed his advisors’ words and sever all ties with his former lover.

Surely, it would be a bit of an embarrassment to the Yagyu, but since Samon was only a third son and the child of a mistress, the outrage would certainly be brief. And the masses would love it: a story of a former lover driven to despair by their separation. It was the kind of gossip that kept the city going.

“Of course,” Jubei said, turning back from the end of the porch. “Our poor shogun will have to find himself a new wakashu on whom to dote his affections now. Though I doubt that will be much of a problem. The city is literally teeming with capable young samurai and since His Excellency certainly doesn’t hold his lovers to particularly high standards, as we’ve seen with you, perhaps he will find himself a whole harem of pretty, young, disposable boys to suit his fancies now. Don’t you think, brother? He might fill his whole Ooku with young men.”

“You’ve no right to mock Uesama,” Samon said through gritted teeth. “You’ve done what you came here to do. What reason is there for you to stand here and mock him.”

Jubei chuckled. “Oh, but it’s so much fun seeing you all riled up. I suppose the sex must have been quite something for you to become so utterly attached. It’s very sweet.”

He crossed back to Samon in a few swift steps, grabbed his brother by the chin, and slammed him backwards into the floorboards so hard Samon saw stars and, for a minute, thought he was going to pass out.

Jubei pulled him back into a sitting position by the front of his clothing, his younger brother too dazed from the sudden assault to resist. “But here you are still thinking you can talk back to me. You just don’t learn, do you? Your job – your only job – is to shut the fuck up and do as you’re fucking told.”

He grasped Samon’s chin and forced his rough fingers, callused from a lifetime of sword training, into his brother’s mouth, forcing it open.

“Don’t even think about biting me,” he warned as he pinched his tongue between two fingers and pulled it forward. “You’ll want to hold nice and still so I can make a straight cut. If you fight me … well, I might just rip it out instead. Your choice.”

He unsheathed his little knife again and sliced through his brother’s tongue, severing it just forward of its base. Then he pushed Samon back down, gave him a kick for good measure, and cast the severed tongue into the yard.

“We’ll have no more talking back now, will we?” he asked calmly, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened at all.

Turning to Taro, he added, “I think I’ll find a servant to heat the bath for me. Get this cleaned up. Once dawn breaks, have someone fetch the doctor. And don’t even think about untying him.”

“Yes, master Jubei.” Taro shifted nervously, watching Jubei disappear around the corner toward the main part of the house, then looked down at Samon who lay on his side in a puddle of his own blood, his body shaking from pain and blood loss.

“I am so sorry,” Taro said quietly. “Please don’t bear me a grudge, wakasama. These things are out of my control.”

Of course, they are. Just as they are out of my control as well.

Samon pulled his legs up, curling into himself, and pressed his head against the smooth wood of the floorboards. If there was only something he could do to make the pain stop. The coppery taste and smell of his own blood were so overwhelming in his nose and mouth they made him retch and he just wanted this to be over.

He lifted his head and slammed it into the floorboards.

He would never have been truly happy sequestered away in the Yagyu Valley, but only a handful of days ago, before the message of his appointment and stipend had reached him, he’d believed that he could at least be content to carve out a small life of his own here.

He’d considered opening a school to teach commoners’ children to read and write, just as his uncle Toshikatsu, his father’s eldest brother, had done after he was injured in battle and no longer able to fulfill his obligations to his lord. Perhaps he might even have taken up teaching the sword in the family dojo or build a fencing hall of his own and teach anyone interested in learning.

But now, even the hope for a simple life had been taken from him.

He slammed his head into the floorboards a second time. And again. Perhaps he could at least succeed in ending his life on this night. Not to spite Jubei, though he had no doubt that his father would see it that way, but to end the misery he was enduring.

But when he tried to hit his head into the floor again, Taro pulled him upright and wrapped his arms around his body, stopping him from continuing.

“Wakasama, please, calm yourself.”

Almost reflexively, Samon smashed his head backward into Taro’s face, hearing the crunch of his skull against the other’s nose. It was to Taro’s great credit that he didn’t curse out loud, but he brought one of his hands up and held Samon’s head back, restraining him from doing anything else.

“Please, wakasama,” he said again. “Calm down so I can see to your wounds. Your life should not end tonight. Don’t give them that satisfaction.”

Samon supposed “them” meant his brother and father, but he cared little whether they were or were not satisfied. He was tired of being a pawn in their political games, tired of being powerless against the forces that controlled his life. But he knew there was nothing he could do and he was tired, so very tired, of continuing down this path that was being laid out for him.

He felt Taro’s fingers on his mouth, a sudden cool touch against lips slippery with blood, and a small round object was placed in his mouth, the finger gently pushing it to the back of what remained of his tongue.

“Please swallow this,” Taro said. “It will take away the pain.”

.

Index | Next Chapter

[jeon-s-sins]

Moon's Sun | 2 | The Voice

Warning : None

Word count : 3.1K

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Weekday mornings were the thing you hated most in the world. Of course, you weren't the only one in the world who found mornings to be an extended torture; many people shared your opinion.

Unfortunately, you couldn't help it. If you wanted to make a living, pay your bills, go out, and enjoy life's few pleasures, you had to get up in the morning and earn your keep.

When you first moved to this city far from home, you were more lost than a puppy from its mother. You didn't know anything or anyone. You had no place to stay and didn't know what to eat. Steal? Never in a million years.

You were wandering the streets when you came across a gentleman, not very old, who was kind enough to help you by putting you up for the night.

Of course, one night was not enough. He had agreed to let you stay with him, just long enough for you to find a job that would allow you to pay decent rent. He promised to help you get your life together, and he did.

He advised you on all sorts of things. He helped you find a job. When the time came, he helped you find your tiny home, which has become your little paradise on earth. Everything you know about life, everything you have, is because of his kindness, goodness, and determination to keep you on the right path.

Today you live in a small apartment just outside the city. The apartment is small but very cute, warm, and inviting.

Your mentor, who helped you, found this small, abandoned apartment on the outskirts of town, ready to be torn down for lack of occupants.

Your mentor helped you out financially. No, he didn't buy your furniture or anything else for you, but he helped you open your bank account and put some money aside for excellent and friendly savings. He taught you to ensure you never exceeded your limit or ran a deficit.

With his help, you could set aside money to buy everything you needed. Start with food, a mattress, furniture, wall paint, and decorations. Today you were more than proud of what you had accomplished.

You had enough to eat, a roof over your head, a job allowing you to live comfortably, and some pretty friendly and funny co-workers you enjoyed working with.

You also had to hurry or be late - which would be a first since you started working.

You hurried down the stairs and into your garage to get the car. This car was your most significant purchase in life, and you were more than proud of your baby.

Within half an hour, you arrived at work. You had about 20 minutes before the doors opened to customers.

At that time, your mentor had found you a job in an Internet café. You worked as a waitress. Sometimes you played during your breaks. Eventually, you tried your best, but gaming wasn't your thing. Your co-workers wanted to get you started, but you couldn't. Maybe the day you get into gaming, you'll be able to succeed.

"Hey there, Speedy. Are you ready for a new day?" No sooner had you pushed open the front door than one of your colleagues greeted you with a big, boxy smile.

"Ready as can be." You sigh as you think about the day ahead. No, you weren't complaining because you love your job and wouldn't change it for the world. It's just that today is the first day of summer vacation. The cyber cafe is usually ready by now. Now it will be twice as bad because the hours are changing.

On the positive side, your salary will increase a little more, and the jackpot would be if you were on a weekend day.

Sometimes some clients spend an entire day with their butts glued to a chair and their eyes glued to the screen.

There are six of you-two girls and four boys-and you take turns. When group A works, they don't work for the next two days because the next day, it's group B's turn, and the day after, group C's turn. In short, each group has two days off.

Today because you work, tomorrow, and the day after, you and Tae will have your day off before working again.

"Cheer up, champ. You're going to do great." Then he rubs your hair.

You work in pairs. Since the first day of work, Kim Taehyung has been your partner. You got along well even though you were three years apart. But seriously, what are three years?

He was super cute no, gorgeous, modest, kind, talented, and friendly. You knew you could count on him no matter what. He was the closest thing you had to a best friend.

He had gotten you to open up to him - something always tricky for everyone else. He also introduced you to his group of friends, who were different from each other but fit together like pieces of a puzzle.

They all adopted you immediately.

Speaking of adoption, one of the group members, the youngest of them - Jungkook - was adopted by the oldest of the group - Seok Jin.

Well, adopted is a big word, but he took him in. They have known each other for a long time. Their families were very close. After Jungkook's parents died in a car accident when he was only fifteen, Seok Jin became responsible for Jungkook.

When Jungkook's parents were buried, Seok Jin - Jin to his relatives - promised to take good care of their son, no matter what it took. And that's precisely what he did. Today, Jungkook was very smart and has become a handsome man. Humble, charming, generous, hardworking, and very attractive.

Your paths crossed very soon after you arrived at the cyber cafe. Taehyung was your co-worker, and he introduced you to his buddies: Kim Seok Jin -Jin -; Min Yoongi, Jung Hoseok - Hobi or Jhope -; Kim Namjoon - Joon or Jooni; Park Jimin and Jeon Jungkook - JK or Kookie.

It was your second day on the job, and this time you were working with Kim Taehyung just before 11:30 p.m. - 30 minutes before closing time - Tae asked you to watch the room and warn him if a group of six boys came in before they left behind the counter.

The High-Speed Wing Cyber-Café (HSWCC) where you worked was located near a shopping mall, which optimized customers' constant and regular attendance. Its atmosphere was always festive and worthy of science fiction movies.

It was always almost dark, with computer screens and red and blue LEDs as light sources.

Six boys entered the building a few minutes after Tae was busy behind the counter. Everything was in slow motion at that moment, worthy of those silly movies girls love.

They walked towards you like mannequins. You were sitting on one of the benches at the counter, which was a good thing because if you were standing, your legs would have fallen off.

You thought they were all very handsome, but one, in particular, caught your eye. Jeon Jungkook. And from that day on, you had a massive crush on him.

After passing behind the counter to reach the staff toilet, you put your things in your locker and took your apron before entering the room to help Tae place some orders.

When you were done, you quickly grabbed everything you would need for the customers during the day from the storage room: boxes of noodles, cakes, candy, cakes all kinds of drinks. You also stocked the refrigerator to keep the drinks cold.

They also delivered the machines for ice cream, coffee, and other hot drinks.

Finally, everything was ready. "I guess it's time to open." You turn to Tae and see him looking at his watch.

Looking toward the glass doors, you see that people were already waiting with bated breath for the room to open. "Here we go!" You say to yourself to encourage yourself. Tae taps you on the shoulder to give you courage and then opens the doors.

As soon as the doors open, a flood of people enter the room and head toward you to reload their cards.

This is how the house works. The customers have a card that they charge. They have several options: they can charge it for the day, they can charge it weekly, or they can charge it monthly. They can also recharge it quarterly.

They parade in front of Tae and you to recharge their card before rushing to the PCs. They ask you for their breakfast when they get their butts in the chairs.

"So, Mitch, are you ready to break your record?" Mitch, a 19-year-old boy. A regular at the house for a few years now. "More than ready!" He lifts his eyes from the screen to rest on yours. "Just waiting for that traitor Jay to show up. Yesterday he had the chance to kick me off my throne, but I'm more than ready to take back what's rightfully mine."

His eyes sparkled with determination. "Of course," you said, smiling at him. "So, what can I get you? The usual?" He nodded his head. "I'll let you get back to your business and come back with your order."

Before you reached your destination behind the counter, two more people stopped you to order breakfast. You rushed to prepare the orders when you got behind the counter.

Tae was also busy reloading the newcomers' cards. "So, beautiful, did you sleep well?" Hearing his voice, you smiled. "Wonderfully well. And you?" There was no need to look up to see that he had a silly grin on his gorgeous, full lips. You could hear it in his voice. "With you haunting my nights, I can only sleep wonderfully."

"Good morning, Jiminie." You could feel his presence behind you. As usual, he walked around the counter to hug you from behind. "Good morning, Jiminie." He kisses your temple softly and holds you in his arms.

Tae's friends - and now yours - are the kind of customers who spend their lives here at the Cybercafe, which hasn't been to your detriment. It allowed you and Tae to spend a little more time with them.

Of course, this is ironic because when they were here, they spent their time on the computers while you and Taehyung worked like convicts.

Namjoon, Jin, Yoongi, Hoseok, Jimin, and Jungkook usually only came to HSWC on days when you and Tae were on duty. On your days off, they would either leave you alone to rest, or you would meet up later in the day.

"So guys, what can I get you?" Jimin tightened his hug around your body and rested his chin on your shoulder as he watched you prepare the order for Mitch and the other two customers.

"Don't worry, baby. I'll take care of it." Taehyung finished with his orders, ruffling your hair before preparing your friends' orders.

The boys knew you didn't have a family, and it was a pleasure for them to accept you into the group.

From the first day you crossed paths with them, they kept saying you were all siblings from different parents. Your relationship with each of them was fused. Different and unique.

However, Jungkook is not like the others. You're close and laugh a lot, but you don't have that little thing you had with the others. But your relationship was still unique and precious.

There was still a connection between you, a little stronger than with others. 'Attraction' was the most appropriate word to define what you had with each other that confused you.

Jungkook was the one you had the slightest contact with and only went out with. He was also the one you didn't have a private text conversation with. The only way you could text him was through the group chat.

Whenever you saw each other, you were always shy.

You wanted to get closer to him, but every time you did, you looked like an idiot every time you opened your mouth to say something.

Every time you saw him, your breathing became more labored, and your heartbeat became so fast that it broke your rib cage.

One look from him, and you were on cloud nine. The electricity traveled through your entire body as soon as your skin touched. It was what you called the 'Jungkook effect.'

Reluctantly, you challenged Jimin's warm embrace to serve your customers. When you returned to your station, you noticed the boys were no longer there. Instead, they were all sitting behind their usual computers.

Even though you were far away from each other, you could still feel your attraction to Jungkook. It was something you couldn't describe even if you wanted to. You didn't even know why you were attracted to him. The question that kept returning to you was, why him and not someone else? What did he have that was different from the others?

Simply handsome. At only 23 years old, Jungkook had a body more perfect than any Greek god. He had a remarkable ability to fight and defend himself - you could often see him during his Taekwondo competitions. He was endowed with almost superhuman strength, so much so that he could open a pineapple using only the power of his hands.

This had always fascinated you. How could a person have so much strength? How could one person be so perfect?

This was one of the many questions you would never be able to answer.

For a few years now, two to be exact, Jungkook has been collecting tattoos on his right arm, and he recently pierced his right eyebrow, making him even more attractive and adding more spice to his mysterious bad boy side.

His clear caramel skin and dark piercing eyes did not leave you indifferent, and you had very little that he noticed, despite all your attempts to hide it from him.

"This is Earth calling YN. Hello? Are you there?" You were interrupted in your self-inflicted suffering by Namjoon's voice. "Huh?" Coming to your senses, you were surprised to find that you were no longer alone but with Namjoon, who was looking at you with a huge smile.

"What?" He sneered, shrugging as he shook his head. "When will you find the courage to admit your feelings for him?" You. Confess your feelings for Jungkook? That was unthinkable for you. You'd rather dream of a perfect life with him than see all your dreams vanish when he rejects your feelings.

You laugh out loud at all the answers. "When the chickens get their teeth! That means: NEVER!"

Everyone in the group knew you had a massive crush on Jeon Jungkook. Everybody tried to give you the courage to face your fear and confess to Jungkook. What was easy and stupid for them. It was impossible for you. You were too shy and afraid of what could happen if he ever denied you his feelings.

You remembered when you all played truth or dare on Jungkook's twentieth birthday night and that Yoongi dared you to spend seven minutes in heaven with Jungkook.

On that day, the boys didn't even let you choose whether you wanted to do a dare or a truth. They gave you direct promises to do with Jungkook.

You cursed them every time, but ultimately, these were your best memories and experiences. For example, your first kiss.

"Tell me quickly what you want if you don't want me to send you back to your seat with a kick on your pretty little ass." He laughs and looks behind you to the refrigerator with the fresh drinks. "Give me a can of Sprite for Mr. Hoseok before he makes me lose my mind."

You look at him with an air of asking for more explanation.

"Yesterday, I promised him that if he ate a whole hot dog full of wasabi, I would pay for all his cans of Sprite for a week."

You laughed as you held the can out to him. "Joon, this boy will do anything for his Sprite cans. It was a lost bet."

He sighed, "I know, YN, I don't know. I think I had a little hope that it would fail."

"Never!" You heard Hoseok's voice in the distance while still sitting behind his screen. "Now stop whining and bring yourself back with my can."

You couldn't hold back your laughter at these two. An old couple. "Remind me again why I made this stupid bet?" He looks up, and you laugh at his desperation. "Because you love me. Now, my Sprite!"

The rest of the day was like being on wheels. The boys stayed until the end. This time it was your turn to close the doors of HSWCC and ensure everything was okay before you went home.

During the day, your manager visited you and Tae to see if everything was okay and to warn you that there would be a meeting the next day about summer hours.

As for your vacations, you usually took the same months every year: the first group had June off, the second group had July off, and the third group - you and Taehyung - had August off.

At first, Tae didn't want to let you close the cafe alone, but you thought it was unfair to let him work independently when you were two. While he was washing the floor, you were busy chatting with the boys.

After several minutes of trying to convince him, you finally reasoned with him. "I'll stay awake and wait for your message that you've arrived home," Taehyung said. That was his condition.

You were now alone in this large building, cleaning and disinfecting screens, mice, and keyboards so everything would be clean for the next day.

Concentrating on your task, you heard noises and felt a presence behind you. "Sorry, but we are closed…" When you turned around to face the person who had just entered, you were surprised to find no one there.

But you were not crazy and knew you had not invented anything. You had heard sounds and felt a presence. However, to encourage yourself and not fall into paranoia, you told yourself it was the effects of a long day's work. You tried to convince yourself that it was fatigue.

But your fears grew, and you broke out in a cold sweat when you felt the presence of a person again, even more strongly than the last time. Worst of all, this time, you also heard a voice. "Very soon." It said before disappearing.

Next ↦

[organchordsandlightning]

15 Questions Game

Thanks for the tag! @captaincravatthecapricious

1. Were you named after anybody?

Not specifically - my driver's license name is the most common name for girls in the year I was born, which is partially the reason I try to go by another name! it's also very. soft and i'm not a particularly soft person 😅

2. When was the last time you cried?

It's uhhh. It's been a couple of years. 😅 workin on it

3. Do you have kids?

how funny would it be if i said yes. how funny would it be if i secretly had five children that nobody knew about.

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

nnnnever

5. What sports do you play/have played?

I used to do gymnastics for a while and did basketball even shorter!

6. What’s the first thing you notice about someone?

you mean besides their mannerisms and their presentation and their body language and what they're doing with their hands and the choice of words they use and their affect and their emphasis and what do you MEAN every IRL conversation is not a game to be won

7. Eye color?

Baby cow brown

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

I can rock with both, though I do have to admit a happy ending usually affects me more profoundly - I'm somewhat of a pessimist IRL, so i tend to gravitate more towards reading/writing happy endings. there's a quote somewhere along the lines of 'life only ends one way, i'm looking for more variety 😅'

9. Any special talents?

I can do the Vulcan salute and the one where you put down your ring and middle and touch your pinky and index together. that's mostly what i got goin on

(i also have a typing speed of 120-130 wpm when i'm copying and can write decently quickly otherwise! i'm a published academic researcher and not too bad at ICP-MS repair.) (clawing, screaming, kicking, etc. i'm also coherent at writing i guess)

10. Where were you born?

In a hospital

11. What are your hobbies?

I read and write a fair bit! for reading, it's about 75% fiction, but my current nonfiction interests are: Arctic explorations, shipwrecks/lifesaving, Prohibition era US, pandemic/infectious diseases, obligatory chemistry/forensic stuff. Fiction-wise, it tends to be mystery and horror, but I've been trying to branch out into other fields.

I've been slacking at it lately, but I'm also really into checking out new audio dramas. Sort of related, but I also like to walk around/do stuff in the city near me which is a good bit of fun.

12. Do you have any pets?

I am the animal that I take care of

13. How tall are you?

5'2" baybeeeeee but ya girl wore thick shoes to the driver's license appt and my license says 5'3" as a result.

14. Favorite subject in school?

English and Latin!

15. Dream job?

If I could wake up and be the level of author famous where my main job is writing without worrying about building up a readerbase or w/e, my god.

(Additionally, if I could wake up tomorrow and be a chemist on a maritime archaeological vessel - give me shipwrecks, give me chunks of ice, w/e - that would also be Excellent.)