#conductor trifle

[bakersstreetirregulars]

OvenBreak Headline, December 2023: Holiday Training Academy Exam

Just as the Kingdom is getting ready for the holidays, OvenBreak is no different. Come join us as we follow two unlikely allies as they prepare to take an exam that could determine their futures in the holiday industry.

Preview Video

300 Rainbow Cube 🌈 Coupon Code: HOLLY JOLLY SCHOOL (11/26, 10 AM EST - 11/27, 8 PM EST)

Part 1: 11/27 - 12/14 (Patch Notes)

Part 2: 12/14 - 12/28 (Coming Soon)

Title Event: Holiday Training Academy Exam

Welcome to Snowbell Academy: a holiday training academy where Cookies are trained on how to become professional holiday workers (mainly Cookiemas). In order to pursue the jobs they want, students have to pass the school’s exams. Unfortunately for 🎄🍰 Stollen Cookie, she’s in a bit of a sticky situation since she flunked the midterms. If she fails again, she might even have to give up on her dreams. Returning to the exam room, she gets paired up with 🍓🍰 Strawberry Cream Cookie (Kingdom players should look twice before making assumptions, this isn’t ⚙️ Strawberry Crepe Cookie), to which the former had heard some negative rumors about Strawberry Cream Cookie and attempted to get re-paired with another Cookie via a request with the principal. Request denied. Therefore, those two are gonna take the exam together as planned… whether they want to or not!

Bonus Events

Cookie of the Year Voting: 2023

This time around, the pool’s been narrowed to 50 Cookies who were either added to the game or received a costume from January’s “Operation: Time Fixers” to now. Who’s gonna be 2023’s Cookie of the Year???

Trophy Survival (Ends 12/5, 7 PM EST)

Grand Champions League (Coming Soon)

A Heart System has been developed as a failsafe against awkward situations where you would fail to rank because of competitive groupings and not having the listed Cookies up to par. Your rank will determine whether you gain or lose Hearts. Everyone starts with 5 once they register during Round 1, and you just need at least 1 Heart to advance to the next round.

A Grand Champions League Chest containing a MAX Boost Ticket and combi factors specific to each round has been added. Obtain method unknown as of now.

The Cheer system now allows you to cheer on other players to give them a chance for a Heart Revival, keeping them in the game. Unknown how others can cheer for you if you aren’t in the upper ranks.

Rounds now split into preliminaries, main rounds, semifinals, and the finals. With 3 rounds in each phase, that’s 12 total rounds and maps. Ultimately, the finals will still be determined by skill, points, and how much you whaled. The player with the highest score across all 3 final rounds will be the Grand Champion and will get to choose the next Cookie to be featured in the Grand Champions League Statuette.

Go Champions (Coming Soon)

20 players will be matched in an arena, and you’ll get more rewards based on how much you win.

Seasonal Modes

Champions League: Lemon Season (Coming Soon)

Champions League: Crowberry Season 6 (Ends 12/5, 7 PM EST)

Raid Run: Gloomfeeder Season 3 (11/27 - 12/27)

Guild Run: Together at Wish Camp (Ends 12/27, Postseason starts 12/12)

Random Breakout Challenge: Doughnut Ball Fairy -> Yogurca

Choose the next boss of the Sneaky Sands Clan and get buffs depending on who you choose.

Cookie Features

🎄🍰 Stollen Cookie (Epic Cookie)

Holly Candy (Epic Pet)

Our first new Cookie and Pet this month! Will Stollen Cookie and Strawberry Cream Cookie pass the academy’s exam as a duo…?

Goldberry Ball (Epic Treasure)

Goldberry Balls appear from the ceiling, creating Goldberry Jellies. Collect them to light up the Goldberry Balls for points.

🍕 Pizza Cookie (Epic Cookie)

Piping Pizza Sauce (Epic Pet)

Pizza Cookie gets an Epic Costume! Let’s review what Pizza Cookie can do in case a buff is included with that costume.

🚂 Tiramisu Cookie (Epic Cookie)

Conductor Trifle (Epic Pet)

It ain’t the holidays without these two, now that they’ve got matching Epic Costumes!

🧊🪽 Blue Slushy Cookie (Epic Cookie)

Icy Birdie (Epic Pet)

Our dream-big guardian archer from Dessert Paradise is coming to Raid Run this update! In Raid Run, she’ll shoot arrows at the boss with her skill and will passively attack with feathers while being buffed by an attack booster. Use her in Team Mode to maximize the feathers!

🍓🍰 Strawberry Cream Cookie (Epic Cookie)

Merry Glove (Epic Pet)

The next Cookie to be added in Part 2, and Stollen Cookie’s exam partner. Will the duo pass the test despite surrounding negative rumors about Strawberry Cream Cookie?

🐦‍⬛💎 Crowberry Cookie (Epic Cookie)

Eggsquisite Brooch (Epic Pet)

The star of this month’s Grand Champions League, coming in with a new costume to celebrate! Will the new Costume match with a buff? Who knows…?

Cosmetic Features

🍕 Pizza Cookie’s Holiday Cookie All-Year (Epic Cookie Costume)

Even on the holidays, Pizza Cookie never takes a break delivering pizza boxes. Perhaps Pizza Cookie’s the real Holiday Cookie all year round…

🎄🍰 Stollen Cookie’s Merryberry Engineer (Super Epic Cookie Costume)

She’s become a gift train engineer! She still gets nervous when operating the train, but heartwarming cheers from other Cookies will help her do a great job done right.

Both Pizza Cookie and Stollen Cookie’s costumes will be featured in a banner from 11/27 to 1/12.

🚂 Tiramisu Cookie’s Little Sugarsnow Reindeer (Epic Cookie Costume)

Conductor Trifle’s Moose Hat (Epic Pet Costume)

December’s featured costumes in the Gem Exchange Center!

☕️ Coffee Cookie’s Coffee Scented Winter (Rare Cookie Costume)

Mocha Delight’s Snowy Warmth (Rare Pet Costume)

Accessible only through the Invite-A-Friend event resetting with this update. Is this an indication that Coffee Cookie is going to be a permanent part of the roster? Or is she gonna be gone after the update? We don’t know for sure yet.

Update: Coffee Cookie and Mocha Delight still appear in the Invite Chests when your invitees open Gold Chests. If you’re thinking about getting or returning to OvenBreak and don’t have a friend to give your code to, feel free to ask me!

Stollen Reindeer Jelly Set (Epic Jelly Set)

Available in a Jelly Shape gacha banner from 11/27 to 1/12.

🐦‍⬛💎 Crowberry Cookie’s (unnamed) (Super Epic/Champion Cookie Costume)

In commemoration of the Crowberry Season of the Grand Champions League.

🍓🍰 Strawberry Cream Cookie’s (unnamed, Part 2) (Epic Cookie Costume)

🍭 Lollipop Cookie’s (unnamed, Part 2) (Super Epic Cookie Costume)

7th Anniversary Flashback

Because the studio was mostly on an extended hiatus for this anniversary to watch the Eternal Wish Meteor, let’s give the newcomers to the Anniversary Squad something to celebrate!

🏕️ Cannoli Cookie (Epic Cookie)

Quenchy (Epic Pet)

The protagonist of the 7th Anniversary event with camping knowledge that’s practically second to none… and a fluctuating success rate.

🏔️⛺️ S’more Cookie (Epic Cookie)

Camping Mug (Epic Pet)

A veteran camper and Cannoli Cookie’s newest friend as they go on to find a meteor that passes every seven years.

Eternal Wish Meteor (Legendary Treasure)

The wishing meteor in question and a commemoration of the 7th Anniversary of CROB.

🦢 Sugar Swan Cookie (Legendary Cookie)

Sugarcube Cherub (Epic Pet)

The latest Legendary Cookie to date who nests in Dessert Paradise before flying all over the world, and the objective of Blue Slushy Cookie’s quest which she has to awaken to become a Dessert Paradise Guardian.

Repeating Events: Part 1

Stollen Cookie’s Daily Gifts - 500 Crystals daily, 1,000 for 5 day login streak and 2,000 for a 10 day streak

Merrybear Toy Shop Preparations - Arrangement Event

Cookie Mastery Mission: Stollen Cookie

Treasure Mastery Mission: Goldberry Ball

Guild Mission: Meet Treasure - Goldberry Ball

Featured Gacha Banners

Cannoli Cookie’s Honeybear Camper & Butter Pretzel Cookie’s Starlight Painter (Ends 12/13, 6 PM EST)

S’more Cookie’s Honeystar Camper (Ends 12/27, 6 PM EST)

Stollen Cookie’s Merrybear Engineer & Pizza Cookie’s Holiday Cookie All-Year (11/27 9 PM EST - 1/12 7 PM EST)

Cannoli Blanket Jelly Set (Ends 12/13, 6 PM EST)

Fluffy S’more Jelly Set (Ends 12/27, 6 PM EST)

Stollen Reindeer Jelly Set (Ends 1/12, 6 PM EST)

Major Update Features

Friendly Gold Chests

The Cookie in your Lobby will now give you a bonus Heart towards opening the daily Heart Gold Chest. Hearts will no longer reset daily when counting them towards opening the daily Heart Gold Chest.

Technical License 13

Rumored to involve ziplines…

[shredsandpatches]

The Devil Has All the Best Tunes: Ranking the Mephistopheles Arias

Since getting myself properly acquainted with Arrigo Boito's Mefistofele, I've been thinking about how much the character of Mephistopheles brings out the best in opera composers, although that's only fitting, since he also did for Goethe. And the idea of this listicle suggested itself to me pretty quickly as something to think about while I was having a slow day at work on Friday. Thus! My completely idiosyncratic ranking of the eight arias sung by Mephistopheles over the three classic Faust operas:

La Damnation de Faust (1846), Hector Berlioz

Faust (1859, later revised), Charles Gounod

Mefistofele (1868/75), Arrigo Boito

All three operas are considered in their best-known forms—like, I know there's a recent recording of the 1859 version of Faust but I haven't heard it and it doesn't even have "Le veau d'or." I'm also not rating the specific performances I used for the audio/video illustrations—all of these are of course extremely well-represented in recordings and have many, many, many versions on Youtube (the playlist I made while prepping this post has like 56 and it's only a small fraction of them all). I just picked ones that a) I like and b) allowed me to use eight different singers for the eight arias.

Finally, in case you're wondering: all of these are actually fantastic. There's only one that I don't absolutely love and I still really like it. This is just a straight-up array of bangers from beginning to end.

Behind the cut: the bangers. Join us, won't you?

8. "Vous qui faites l'endormie" (Gounod) (Text/translation)

So, here's the one I just like instead of being generally feral about. If this is your last-place entry in a ranking of arias you're doing fine. And it's basically right from Goethe! But while the evil laughter is fun, the melody just doesn't stick with me, and while comparisons are odious (pfft, right, I love comparisons) I think Berlioz did a much better job with this text.

That said, one way to make me love it is to have Bryn Terfel sing it while pawing at a strung-out (in-universe!) Roberto Alagna. What can I say, I'm a slut for Faustopheles content. (And I do love me some Bryn Terfel)

7. "Une puce gentille" (Berlioz) (Text)

We now arrive, basically immediately, at the portion of the list where I unqualifiedly adore everything on it even without the benefit of particularly gay stagings. In general I feel that my rankings here don't quite reflect how much I love La Damnation de Faust (although longtime readers of this blog will have noticed), but I think the strength of the piece is not as much in the arias (although I love the arias) but in the duet and ensemble scenes. In any case this is a delightful number (again, directly from Goethe, also set to music by Beethoven and, later, Mussorgsky) which is also not even the strongest bass aria in the scene. I think we can all agree Brander comes out on top in the Auerbachs Keller bass throwdown, right?

As far as video choices go I always have mixed feelings at best about fully staged versions of La Damnation to begin with—performing it with onstage action belies the extent to which the most important action is psychological, and conversely there are some truly epic moments that are almost impossible to stage in a way that does justice to the music. That said: here's Ruggero Raimondi camping it up.

6. "Devant la maison" (Berlioz) (Text)

Up above I mentioned that Berlioz does a better job with Mephistopheles' serenade than Gounod does—this is just a fun, snarky little trifle with a mock hurdy-gurdy accompaniment* and a collective evil laugh for the chorus. What's not to love?

Berlioz wrote some alternative readings into the Damnation score so that the role of Mephistopheles could be played either by a true bass or a baritone. I prefer the former (as do I think most contemporary conductors, as I haven't seen many other recordings that cast a baritone**) but Jules Bastin's lighter timbre suits the intricacy of this melody and his suavity contrasts well with the rough edges of the chorus.

*The libretto specifies that the singer of Mephistopheles should pantomime playing one, although this seems not to have been followed by most performers. **There is one with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau as Mephistopheles and Placido Domingo as Faust and, bafflingly, it sucks. Go figure.

5. "Ave Signor" (Boito) (Text)

We aren't even quite into the top half of the list yet (I know! Like I said: THEY ARE ALL SO GOOD) and we're already getting to the real heavy hitters. This aria wins the special recognition for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Cuntiness. Like, sure, you're leading your best demonic life, why NOT have a casual chat with the old man (il vecchio, lol) upstairs, pout about how humans suck so much it's no fun to even tempt them these days, and then make a little bet about that weirdo Faust, all to a jaunty little flute accompaniment? Magnificent. *chef's kiss*

Erwin Schrott never fails to bring the sass and that suits this aria perfectly. The leather jacket is an excellent touch as well. I want one. (I actually own a giant leather jacket but the collar doesn't do that. I want one where the collar does that)

4. "Voici des roses" (Berlioz) (Text)

Okay, I'm gonna let you all in on a little secret which is that STRICTLY SPEAKING, from a musical standpoint, I probably should switch around this aria and the previous. But this one gets a generous helping of sentimental favorite points for two reasons:

a) I am, as discussed, a slut for Faustopheles content and this is the single most homoerotic Mephistopheles aria in the operatic Faust corpus. He calls Faust "beloved" (bien-aimé) and sings about how he's going to be covered with "crimson kisses" and it's amazing. And very, very gay.

b) I've been onstage while John Relyea sang this and I was part of the ensuing chorus, an extended, complex seduction/dream sequence which I am pretty sure took up about half the rehearsal period all on its own. When Mephistopheles sings his recitative at the very end of it ("c'est bien, c'est bien, jeunes esprits, je suis content de vous") it always made me so happy because yeah, we EARNED THAT. But the moment before the chorus section, hearing such a commanding singer perform such a beautiful and sexy aria and then coming into that and not breaking the mood—God, it was just pure fucking magic.

So here, of course, is John Relyea singing it. Not the production I was in, for the record. I probably don't need to clarify that I have never been in the chorus at the Met. (The video cuts off before the chorus anyway but does include "Une puce gentille" and the following recitatives, and I'm not sure YouTube lets you timestamp your links anymore so if you want to skip to "Voici des roses," start around 3:15. Or you could also listen to "Une puce gentille" again because John Relyea just crushes this role)

3. "Ecco il mondo" (Boito) (Text)

Of the three great Faust operas, Mefistofele has its finger most firmly on the pulse of the sheer chaos muppet energy exuded by its title character. This aria reprises some of the motifs introduced in "Ave, Signor" (the jaunty flute line contrasting with the grandiose intervals of the vocal line) and revolves around some really fun stagecraft. In performance, during this aria Mephistopheles displays and then smashes a model of the world—the original libretto calls for a glass globe, while the most iconic modern production uses an ordinary latex balloon. Sometimes you'll see grouchy opera purists grumble online about the latter, and they are silly: it's a perfect reflection of Mephistopheles' disdain for the "filthy and mad" (sozza e matta) human race—and his perhaps more complex feelings about one particular representative thereof. I haven't seen enough versions of this opera to cite any performances where the second half of the aria is addressed directly to Faust, but there's some pretty fabulous potential there.

Going old school for the recording here, with Cesare Siepi. Found this one in a blog post that was mostly devoted to pearl-clutching about the Carsen/Levine staging (in its most recent revival) and the sight of Christian Van Horn in tights: the reviewer found Van Horn to be a second-rate version of Siepi (on vocal grounds, not shirtlessness grounds). Harsh, man, and I'm not even that into Christian Van Horn, at least not in this role. But this is a great recording all on its own. I'm not sure why they put Emil Jannings on the cover though.

2. "Le veau d'or" (Gounod) (Text/translation)

What can I say? This one needs no introduction, really. It's one of the great operatic bangers of all time (and one of the most persistent earworms). It was in Hannibal (I think)! Its reputation precedes it and the only reason it's in second place here is because there's one more aria that's even more awesome.

I've always loved the way Rene Pape sings this—obviously you could eat the vocals with a spoon and his physicality lends a sort of Orson Welles-y* gangster energy to the role, but also there's something about his approach to it that gives you the sense that, as @skeleton-richard once put it, "he's been both the calf and the idiots in the mud." I also love that he gets to do a little dance in this version. LET MEPHISTOPHELES TWERK.

*And wouldn't late-period Welles have been PERFECT as Goethe!Mephistopheles? I weep for the lost opportunity.

1. "Son lo spirito che nega" (Boito) (Text)

And here we are. This aria is just an absolute masterpiece, the greatest of a truly impressive array of bangers. It just captures everything we love about the character of Mephistopheles: the chaos and terrifying cynicism, the subterranean low notes, the compelling derision and mockery. The whistling! How can you not love it? The whole thing just makes my toes curl. It really sums up why this opera should be better known and loved, because fuck. Brain chemistry forcibly altered.

AND SPEAKING OF TOE CURLING. For this bravura composition, a bravura performance by the great Samuel Ramey. He absolutely owns this role and that's perhaps nowhere most evident than right here. Even if he doesn't do his own whistling.

[waywardstation]

There's actually another train cookie in Cookie Run!! The other is Tiramatsu who's only in the other game (Ovenbreak) at the moment. He has a delivery train and released in the 2021 Christmas event. His pet is named Conductor Trifle.

In regards to this ask

OH THEIR BIG CHUBBY HAT AND COAT they are so cute!! ;~;

If they add another conductor cookie into the game I WILL play and grab him up too

[rjalker]

THE DOWRY by Guy de Maupassant

The marriage of Maitre Simon Lebrument with Mademoiselle Jeanne Cordier was a surprise to no one. Maitre Lebrument had bought out the practice of Maitre Papillon; naturally, he had to have money to pay for it; and Mademoiselle Jeanne Cordier had three hundred thousand francs clear in currency, and in bonds payable to bearer.

Maitre Lebrument was a handsome man. He was stylish, although in a provincial way; but, nevertheless, he was stylish—a rare thing at Boutigny-le-Rebours.

Mademoiselle Cordier was graceful and fresh-looking, although a trifle awkward; nevertheless, she was a handsome girl, and one to be desired.

The marriage ceremony turned all Boutigny topsy-turvy. Everybody admired the young couple, who quickly returned home to domestic felicity, having decided simply to take a short trip to Paris, after a few days of retirement.

This tete-a-tete was delightful, Maitre Lebrument having shown just the proper amount of delicacy. He had taken as his motto: “Everything comes to him who waits.” He knew how to be at the same time patient and energetic. His success was rapid and complete.

After four days, Madame Lebrument adored her husband. She could not get along without him. She would sit on his knees, and taking him by the ears she would say: “Open your mouth and shut your eyes.” He would open his mouth wide and partly close his eyes, and he would try to nip her fingers as she slipped some dainty (small dessert) between his teeth. Then she would give him a kiss, sweet and long, which would make chills run up and down his spine. And then, in his turn, he would not have enough caresses to please his wife from morning to night and from night to morning.

When the first week was over, he said to his young companion:

“If you wish, we will leave for Paris next Tuesday. We will be like two lovers, we will go to the restaurants, the theatres, the concert halls, everywhere, everywhere!”

She was ready to dance for joy.

“Oh! yes, yes. Let us go as soon as possible.”

He continued:

“And then, as we must forget nothing, ask your father to have your dowry ready; I shall pay Maitre Papillon on this trip.”

She answered:

“All right: I will tell him to-morrow morning.”

And he took her in his arms once more, to renew those sweet games of love which she had so enjoyed for the past week.

The following Tuesday, father-in-law and mother-in-law went to the station with their daughter and their son-in-law who were leaving for the capital.

The father-in-law said:

“I tell you it is very imprudent to carry so much money about in a pocketbook.” And the young lawyer smiled.

“Don't worry; I am accustomed to such things. You understand that, in my profession, I sometimes have as much as a million about me. In this manner, at least we avoid a great amount of red tape and delay. You needn't worry.”

The conductor was crying:

“All aboard for Paris!”

They scrambled into a car, where two old ladies were already seated.

Lebrument whispered into his wife's ear:

“What a bother! I won't be able to smoke.”

She answered in a low voice

“It annoys me too, but not an account of your cigar.”

The whistle blew and the train started. The trip lasted about an hour, during which time they did not say very much to each other, as the two old ladies did not go to sleep.

As soon as they were in front of the Saint-Lazare Station, Maitre Lebrument said to his wife:

“Dearie, let us first go over to the Boulevard and get something to eat; then we can quietly return and get our trunk and bring it to the hotel.”

She immediately assented.

“Oh! yes. Let's eat at the restaurant. Is it far?”

He answered:

“Yes, it's quite a distance, but we will take the omnibus.”

She was surprised:

“Why don't we take a cab?”

He began to scold her smilingly:

“Is that the way you save money? A cab for a five minutes' ride at six cents a minute! You would deprive yourself of nothing.”

“That's so,” she said, a little embarrassed.

A big omnibus was passing by, drawn by three big horses, which were trotting along. Lebrument called out:

“Conductor! Conductor!”

The heavy carriage stopped. And the young lawyer, pushing his wife, said to her quickly:

“Go inside; I'm going up on top, so that I may smoke at least one cigarette before lunch.”

She had no time to answer. The conductor, who had seized her by the arm to help her up the step, pushed her inside, and she fell into a seat, bewildered, looking through the back window at the feet of her husband as he climbed up to the top of the vehicle.

And she sat there motionless, between a fat man who smelled of cheap tobacco and an old woman who smelled of garlic.

All the other passengers were lined up in silence—a grocer's boy, a young girl, a soldier, a gentleman with gold-rimmed spectacles and a big silk hat, two ladies with a self-satisfied and crabbed look, which seemed to say: “We are riding in this thing, but we don't have to,” two sisters of charity and an undertaker. They looked like a collection of caricatures.

The jolting of the wagon made them wag their heads and the shaking of the wheels seemed to stupefy them—they all looked as though they were asleep.

The young woman remained motionless.

“Why didn't he come inside with me?” she was saying to herself. An unaccountable sadness seemed to be hanging over her. He really need not have acted so.

The sisters motioned to the conductor to stop, and they got off one after the other, leaving in their wake the pungent smell of camphor. The bus started tip and soon stopped again. And in got a cook, red-faced and out of breath. She sat down and placed her basket of provisions on her knees. A strong odor of dish-water filled the vehicle.

“It's further than I imagined,” thought Jeanne.

The undertaker went out, and was replaced by a coachman who seemed to bring the atmosphere of the stable with him. The young girl had as a successor a messenger, the odor of whose feet showed that he was continually walking.

The lawyer's wife began to feel ill at ease, nauseated, ready to cry without knowing why.

Other persons left and others entered. The stage went on through interminable streets, stopping at stations and starting again.

“How far it is!” thought Jeanne. “I hope he hasn't gone to sleep! He has been so tired the last few days.”

Little by little all the passengers left. She was left alone, all alone. The conductor cried:

“Vaugirard!”

Seeing that she did not move, he repeated:

“Vaugirard!”

She looked at him, understanding that he was speaking to her, as there was no one else there. For the third time the man said:

“Vaugirard!”

Then she asked:

“Where are we?”

He answered gruffly:

“We're at Vaugirard, of course! I have been yelling it for the last half hour!”

“Is it far from the Boulevard?” she said.

“Which boulevard?”

“The Boulevard des Italiens.”

“We passed that a long time ago!”

“Would you mind telling my husband?”

“Your husband! Where is he?”

“On the top of the bus.”

“On the top! There hasn't been anybody there for a long time.”

She started, terrified.

“What? That's impossible! He got on with me. Look well! He must be there.”

The conductor was becoming uncivil:

“Come on, little one, you've talked enough! You can find ten men for every one that you lose. Now run along. You'll find another one somewhere.”

Tears were coming to her eyes. She insisted:

“But, monsieur, you are mistaken; I assure you that you must be mistaken. He had a big portfolio under his arm.”

The man began to laugh:

“A big portfolio! Oh, yes! He got off at the Madeleine. He got rid of you, all right! Ha! ha! ha!”

The stage had stopped. She got out and, in spite of herself, she looked up instinctively to the roof of the bus. It was absolutely deserted.

Then she began to cry, and, without thinking that anybody was listening or watching her, she said out loud:

“What is going to become of me?”

An inspector approached:

“What's the matter?”

The conductor answered, in a bantering tone of voice:

“It's a lady who got left by her husband during the trip.”

The other continued:

“Oh! that's nothing. You go about your business.”

Then he turned on his heels and walked away.

She began to walk straight ahead, too bewildered, too crazed even to understand what had happened to her. Where was she to go? What could she do? What could have happened to him? How could he have made such a mistake? How could he have been so forgetful?

She had two francs in her pocket. To whom could she go? Suddenly she remembered her cousin Barral, one of the assistants in the offices of the Ministry of the Navy.

She had just enough to pay for a cab. She drove to his house. He met her just as he was leaving for his office. He was carrying a large portfolio under his arm, just like Lebrument.

She jumped out of the carriage.

“Henry!” she cried.

He stopped, astonished:

“Jeanne! Here—all alone! What are you doing? Where have you come from?”

Her eyes full of tears, she stammered:

“My husband has just got lost!”

“Lost! Where?”

“On an omnibus.”

“On an omnibus?”

Weeping, she told him her whole adventure.

He listened, thought, and then asked:

“Was his mind clear this morning?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Did he have much money with him?”

“Yes, he was carrying my dowry.”

“Your dowry! The whole of it?”

“The whole of it—in order to pay for the practice which he bought.”

“Well, my dear cousin, by this time your husband must be well on his way to Belgium.”

She could not understand. She kept repeating:

“My husband—you say—”

“I say that he has disappeared with your—your capital—that's all!”

She stood there, a prey to conflicting emotions, sobbing.

“Then he is—he is—he is a villain!”

And, faint from excitement, she leaned her head on her cousin's shoulder and wept.

As people were stopping to look at them, he pushed her gently into the vestibule of his house, and, supporting her with his arm around her waist, he led her up the stairs, and as his astonished servant opened the door, he ordered:

“Sophie, run to the restaurant and get a luncheon for two. I am not going to the office to-day.

[meowww-ffxiv]

#FFXIVWrite2024

Prompt 6 :: Halcyon

.

"Tell me again," Mordred said into the quiet peace of sunset, as light and shadow danced on the wall of the Baldesion Annex's living room. "Of those halcyon days you missed, Raha. When you brought them up in the Crystal Tower, before I faced Elidibus."

G'raha looked up from his book. He glanced across the room at his friend, unable to disguise his concern. Mordred had been in one of his rare "I don't want to get out of bed today" moods since this morning, and was even now nothing more than a pile of blankets on the opposite couch. Yet to ask him what was wrong had felt...

It had felt almost scary. So G'raha and Krile had taken turns keeping the pile of blankets company, like this.

And finally, it had spoken.

G'raha gathered his thoughts for a moment longer, then put his book aside and went to sit on the edge of Mordred's couch.

"The very first time I saw you in the flesh, it was in the Black Shroud," he began, voice melodic, like when he was telling little Lyna a story. "You had dispatched some boars on your own. I had half a mind to draw my bow and assist you, since I did not realize until it was too late that you bore only a staff. Mages and charging beasts are usually a poor mix."

The pile of blankets shifted. The very tip of a black feline ear poked out, flicking back and forth. G'raha chuckled, letting his tail curl around the soft layers behind him.

"Do you ever wonder how you look from afar?" he mused. "A flick of your staff, like the conductor of an orchestra, and icicles burst forth from the earth to drive the boars away. The twist and warp of aether in the air as you wove them into flame and lightning -- ah, I knew at once you were not someone to be trifled with."

G'raha paused here.

After a moment, he asked, "You knew where I was, did you not? With your keen aether senses, you must have."

"You were in a tree," Mordred replied.

"I...do admit to liking high places."

"How you got up there was a mystery to me." Mordred finally pulled the blankets away from his face and squinted vaguely at the ceiling, like he was looking right back into the past, seeing without eyes the interloper in the trees. "Even at the Ixali logging grounds -- How did you even get down, after that?"

G'raha coughed into his fist, embarrassed.

"Were those really the days of old that you missed?" Mordred asked him. "When we weren't talking yet?"

"Hold on. I'm getting there." G'raha's tail thumped on the blankets. Despite himself, however, it was a good few seconds before he could bear to continue: "I'm sure it's patently and pathetically obvious, but I-- you-- Back then, I was as dazzled by your reputation as anyone else.

"When Rammbroes permitted us to explore the Crystal Tower only to tell me I must stay behind, it was like my heart was crushed. I wanted to talk to you, you see. I wondered what it would be like up close, to bear the intensity of your strength and magic. To think that you would grant me your company over something as simple as questions and... and porridge..."

It was hard to keep talking. There was a G'raha Tia, two lifetimes ago, who drank in the attention and friendship the Warrior of Light had given him without a single thought of what it might mean. Mordred Surana who had but one friend, for all that he had many acquaintances. Mordred Surana, who was a stranger by design to his closest associates. Who sought G'raha out over trivialities, who sat and listened for hours as G'raha rambled on and on about Allag's earliest ages.

...Who, to Rammbroes' chagrin, snuck G'raha away to the Black Shroud for a whole week, so they could look at Amdapor's ruins. Just because G'raha had confessed to him that the lack of progress on untangling the Crystal Tower's mysteries at the time was wearing on his nerves.

It was staggering, looking back, how much Mordred had overtly and persistently favored him. If it had been anyone else, if their friendship wasn't colored by the nuances that it was, G'raha would have gone to grounds over embarrassment of his own obliviousness...

Even now he might. Ugh.

"You met me at a bad time in my life," Mordred said now, drawing G'raha out of his own spiral. "It was a weird time, too. I've wiped clean the imperials and protected my home, and everyone was singing my and Theodore's praises to the high heavens. Yet, in that storm of victory-fervor, I couldn't find any relief. My friends were still dead. My life was still marred. I was trying to swallow the truth that no matter how many of the imperials I killed, how many of their children's children I curse, the things of mine that they destroyed can't be restored."

This grief was old. It was a scar. Disfiguring as it was, ugly and jagged as the edges were, when Mordred gave it voice and bared it to G'raha like this, he only sounded weary. The nerves were dead. It was just the scar itself that must be the totality of all it represented -- what was gouged out, and what healing had taken place, and what it left in its wake.

G'raha tucked his hand under the blanket and patted around until he wrapped it around a wiry wrist, Mordred's skin furnace-hot from the cocoon of layers.

"I hope that I was able to ease things for you for awhile," he said quietly. "And I am still sorry -- that I left you behind. It was not until... not until I was awakened by the Ironworks that I knew what that felt like."

"What grief felt like?" Mordred asked him.

G'raha squeezed his wrist in lieu of an answer.

"I wish you needn't have known it," Mordred said. "And then to have to carry on as you did. But, you know -- thank you. That you met me where you did."

[words-like-stones]

Small Kindnesses: A Collaborative Poem by Teenagers From Around the World

Compiled by Danusha Laméris

Kindness is neighbors saying “Buenos Dias”

It’s the man in the red shirt helping the woman in the floral blouse cross the street

It’s the way my heart sings when I’m smiling at a baby, and their mom notices and lifts up the baby’s sweet little hand and waves it at me

A friend patiently waiting as you quickly tie your loose shoelaces, while everyone continues walking

A slight buzz in your jean pockets indicating messages from friends appearing out of the blue, questioning how you might be feeling that day, written in text abbreviations, the shared teenage experience

Getting woken up at my bus stop

Letting somebody have the last cookie and then they insist on splitting it in half

Chamomile tea, placed on my bedside table, sweet honey resting at the bottom of the cup

Kindness is a seed. It starts trivial and trifling

It’s the wheezing, ugly laugh that melts two people together

The crinkle in someone’s eyes behind their mask as they wave back

The warm smile that the old crossing guard gives when I greet him in the morning and wave goodbye in the afternoon

Swarming aisles at the grocery store with strangers letting you pass, a simple hand gesture saying “go ahead”

The crooked teeth gleaming through a wrinkled smile when the elderly woman next door nods her head

In elevators, it’s how one passenger seamlessly assumes the role of the old-time operator, pushing all our floors

It’s when you’re struggling with your hair, so the woman on the train offers to braid it and strand by strand, kindness by kindness, you think the world is not so bad after all

Kindness feels like a freshly bloomed flower in a field of lonely grass

A smile of sunflowers chasing the light, golden petals pressed forever in the pages

It’s when people I barely know give me nicknames

It’s matching my energy

Buying yourself flowers

Waving back to little kids in public

It’s when, in traffic, waiting with your blinker on for a safe time to switch lanes, someone waves you to go in front of them

The cafeteria lady saying “thank you” to each person as they buy their meals

Opening up a handwritten letter from your friend instead of a text

And sometimes, especially during the pandemic, the way you say a short prayer for whoever is in the blaring red and white ambulance, when you walk by

I feel your kindness in how you don’t mind when I look off while I speak

When my sister sets the table when it’s my turn

When I walk my dog and the people with bigger dogs cross to the other side of the street, smiling at me, avoiding a barking mess between our dogs, knowing how nervous my dog can be

When someone lets me know that the clasp of my necklace has rotated to the front

When I recommend my favorite book to someone at the library and they check it out because of how much I love the characters

When my sister taps me on the shoulder and says I saved my last fry for you

When I share little tidbits about my day, and your dark, loamy eyes widen with curiosity

I think about the girl in my history class who hardly speaks complimenting my shoes

Of how, during performances for my high school orchestra, our conductor will gaze around at all of us before each piece and if any of us looks nervous, make eye contact and give us a subtle nod as if to say “everything’s okay”

Of the soft-spoken singer who leaves her rusty blue window open when she sings

Of having someone compliment an article of clothing that you were maybe unsure of before

Of how the 6:42 a.m. nod from my train conductor in the dark, early winter mornings tells me in unspoken words that he wishes me a good day

How the guard at Fordham University’s station house knowing my name amongst a flood of students passing by him and fist-bumps me saying, “Take it easy today, Carmine”

I love when my friends include me in conversations when I go quiet.

The respectful muffled voices we find in the library, only found as we walk through that large, rough wood door

When a stranger asks, “Which floor are you headed to?” as you walk into the elevator

When a woman goes to the animal shelter and makes small talk with the dogs

When the random couple at Walmart warns me, “Your shoes are untied”

When you walk into your friend’s house and hear their mother say “hi” like you are their own

When someone whispers to you that your mascara is smudged, or your shirt is buttoned wrong, to save you embarrassment later in the day

When you say something so sweet and plentiful it makes me want to cry it makes me smile and want to stay awhile longer makes my heart want to beat stronger

When I buy ice tea with 4 quarters 12 dimes 4 pennies and the man at the cash register thanks me for the extra change

When a woman pays for the BBQ chips that me and my friend could not afford

When guards in my apartment building hold the door for me and say “morning”

When the barista at the coffee shop remembers my name

When I’m buying something and I’m a few cents or a dollar short and the cashier lets me go

When, instead of speeding down the street, you halt at the bright red sign and let me walk by, nodding your head as a sign of recognition

When a stranger holds open a door when I still have a long distance to cover before I enter, yet they continue to smile while I speed-walk to the door

When a stranger compliments my smile, not knowing I hide it

What kindness can do to help this ruined world

It’s been five days that I’ve been driving to school and I still go five under the speed limit and I haven’t been honked at by all the people who could and should have honked at me

Through the poisonous social media, those two taps on a glass screen little as a thumb twitching the tiny but powerful empty heart glows pink

No one is forcing that person to hold open that door, they just are. And they’re doing it for me

Walking to the bus on a gloomy day, someone compliments me and emboldens me with the flame to take on the day

Here’s to the kid who takes everyone’s soccer bags and stuffs them under the bleachers when it starts to rain so they don’t get wet. Bless you

To the little conversations between dog walkers, the unspoken words: “Hello! You can pet my dog if you like. They’re very friendly. We can trust each other.”

To the person who stood up for me in first grade. To the person who tipped extra on that lemonade

To the driver of the purple Toyota sedan who waved our car at the stop sign to go before them, and we waved back to say thank you

To the stranger who said the color purple looks good on me

The friendly neighbor who always waves, rejoices when they manage to etch a grin onto your face

To the shopper who gave me their shopping cart outside the grocery store, so I saved a quarter

To the cashier who checked the bottoms of my strawberry packages to ensure I wasn’t getting any rotten ones

To my friend who hums lightly while hugging me. Her raspy voice cracks but she keeps singing. She doesn’t ask me questions, she doesn’t talk. She just sits there quietly humming

A small act of kindness is giving someone a high five, even if they didn’t do something awesome

Paying for the person behind you can create a chain stronger than metal

Someone out there cares about your well-being, Even if it’s just for a second, they care

I find such grandeur, in milliseconds of joy

Perhaps kindness works best when it goes both ways. Like when you reply “You too” after somebody says “Have a nice day”

The smallest of things can beget colossal change

Kindness comes back within hours

Pessimism, sadness, gloom. Then someone tells me, “After you.” They will not think of it again, but I will.

[ftf-appreciationweek]

Questions and answers were taken from Ursa’s telegram chat

How was the book supposed to begin? Many people think that starting from the legend was a cool decision.

Ursa: I had several options, and I was switching between them like crazy, but my tech lead suggested introducing Nikkal not from a wardrobe, but from a clean stage, and I realized that the legend would be the entry point. So it was a product of a very productive joint brainstorm.

What have the individual Tiamat characters taught you so far?

Ursa: Oof. “Don't look into the future. You won't like what you see there, but I promise - everything will fall into place in the end."

In this update, we saw that Kingu lost his beloved due to the fact that she did things without him knowing. How, with such experience, did he manage not to fall into overprotection and total control of Nikkal, for example? Is it good self control or is there something we just don't know yet?

Ursa: Kingu is the oldest character in the story. Not in terms of age (the other four of the Five will surpass him here), but there are things that he understood, digested and accepted, and in particular the fact that life will never agree to follow the path that you outlined for it. Chasing control means deceiving yourself and making fate laugh.

Will there be a story about Kingu's past from his own perspective? Or is everything we've seen true?

Ursa: There will be his point of view.

How does Ereshkigal communicate with the four and Niall? Is she capable of transmitting messages? Can she invite Niall somehow? Does she learn about events in the outside world from dead souls?

Ursa: Mostly through messengers. In Sumerian mythology, there is Anzud, he is a conductor between the worlds of the dead and the living, but there is also something like small demons that also serve as messengers.

Why did Iyar tell Nikka; that Kinga was taken prisoner only in a critical situation and at the last moment? Was this done to give Nikkal some rest after what happened?

Ursa: He is her healer, and on the day of the festival, she, in fact, had just gotten on her feet. How could he let someone disturb her until she got better? Plus, he and Niall were worried about her state of mind (and for good reason, as follows from the conversation on the balcony). Together they decided to start the serious conversations the morning after the festival. Nobody knew what was going to happen oops.

Is it obligatory to level up relationships for the characters’ survival in the finale (as it was in Chasing You)?

Ursa: My philosophy in life: to have good relations with everyone in general is good and useful.

After the April update, you answered us about your 3 favorite scenes from it, and can you share which scenes from the last update you liked to write the most this time?

Ursa: In order: Ereshkigal's trickery, Iyar’s backstory, the heart-to-heart talk with Niall.

Did Niall also once pass the test in Irkalla?

Ursa: He has not. He, in fact, had never entered Irkalla - he met with Ereshkigal on the threshold. It was his first time, and she only let him go because he was already promised to her.

You said that after the intimate scene, Kingu did not sleep at all. Can we get more details on what exactly he did; it is so interesting to get to know the LI in such kind of household trifles.

Ursa: Protected. I looked at the stars. To the moon. I thought a lot. From time to time he looked at her. Once I wanted to touch. Changed my mind . He turned away, went to the fountain, cut off several branches of ivy. Listened to the city. Went out for food at dawn. All the way back and forth I was nervous that I had gone a hundred meters from the house in vain. I saw her still sleeping, safe. Calmed down. Cursed himself. Spread out the food. Waiting for an awakening.

What age group does Nikkal belong to? She is 30 years old, but magicians live ten times longer.

Ursa: If you're thinking of laying a parallel age between magicians and humans, you can wait :DDDDD

There are no "age categories". There are people who are almost forever young in body. People who can grow up, and can remain children all their lives. Those who live in pleasant, quiet houses or those who leave their families early and go to explore the world. They are the same as you, and the fact that they live longer does not make everyone smart, savvy, interesting and good.

Does Ereshkigal have romantic feelings for Niall?

Ursa: Ereshkigal hasn't felt anything in a romantic way for a long time, but she has a lot of love in her life.

Has Niall already accepted feelings for Nikkal? Will we see recognition soon?

Ursa: It depends on what you consider a confession... for me, it won't be a confession until the third season...

In the world of Tiamat, are there tables of fate or an analogue?

Ursa: Are you talking about Kingu stealing from the Enuma Elish? No, right now they are not included in the plot. Perhaps it will be in the book, but definitely not in the first volume.

Approximately how many pages do you want to have in the book? Will there be one volume or is there a chance that with good sales, there will be a sequel?

Ursa: I already have an idea for the second volume, but it all depends on how we agree with Your Story Interactive (RC), whether everything will be fine with sales, all that.

Will the comet still significantly affect the plot in the future, or did it fall and disappear?

Ursa: It's a metaphorical thing. In the novel, I was not able to reveal it beautifully, because for this I would have to draw too many complicated things, but in the book there is a big beautiful scene written about her.

Has Kingu come to terms with the loss of Ningal at this point in history or not?

Ursa: Umm... spoiler?

During the chase, Kingu shouted: "NINGAL!!!". Does this mean that he identifies them as the same person, or was it because the situation is identical, or does he, as always, know more than he says and she is her rebirth?

Ursa: Definitely a spoiler.

[echoes-of-the-clockwork]

Book Four: War (Gladiolus x Reader) Chapter Seventeen

A/n: Until we reach Gralea in the story, you're gonna see more Prompto/Famine and Ignis/Pestilence interactions since War (you) are missing. I'll also throw in some Noctis/Death interactions, too. Hope you all enjoy this next chapter! Love you all!!! ••••••••••••••••••••

Several weeks later after Noctis and Ignis regain consciousness, the royal retinue, Famine, and Pestilence were aboard a train. They rode past a savannah-like landscape dotted with the occasional tree. Prompto and Ignis are sitting together in one seat. Noctis sits alone across the aisle from them, hanging his head.

Famine and Pestilence sat together, watching the four boys. They could feel the suffocating atmosphere lingering around them and couldn't bring themselves to speak.

Prompto noticed how uncomfortable the two girls were and tried to spark up a conversation. "So...we're gonna roll through Tenebrae."

"Not before visiting the royal tomb in Cartanica," Ignis stated.

"You're sure you're up to that?"

"The wounds have mended. Eyesight's a matter of time," he said, his tone lower than usual.

Gladio suddenly stands up from his seat and walks up to Noctis, staring him down with a glower. He clenched his fists tightly. "The hell is wrong with you?"

Noctis slowly raises his head and meets the shield's glare, muttering a bland, "What?"

"We're not stopping in Tenebrae. You need to grow up and get over it," he hissed.

The prince shot up out of his seat and confronts his friend. "I am over it. I'm here, aren't I?!"

Gladio grabs Noctis by his jacket and pulls him close. "Maybe when you're not too busy moping, you can look around and give a shit about someone worse off than you."

"Let go of me," Noctis demanded with a growl.

"How's that ring fit ya? You'd rather carry it around than wear it? She gave her life so you could do your duty, not so you could sit around feeling sorry for yourself."

"You don't think I know that?!"

"You don't! Ignis took one for you too, and for what?!"

"Enough, Gladio!" Ignis shouted.

However, the shield didn't listen. "You think you're a king, but you're a coward."

"Shut up!" Noctis snaps, shoving Gladio and grabbing him by his jacket as well.

Prompto couldn't stand to see the two fight any longer and stood up. He tries to place himself in between them. "Don't do this-!"

Gladio puts his hand on Prompto's face and shoves him back. The blonde lost his balance and fell to the floor. Famine was by his side in seconds, checking to make sure he wasn't hurt.

"I get it, alright?! I get it!" Noctis hollered before shoving Gladio away.

"Then get a grip! Pull your head outta your ass already!" The brute shouted back.

Noctis turns and walks away. Prompto calls out after him as Famine helped him up. "Noct!"

"Leave him," Gladio growled. He turns and walks away in the other direction.

Pestilence let out a melancholic sigh. This didn't go unnoticed by Ignis. "I must apologize for their behavior."

The ivory-haired girl shook her head, standing up and moving to sit next to him. "There's no need to apologize for the action of others. I also understand why they're both easily irritated at the moment. Whether Gladio realizes it or not, he dearly misses War. And Noctis... He's mourning the loss of Lady Lunafreya."

Famine sat down beside Prompto, agreeing with her sister. "She's right. They've both lost someone dear to them. I just hope we're not too late to save War..."

"Let's discuss such trifle matters later." Pestilence turned her head in Ignis' direction. "I possibly do have some good news."

"Do pray tell," the advisor replied.

"I'm quite knowledgeable about ancient remedies and grow many rare herbs in the Inner Sanctum. One such remedy is to heal blindness. However, the decision is up to you."

Prompto gasped. "You can give Iggy his eyesight back?"

"Yes. Although, it will take time and many treatments."

Ignis unconsciously reaches up to touch the glasses hiding the ugly scarring. "I..."

She smiled faintly. "Do give it some thought. Tell me your decision when you are ready."

In the adjacent train car, Noctis takes a seat. After a moment, he holds his closed hand up and slowly opens it to reveal the Ring of Lucii. His hand shook as he gazed at the ring. The boy then closes his fist tight around the ring and grits his teeth.

"It's amazing how something so small carries such a heavy burden."

Noctis was startled by the voice and turned his head. He saw a girl with inky locks and golden eyes sitting next to him. "Uh..."

"Death. Nice to meet you," she greeted. "Pretty sure you've met my sisters."

"Oh, right. There's four of you..."

"Congratulations! You've met all Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Your reward is...nothing," she teased. "I don't even think I have a piece of candy on me."

Her small attempt at humor brought a faint smile to Noctis' face. It even calmed him down a bit. "So, what's your story?"

"Me?" Death was shocked at his curiosity about her past. "Well..." She shared some small details about her previous life, leaving out the gruesome details. Noctis seemed to be rather intrigued by her story and was listening intently. He listened to her for what seemed like only minutes until she was interrupted by the train's loudspeaker. The conductor announced they were now arriving at Cartanica Station. The two exchanged glances before getting up and exiting the train.

They found the others already wandering the platform, Gladio assisting Ignis to a nearby bench. Pestilence was nowhere in sight, but Famine was still by Prompto's side.

Death smirked as she watched her sister playfully poke the marksman in the side, making him laugh a little. "Those two are getting along well."

Noctis followed her line of sight. "They've been getting along well for a while now."

Her grin widened. "Oh, really?"

The prince saw her mischievous smirk. "You're not planning something, are you?"

"Oh, just some teasing here and there." Her grin was replaced with a genuine smile as she placed her hand on his shoulder. "Listen, Noctis, I know you're going through a rough patch right now, but just remember you aren't alone and never will be. You've got your brothers just like I have my sisters."

Noctis glanced around at Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto. "I know," he mumbled.

"Then I better get going. Stay safe, Noctis."

"Wait, you're leaving?"

"Yeah. I'm going to go on ahead to Gralea and search for War. Who knows what the empire has done to her."

"She's still alive, right?"

Death nodded. "Yes. I will see you all soon, Noctis. Good luck."

He watched her vanish before making his way over to Ignis. He wanted to say something to him, but only silence filled the air between them. Instead, he walked away, heading straight for the lift that could carry them down into Fodina Caestino mine. He was soon joined by Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis. The strategist taps him on the shoulder. "Ready to set out?"

"Uh..." Noctis was unsure if he should let him tag along due to his lack of eyesight. "Yeah. You sure you're up for this, Specs?"

The bespectacled man nodded. "I'll manage somehow."

Before they boarded the lift, Famine made her way over to them. "Do be careful down there."

"You're not tagging along?" Prompto asked with a saddened tone.

"I'm sorry, but I have to join Death in Gralea. She needs all the help she can get if we're going to save War."

Gladio looked away from the Horseman with a guilt-ridden expression. He'd been hounding Noctis for moping around when he too was also doing the same. But unlike the prince, he was able to hide his true feelings behind a mask and accept the truth. Deep down, he wanted to get to Gralea as quick as possible to save (Y/n), but he knew his duty lies with Noctis. Hesitantly, he turned to address the golden-haired girl, but she was already gone.

Noctis pressed the button and the lift carried them down into the quarry. The group stepped off the elevator and made their way down the slope. Prompto grimaced when he stepped in a muddy puddle of water. "Feeling a little out of my element."

"We're a foreign species in this environment. Mind we don't end up prey," Ignis advised.

"Right, good tip," Noctis said.

Due to Ignis' injury, he walks at a slower pace than the others. Noctis, Prompto, and Gladio made sure not to leave the advisor behind as they navigated through the abandoned quarry. Prompto remained glued to the tactician's side in case he were to slip or trip in the mud.

Continuing down the path, they fight against a few enemies before they stumble upon some mining machinery blocking the way. "They parked here?" Gladio groaned.

"Wish we could write 'em a ticket," Prompto jokes.

"Nothing but a giant roadblock."

"Ironic for a vehicle."

"If we get its motor running, perhaps we can move it out of the way," Ignis suggests.

Backtracking up the path, the group searches for a way to move the heavy machinery. Fortunately, they were able to locate a control panel. "This looks promising!" Prompto chimed.

"Is it operational?" Ignis inquired.

"We'll see." Noctis inspects the control panel and starts up the machinery. Black smoke begins to pour out of the smokestacks but abruptly stops after a moment.

"Hey," Gladio huffed. "What're you stopping for?"

"I'm not," the younger boy hissed in response.

Prompto spotted a notice sign on the side of the control panel. "Let's see here... "In case of power failure, use backup generators." There's a key in the shed!"

The royal retinue searched for the shed. They managed to locate it and claim the key for the generators inside. Proceeding through the quarry, they activate all the generators before returning to the machinery's primary control panel. They hear the sound of the machine moving in the distance.

"Did you hear that?" Noctis asked.

"Sounds like we're clear!" Prompto cheered.

"Grand," Ignis said.

"Then let's move," Gladio stated with a hint of annoyance. He followed behind Noctis, but stopped when they began making their way down the newly cleared path. "Hold up."

Noctis stops and turns to face the shield, wondering why he suddenly stopped. "What?"

"You sure you're ready for this? You got what it takes?" Gladio asked. As he spoke, the others could still hear the disdain in his voice.

"To do what?"

"To face your ancestors and convince them to lend you their strength. Got a long road ahead. Can you see this through? To the end?"

"Can and will," Noctis confidently replied. "Whether I like it or not, I've got a duty to fulfill-as king."

"You're damn right, you do. Then that means you'd better start taking this seriously." Gladio walks on past Noctis, taking the lead deeper into the quarry.

Upon visually confirming that the machinery is no longer in their way, Noctis saw their newly unveiled path. "Good to go."

"We did it! Together!" Prompto chanted, hoping to lighten the atmosphere between the prince and his shield. However, his cheerfulness went unnoticed by the two.

Continuing down the path, the marksman took in their surroundings. "This cave is huge!"

Ignis lifted his head, loosening his grip on his cane slightly. "The tomb's further in?"

"You wanna wait here?" Noctis asked.

"Alone, here," Gladio sneered.

The prince glared at him. "Not what I said."

The conversation ended and the group proceeded further into the quarry. They eventually draw closer to the swamp at the bottom of the mine. Prompto grimaced when he smelt something foul in the air. "Man, something stinks around here. Don't slip and fall in whatever that is."

In the swamp located at the bottom, outside the entrance to the royal tomb, Noctis and the others come across several large organic sacs hanging between some tree roots. "What is this?" Prompto asked.

"I hate eggs," Gladio grumbled.

"Do we really wanna know what's back there?"

Suddenly, large squirming tentacles come out of the swamp followed by the malboro they belong to. The group backs away from the creature. The marksman stares, mouth agape at the sight of the creature. "That looks like a mouth. Is that its face?!"

Ignis, although he could smell the horrid odor seeping from the creature's being, couldn't see what had the blonde on edge. "What? What is it?"

"Something real bad!" Noctis summoned a spear and leapt into action. He charged towards the malboro and slashed at it. Prompto remained beside Ignis, keeping his distance from the foul-smelling creature. Gladio swung his greatsword, dodging the tentacles in the process.

Noctis activated the armiger and surge forward, slashing wildly at the malboro. When he no longer had the strength to support the armiger, the weapons vanished.

As the battle carries on, malboro sprouts begin to hatch. They scurry towards the boys. Prompto killed a few as they approached. "Whoa! Look who's hatching!"

"Bust 'em up!" Gladio shouted, slicing a few sprouts with a single swipe of his blade.

The three continue to fight against the malboro and the small sprouts. Ignis remained on the sidelines, knowing he would only get in the way. Noctis and Gladio delivered blow after blow, but none of their attacks were causing heavy damage. Not even Prompto's bullets could cause much damage.

"It's useless," Gladio sneered.

Prompto began to grow uneasy. "What do we do?!"

"This might be a good time to panic," Noctis said.

"No. There must be a way!" Ignis shouted, refusing to give up.

Just then, the malboro goes berserk. It opens its mouth, spewing its bad breath. Noctis received a whiff immediately and backed away with the others behind him. "Gotta shut that thing's trap!"

The malboro sucks in air and prepares to unleash another puff of bad breath. That's when inspiration dawns on Ignis's face. "Noct, I have an idea." He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a magic flask. "If I may..." He hurls the magic flask down the malboro's gullet. A second later, flame erupts from the creature's throat. Feeling the immense heat and hearing the malboro wail out in pain, he knew his idea was successful. "Ah, as I suspected!"

"It really worked!" Prompto cheered.

"Nice one, Iggy," Gladio commented.

"Now, we've a fighting chance," the strategist said.

Ignis joins the fray and uses Libra Elementia. With the elemental attack, he torches the malboro to a crisp. Hearing the creature was silent, he asked, "Is it dead?"

"It is-and it's all thanks to Iggy!" Prompto chanted.

Gladio glanced at the strategist. "Iggy, you saved us."

"Seriously. We'd be plant food if it wasn't for you."

"Happy to help," Ignis responded.

Gladio looked over at Noctis with a scowl. "What, no royal commendation from His Majesty?"

"None for you, at least," Noctis quipped.

The group walk over to where the eggs were hanging. Gladio analyzed the small sacs. "Whisking them just makes a mess-better fry 'em."

Noctis incinerates the eggs, revealing the door to the royal tomb hidden behind them. Prompto recognizes the design and was relieved. "I think we found it!"

"Just wish they found a better place to build it," the prince commented. He enters the tomb and acquires the Katana of the Warrior. Leaving the tomb, he regroups with the others.

"All right, let's haul ass," Gladio said once the younger boy rejoined them.

Noctis nodded in agreement. "Yeah, let's."

As the royal retinue walks back out into the swamp, Ignis stops everyone. "A moment?"

Gladio faces the advisor. "Is everything okay?"

"It bloody well isn't," he snapped. "And I won't suffer this pointless bickering in silence any longer. Let's be frank. My vision hasn't improved, and probably won't. Yet in spite of this... I would remain with you all. Til the very end."

The shield crossed his arms with a scowl. "Sorry, but I object. War is a matter of life and death."

"But, we'll be there!" Prompto chimed in.

"It's not about us looking out for him!" He growled.

"Uh-huh. Well, then he should be free to choose," the sharpshooter retorted.

"There's more to it than just what he wants!"

"I know full well! I won't ask you to slow down. If I can't keep up, I will bow out," Ignis intervened.

Gladio casted his glare towards Noctis. "What says "His Majesty"?"

Ignis turned his head in the raven-haired boy's direction. "Noct, you are king. One cannot lead by standing still. A king pushes onward always, accepting the consequences and never looking back." He then glanced in the shield's general direction. "Gladio, Noct will take his rightful place, but only once he's ready."

The brute is quiet for a moment before relenting and turning his back. "Have it your way. We're still taking a big risk." He then turns to look at Noctis. "We better all be ready." Gladio walks off, leaving the others behind.

Noctis, Prompto, and Ignis follow after Gladio and make their way back to the elevator. They rode it back up to the train station. As they stepped off the lift, they inhaled the fresh air. They wander over to the train, but Noctis stopped when he asked, "You guys mind if we stop in Tenebrae?"

"Might as well hop off," Prompto replied.

"If it helps him move on," Gladio said.

The blonde glanced at the shield. "How're you holding up, big guy?"

"What does it matter?" He remarked.

"We can tell you're pushing yourself so you don't have to think about (Y/n)." He patted him on the shoulder. "We're here for ya, pal, if you wanna talk."

"Nice try, blondie, but I ain't spilling my feelings."

"You seriously don't wanna talk about it?"

"Hell no." Gladio folded his arms across his broad chest. "Besides, talkin' about my feelings isn't gonna bring (Y/n) back."

Prompto sighed at his response. "Can't deny that..."

After a few seconds of silence, Noctis addresses Ignis. "We're here for you."

Prompto nodded in agreement. "Yeah, let us help you."

All of a sudden, the boarding bell begins to ring. Prompto smiled at the sound. "And we're off!"

The marksman makes for the train. Gladio comes along behind him, guiding Ignis. "Are we clear?" The shield asked.

"Crystal," Ignis replied.

"Hey, watch your step," Noctis said.

"You're not "pushing onward"?" Gladio asked the younger boy.

"Not at his expense."

"Fair enough."

They all board the train, leaving Cartanica Station.

[fleurmioneweek]

Attention Fleurmione Week Interns, Staff, Admin, and Contractors:

We hope you clocked in on time and didn’t miss Day 4: Boss' Daughter/ Boss and Assistant! While you’re here, before the boss comes in, be sure to straighten your ties, tuck in your shirts, and smooth the wrinkles out of your pants and skirts. The bosses here are not to be taken lightly! On this day we saw some models, politicians, premiere restaurants owners, and even some alluring and mysterious performers and demanding conductors. In each instance, the one in charge was not to be trifled with. We saw a lot of * pulls at collar * hot sexual tension, jealousy, caution thrown to the wind, cake frosting, and danger. If that doesn’t turn you on and get you to come into work on time, we don’t know what will!

Below are the current submissions for this day. These authors are fabulous in their writing and portrayal of our favorite femme slash duo. If you have yet to submit your resume for any position for any Fleurmione Week, we will still accept them! Applications are rolling and we always look for eager writer and artist candidates to join our squad!

Day 4: Boss' Daughter/ Boss and Assistant

Kamaro0917: The Silver Swan

Fran_KT: Adagio No.2: Heart in A Major

LazuliEva: Sensibilité

Lipeviez: She Said What?

SkyKnight07: More Than Just a Job

Midmoon_Kitsune: Day 4 - Boss' Daughter

Pirate_Pisces: Day 4 - Boss' Daughter

Don’t even think about clocking out before 5 and and checking out Day 5: Periodical AU until you’ve cleared it with Fleur or Hermione! Wouldn’t want to upset he BAMF, Sexy HBIC would you? Or...would you? wink

[bakersstreetirregulars]

Holiday Training Academy: Part 1 - Patch Notes

The update is now live! The headlines will soon be updated based on these reports, which can be viewed either below the break or on the attached link:

1. NEW COOKIE & PET

- Stollen Cookie: Takes the gift delivery train exam.

- Holly Candy: Creates items of various effects.

2. OTHER

TITLE EVENT: HOLIDAY ACADEMY EXAM!

- Help Stollen Cookie pass the final exam at Snowbell Academy!

- Complete various missions and finish the Holiday Notes to receive a limited-time Title and Gold Gems!

- EVENT PERIOD:

- Chapter 1: November 28, 10:00 - December 14, 08:00 (GMT+9)

- Chapter 2: December 14, 09:00 - December 28, 08:00 (GMT+9)

*The event will not be available during: December 14, 08:00 - December 14, 09:00 (GMT+9) for tallying.

COFFEE COOKIE'S NEW COSTUME!

- Send an invitation code to a friend! Open Gold Chests with invited friends and get the holiday special Costume!

- For more details, refer to the Invite a Friend and Meet Coffee Cookie! event.

SPECIAL COSTUME DRAW

Meet the professional holiday workers!

- Stollen Cookie's Merryberry Engineer (Super Epic)

- Pizza Cookie's Holiday Cookie All-Year (Epic)

- Special Draw Period: November 28, 10:00 - January 12, 08:00 (GMT+9)

SPECIAL JELLY SHAPE DRAW

How about some Stollen Jellies this holiday?

- Stollen Reindeer Jelly Set (Epic)

- Special Draw Period: November 28, 10:00 - January 12, 08:00 (GMT+9)

COOKIE OF THE YEAR 2023

- Cookie of the Year is back! Which Cookie deserves to win this year?

- The winning Cookie will receive a special 2024 Valentine's Day Costume!

- Complete missions and earn Voting Tickets to vote for your favorite Cookie!

- Special Draw Period: November 28, 10:00 - December 31, 23:00 (GMT+9)

*The event will not be available during: December 24, 23:00 - December 29, 23:00 for tallying.

IMPROVED SENDING HEARTS

- Didn't have enough Hearts from friends to open today's Gold Chests?

- If you couldn't open Gold Chests due to lack of Hearts, received Hearts will be carried over to the next day from now on!

- Even if you have no friends added, your Cookie will gift one Heart daily.

GRAND CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: CROWBERRY SEASON

- The Grand Champions League: Crowberry Season returns with completely new rules on December 6, 09:00 (GMT+9)!

- Try to survive without losing 5 Hearts given to participants!

- Don't worry if your level is low. Level Up your Cookies and utilize the MAX Boost!

- Request Cheers from friends and Guildmates. EVen if you lose all Hearts, you can revive with just one Heart!

- Player Participation Periods:

- Round 1 (5 Hearts): December 6, 09:00 - December 9, 20:00 (GMT+9)

- Round 2 (3 Hearts): December 9, 22:00 - December 13, 20:00 (GMT+9)

- Round 3 (1 Heart): December 13, 22:00 - December 17, 18:00 (GMT+9)

GO CHAMPIONS!

- How many players can you defeat in 3 days? The Go Champions! mode will open on December 6, 09:00 (GMT+9)!

- It's an event where 20 players compete for the highest score on the Grand Champions League map for up to 6 hours.

- Beat as many players as possible every 3 days to fill the Champion Gauge and advance to the next round!

- Event Period:

- Part 1: December 6, 09:00 - December 21, 09:00 (GMT+9)

- Part 2: December 21, 09:00 - January 5, 09:00 (GMT+9)

7TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL! NEW/RETURNING PLAYERS ONLY EVENT EXTENSION

- 3 events exclusive for new/returning players as a special 7th-anniversary celebration will be extended until December 6, 09:00 (GMT+9)!

- EVENTS:

- 7th Anniversary Welcome Gifts!/7th Anniversary Welcome Back Legendary Gifts!

- 7th Anniversary Crystal Burning!

- MAX Up x7!

*New/returning player-exclusive events will automatically end based on the join/return date. Therefore, if you are already participating in the event, the end date will not change.

TECHNICAL LICENSE

- NEW Technical License will be added on December 14, 09:00 (GMT+9)

TROPHY RACE: LAND'S END

LAND'S END MAP

- The Superstar's World Tour Concert Hall map has been replaced with the Yeti's Ice Cream Mountain map.

- To allow for more accurate calculations in the new maps, Dr. Wasabi Cookie's Combi Generator is temporarily unavailable. (Scheduled to return on: December 1, 09:00 GMT+9)

BALANCE ADJUSTMENTS & BUG FIXES

COOKIES

1. Pizza Cookie

- Fixed an issue where Pizza Delivery Points were not properly divided when dropping pizza on the wrong path.

- Increased points for Pizza Slice Jellies

- Increased points for Pizza Delivery Points

- Increased Large Order Points

2. Tiramisu Cookie

- Fixed an issue where holding the Jump button while the skill is ending causes a double jump.

- Removed the automatic jump feature when the skill ends.

- Changed to pass through the obstacles during gift deliveries.

- Increased Holiday Delivery Points

- Increased points for Star Decor Jellies

3. Crowberry Cookie

- Changed the flying speed during broomstick flight to no longer use the fixed speed feature.

- Changed the broomstick flight to apply the Giant Mode and Blast Mode during flight.

- Fixed an issue where collision detection was shifted to the right in the crow transformation state.

- Energy reduced by 20

- Cooldown time reduced by 3 sec

- Increased points per Stolen Jewel

- Increased points for Jewel Shard Jellies

- Increased points for Crowfeather Jellies

- Increased points for Golden Crowfeather Jellies

4. Lollipop Cookie

- Added a motion when activating the skill during a Slide.

5. Matcha Cookie

- Added a feature to limit the maximum number of Seed Spheres obtained at regular intervals when the skill is not active.

6. Pink Choco Cookie

- Fixed an issue where the obstacle destruction range of the Heart Blaster changes when using the Ribbity Water Beam Costume.

7. Spinach Cookie

- Fixed an issue where Energy recovers during the final dash when obtaining Eggplant Jellies

- Changed Eggplant Jellies to receive Potion effects

PETS

1. Piping Pizza Sauce

- Increased Hot Sauce Destruction Points

2. Conductor Trifle

- Cooldown time reduced by 0.5 sec

- Increased points for Green Tiramisu Jellies

- Increased the amount of Energy recovery in some levels for Red Tiramisu Jellies

3. Eggsquisite Brooch

- Increased cooldown time by 1.2 sec

- Increased points for Jewel Egg Jellies

TREASURES

1. Starlight Nightlight

- Increased points for Starlight Jellies

2. Eternal Wish Meteor

- Fixed an issue where the effect of increasing the score for all Star Jellies is not applied

COMBI BONUSES

1. Pizza Cookie & Piping Pizza Sauce

- Increased Pizza Delivery Points

2. Tiramisu Cookie & Conductor Trifle

- Increased Holiday Delivery Points

3. Crowberry Cookie & Eggsquisite Brooch

- Increased points for Jewel Shard Jellies

COOKIE TRIALS

1. Pizza Cookie's Trial

- Adjusted the score requirements.

2. Tiramisu Cookie's Trial

- Changed the Coins to not appear in piles when completing 1 lap.

- Made minor adjustments to the Jelly placements in the beginning

- Adjusted the score requirements.

3. Crowberry Cookie's Trial

- Increased the map speed by 7

- Slightly increased the Energy drain speed on the map and changed the placement of Potions.

- Changed the placement of Jellies slightly.

- Adjusted the score requirements.

OTHER

- Fixed an issue where the first pattern of the map can be skipped after coming down from Bonus Time.

- Fixed an issue where the Pet skill does not activate when the Pet is Dragon's Tail or if the replay Cookie is Pitaya Dragon Cookie.

- Fixed an issue where winged Bear Jellies do not receive the Giant Bear Jelly effect from the Giant Superbean Treasure.

- Fixed an issue where Rainbow Bear Jellies receive Jelly transformation effect for Herb Cookie's Jellies and Kumiho Cookie's Jellies.

- Fixed an issue where Rainbow Bear Jelly appearing as a buff receives the Jelly transformation effect from the Fashonista Spotlight Treasure and the issue where it couldn't receive the Giant Bear Jelly effect from the Giant Superbean Treasure.

[royalreef]

@atropaanimus​ Valentine’s Application - Accepting

Name: Milo Belladonna Age: 21??? Do you like to cuddle?: If I didn’t, would I truly be myself? Can we make-out?: When the emotions run high and the heart yearns for it. A night in or dinner out?: It would be unjust to let others know what they’re missing, were we to share it with the rest of the world. I have a pleasant sanctum that fits both. Ice cream or chocolate covered strawberries?: I agree, why put them against each other? What makes you a good Valentine?: I am a weaver of the heart, a conductor of emotions. A gentle caress at your side, a warmed protection at your beck and call. Death is not to be trifled with, as are you. Would you cook for me?: I have many alternative methods of sustenance other than the typical mortal foods. Let liquids of all sorts run through our veins instead. Would you let me cook for you?: Only if you so wished of me to experience something new.

      The trill that comes from Miranda echoes in such delight and warmth that it wouldn’t be misplaced as a far more... stereotypical sound to hear from a mermaid. Awash in warm summers and bright sunshine filtering through turquoise waters onto a lively coral reef.

     Oh, but she can’t help it! Even as she lifts her head up tall and thumps her tail down onto the floor several times, she’s definitely having a good time, silly as it is or feels.

      “You’re trying to impress me, aren’t you, dol’brke? As if you needed to pull out all of the stops to win me over!”

       More chitter-chirrup laughter, fins fluffing themselves out. Ah, Milo was a fellow lover of dramatics, though! And for that, they definitely earned points with the princess.

      “But I think that is one of the many, many merits that I adore you for. The effort. You would not believe how many believe even one such as myself is someone they can put the bare minimum of effort into and still win my heart over with ease.

      And here you are. Already knowing fully well that I would not decline for you, and still so determined to sweep me off my feet! It’s truly admirable. So, please, let us do the honors. Let our hearts yearn for it and take each other higher and higher, to peak together in all the pleasures offered and found.

                                                                        Consider me impressed.”

> ACCEPTED

[memcaked]

Shop

Source: Subarashiki kono Sekai | The World Ends With You

Relationships: Kiryu��“Joshua” Yoshiya & Hanekoma Sanae

Characters: Kiryu “Joshua” Yoshiya, Hanekoma Sanae, mentions of shibuya kids and higher plane

Additional tags: Post-game, possible downer ending, vague talk of suicide that’s joshua kiryu, TWEWYTOBER, TWEWYTOBER 2020, Not beta read

Summary: Joshua opens the door to WildKat and doesn’t even bother turning the lights on when he shuts it behind him. He steps gingerly over the torn wallpaper, uprooted flooring, and broken furniture to the counter and turns a chair the right way up. He flips open his phone and punches in the keys, summoning black coffee in a perfect porcelain cup that he knows isn’t the one Sanae made for years when it touches his lips.

Beginning notes: this was repurposed from unpublished vent shit because again JoshuaSympathiser69. originally it was in the format of a letter joshua was writing neku about the current state of the UG that hanekoma forced him to for ment tell health which is very funny because like, vent shit that was probably a little bit too enabling. i couldn't keep the format so i just nixed it rip. the image of joshua sitting in the empty trashed wildkat never leaves my head

also i wrote this in comic sans lol

Body: Joshua opens the door to WildKat and doesn’t even bother turning the lights on when he shuts it behind him. He steps gingerly over the torn wallpaper, uprooted flooring, and broken furniture to the counter and turns a chair the right way up. He flips open his phone and punches in the keys, summoning black coffee in a perfect porcelain cup that he knows isn’t the one Sanae made for years when it touches his lips.

Maybe it’s a sense of twisted nostalgia. He doesn’t have the same darkvision he has tuned down to his human form, but he could feel the same debris squelch under his soles; the food wasted on the floor, all his shelves ransacked, that precarious fan with its blades bent half-hanging from its wires like a chandelier over the ruins. Minamimoto blazed through the UG, and when he burnt out everything tasted like ashes. It hangs low on his tongue, but he's not really sure if it's the coffee’s bitterness or the cleanup he has left in his wake or learning entirely why Minamimoto was like that.

It came so fast, flashes of light and explosive power that Joshua could barely register anything other than the Higher Plane was angry and he couldn’t tell if it was him or Sanae or both. There was another Angel, not that he could remember their face or name, and they were the new Producer looking after him. Joshua asked why this was so sudden and it was about Sanae Hanekoma broke Angel code and needs to Fall for his crimes - and you’re not doing anything freely for a long time either, Composer.

Whenever he wasn’t stuck Composing, having to watch whoever this Producer was do everything for him, he visited WildKat. It was in shambles, and he thought nobody had the time to clean. He visited WildKat, still in shambles. He visited WildKat, visited WildKat until the food started rotting and reeking, until the rot sank into the floor, leaving it sticky and burnt and not, not like the place he remembered visiting. Not like the warm café that smelled of java and pastry and soup and someone who understood. Sanae is different now and it may be his fault, a lot of it. He saw Sanae in Pork City in his rare off time fixing the elevators and all but launched himself at him. He was going off like a weird motormouth, asking are you good and why is an Angel doing everything now and why don’t you clean up WildKat and why do you look so solemn, Sanae?

His words sounded stilted, spaced, broken. He says things like Taboo and Fallen and fugitive and it doesn’t make sense until he says he did it all for Shibuya. “My Producer tried to kill me,” Joshua said, trying to keep his voice leveled, “and you thought this was a little trifle?” He couldn’t restrain himself for long until the chains snapped. Maybe it set the precedent for every conversation they have now; something reopens the wound in Joshua his trusted men tried to kill him for what he wanted and he starts screaming with the wrath of all of the Noise in Shibuya on his side, and Sanae escalates when his reasons (excuses) don’t penetrate the red in Joshua’s eyes. Nothing new is said, they strain harder and harder, and Joshua has to erase the Noise tailing him the hours after from how intense it is.

There’s a whole optimal world down there; everyone is so happy and it’s nowhere close to the same place that he wanted gone back before the Long Game. But the UG is trying to scramble to fill in the gaps of Officers and Conductors and it’s only so much Soul he can identify and bring back, all while the RG people sicken and take too many risks or be in the wrong place at the wrong time and they pile up, ready for another Game. His clairvoyance has been so blunted in the Higher Plane’s punishments he tried to tell how long until now and he came up with nothing. He wants to ask the new Producer how, but everything Joshua says is rude and unbecoming to an Angel. He asked Sanae in another rendezvous if all Angels were like this and before he could answer he elaborated into a long vignette on how he has so little control over things, so little feeling or expression involved, and he just wants to--

Sanae grabbed him by the wrist. “J, don’t tell me you’re thinking of dying again.” His voice was gravely stern, the way of talking he’d only heard several times for how much he’s known him. “You and I both know we won’t have the strength for it if you do.”

“You’re so worried,” Joshua put on his mock-affected voice Sanae loves to defuse the tension. “To put you at ease, I’m not texting my l’appel du vide again until next year.” Sanae didn’t like that one either. When he echoed the give up on yourself and you give up on the world, Joshua exploded over how he’s such a hypocrite and gave up on his Composer because he couldn’t respect his wishes. It’s been 11 days since he’s seen Sanae. They’re all bitter.

To lay himself bare, he doesn’t feel like anything Sanae was concerned about. There’s something in him he needs to fill, something he didn’t know was missing back when all he could feel pulsing through the veins he didn’t have was the corruption that wouldn’t empty, that needed to be destroyed. Joshua hasn’t felt emotional or human for a long time, hasn’t felt more uncertain and stuck when this should be the perfect world. He wanted the best for Neku, for Neku and Shiki and Beat and Rhyme and he knows he could never be a part of their human equation or if he deserves it. The world is perfect for them, the one Neku earned himself. This is him dealing with the consequences of everything.

Through the rustles (does WildKat have an infestation too? probably.) and chilled, stagnant air there’s something only just palpable - more like ESP, stronger than Noise or Reapers or him that he can’t sense. Sanae told him the Angels of Shibuya are everywhere, waiting for any spare moment or lead to arrest him, and asked Joshua “if you were me, where would you regularly go?” when Joshua remarked how WildKat still isn’t clean.

He drinks up the last lukewarm dregs of the coffee, hunches over and types the keys to vanish the cup; he doesn’t need to add dirty crockery to this never-cleaned mess. He thinks he needs to put 680 yen on his tab when one of them breaks the silence, like they don’t realise they’re trapped in a cycle and straining. Joshua plugs the siren song of the void. Sanae didn’t Fall for him to not to.

End notes: gonna give up my dreams and ideas forever now after writing "I'm not texting my l'appel du vide" its the perfect line

[morcants-journal]

On “Searching for the Interloper of Dreams”

There are two things one must needs know to put Interloper in its proper context: one, that it is heavily dependent on FL lore and appends a few further liberties onto its framework; and two, that its author is truly, deeply fond of the Sherlock Holmes canon.

Searching for the Interloper of Dreams is a fan-made storyline for Fallen London, involving Parabola, the Second City, a great deal of mirrors, and more Holmesian trifles than one can shake a stick at. It can be found by searching the tags on this blog.

I have four player accounts in Fallen London. In every single one of them, I make a point to engage with the Honey-Addled Detective as soon as possible. And yet, as a long-time Holmesian fan, the question always bugs me: where is Dr John H. Watson? Sherlock Holmes himself is easy enough to find in the Neath (at least during low-level content; he gradually fades into the background as one plays on, to my infinite regret), but where is his Boswell, his dear friend, his conductor of light? It is both or none, after all. Why then do we never see or hear mention of Watson in all of FL canon?

Interloper, then, is my attempt to rectify this. While the finished product takes less than a fortnight to convey, and its planning stage spanned a few days—a week, at most—prior to the start of the project, its seeds were sown years ago. Yes, I've been scheming to find Watson since the first time Morcant, with single-digit levels in his skills, penniless as a mongoose, and without a single friend in the world, walked into the upper room at the sign of the green glass lobster-pot.

But for all that Interloper succeeds in scratching this five-year itch, it also makes something of a digression by introducing the Reticent Composer and occasionally foraying into their past. This was a narrative choice I constantly questioned myself about during the writing process. The Composer, another of my actual FL accounts, is of a dual nature: they are constantly torn between their concept as something of a Phantom of the Opera homage and their in-game designation as a self-insert player character. It is this singularly, ahem, plural nature that gave rise to their backstory.

Do I have my doubts about the finished result? Absolutely. Perhaps someday I shall re-read it and find it embarrassingly appalling. But just as likely, I may look back on it fondly, remembering how fun it was to write and how I accomplished my stated goals without losing steam partway. And who knows? It has been a very interesting experiment; it would be a pity to stop now. Perhaps I shall find another storyline to scribble up. The future can be ever so opaque.

[captainkurosolaire]

Lord of the Chosen

“I was always a fan of the stories untold... The type, that aren't heard until the passages of old, conscripted the legacies through stories of harvesting from song's nurturing tune,  ink to shaper pen carved into sheets of stone and paper, or from the laboring step of youth's sprung step in rhythmic dance. O' woveth stories of grandeur how thy excites me! This is a tale of the very caliber..."

"Peddled trifles of affair droned with only but the plain sailing of a march on  precipice. He was bore of sustained destiny to drive a dynasty in locket crest of sword's drawn blood of procurement designing inclined to be perfectional. He was captive of his own whereabouts. Though high deities of ordered fury repented in detest and granted him opportune thru driving a stake of his own esteemed creator enforcement he stew in horrifically of nights stained of own kinship. His punishment was bleak madness that pitched of void. Thirstiness, decorated power aligned, our prince of fairy-tales devoured more than wine of enlightened swish bearing famine cravings t' destruction's bell. Mercilessly his praise astonished the wickets until slavery fell him by superiority echoed from engrossing halls hidden in surrounding blues. Cradled of brewed insanity it spilled impingement upon returned radiance as Heir. Advocated t' demonic underling; death held manuscript a series of accounted massacres fostered by familiarized gloved hands. None imposed equalization aside from numbers in his wit... Well, until. Destiny reawakened. A priestess of purity, stained of lips wrought previously. Shepherded unconditionally a exorcize of thy intolerable atrocities chained of sin. She held the cross in innocent heart. With it she drew where our hero's own life-box, laid. She bred a light-feathery kiss to it. Thee act brought salvation...

Dieting his addictions for wanted commandment and instead redrew pride of fulfillment. That led to his own pilgrimage. Dressed in priestess acts she; the catalyst; saved him and in-turn brought humility. Torn of a branded ownership. He recited his own sacred promise t' carry in lineage. Dawn arose throughout him as illuminating conductor. Lord's solemnly wept hand-trails over belly newly of thy Angel's expected happiness from stringed love in a bouquet of white petaled roses."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           - Sheik Sphere

[syberia-the-world-before-eb]

Syberia: The World Before. Passage and solution of all puzzles

💾 ►►► DOWNLOAD FILE 🔥🔥🔥 A lot is tied to the past here, there is even a full-fledged second character, a certain Dana Rose, whom the eternal protagonist of the series, Kate Walker, is looking for. Benoit Sokal did not betray himself here either, weaving a non-existent country right in the middle of Europe into real history. The threat of the Brown Shadows, the local Nazis, swells over the city of Wagen. Ethnic pogroms are brewing, while Dana is scheduled to have a big performance with the famous orchestra of automata, created by Hans Voralberg, who was passing by. Yes, again we are trying to find out about a person who may have been dead for a long time, but is such a trifle capable of stopping the brave heroine? Moreover, pretty soon she reunites with Oscar, who, starting from the second part, was the mascot of the series, and now he has also acquired a form to match the content — his new body is very cute. And no, this, of course, did not diminish his inherent causticity. Two narrative periods give the authors the opportunity to clearly show how the world changes over time. In particular, what does the lack of funding do to small countries: everyone in modern Wagen sells souvenirs, and the famous mechanical orchestra has not been working for a long time — they are going to computerize it, but there is no money in the budget. However, the charm of a small town remains in place in the XXI century. Ancient houses, flowers, mechanical trams that rise when climbing a mountain for the convenience of passengers are beautiful, and even very beautiful: the artists honestly worked out their bread and were not stingy with details. Why, even in comparison with the demo of this very game, progress is evident — the long downloads that irritated there have disappeared. But without falling into complete blackness or strange light strokes along the edges of buildings and characters, it would still be even better. Many different mechanisms are just waiting to be twisted and poked from all sides. The series holds its own: the puzzles here are not too difficult, but interesting. Adds variety and switching between times, and the ability to play for Oscar in different variations. There are even secondary tasks, usually reduced to the extraction of some new information that reveals the story in more detail. But the further history moves, the more clearly it becomes clear that behind all these time jumps lies a simple truth. And there, and there, Kate stubbornly follows in the footsteps of someone who may not be alive. Only in the debut game of the series did Kate have a personal arc, the heroine changed over the course of the story and did an act that she had never done before. In Syberia: The World Before, everything is the same, only the heroine has nowhere to change, so all the experiences, troubles and tragedies go to Dana Rose, and Walker remains the role of a conductor in the plot. Only now the plot is just another episode of a big series. For More Games Click Here. Read More about New Games Here. If you face any kind of issue or any type of problem in running the Game then please feel free to comment down below, we will reply as soon as possible. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Running in a circle. CPU: Core i RAM: 8 GB. OS: Windows 7 or higher. Download Game. Related Items:. Click to comment. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Updated version of Resident Evil 3 received an age rating. Most Popular. To Top. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Cookie Settings Accept All. Manage consent. 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[modernsuperhero]

A Fleeting Phantom Feeling Part 2

Part 1 https://depressed--and--underdressed.tumblr.com/post/174035673671/a-fleeting-phantom-feeling-part-1

LAMP Soulmate AU

TW:  major character death, implied self harm, implied suicide, tragedy, heartbreak, minor injury, sympathetic Deceit

Roman dropped out of the play. His physician told his parents to take him out of school, so they did. Hanahaki was nothing to be trifled with. He had weekly appointments with both the doctor and the therapist to make sure he’d pull through. He was lucky he still had at least one other soulmate, as the flowers showed, so they doubted the hanahaki would persist for long. However, the psychological effects could be disastrous. His therapist instructed his parents to never leave him alone with anything he could hurt himself with, and to make sure he wasn’t overstimulated.

He ended up spending a month on the couch, eating popsicles and binge rewatching musical bootlegs. Eventually, he stopped having to run to the bathroom and cough up flowers every few minutes, but he barely noticed. He just felt tired.

Roman’s friend Remy came to visit at one point. He’d heard what had happened through the gossip grapevine despite Roman’s inactivity on his social media, which was how they usually kept touch.

“Hey, girl.” Remy seemed uncomfortable as he stepped into the room. Roman barely nodded in recognition, vaguely aware that Remy’s discomfort may have stemmed in Roman’s uncharacteristically disheveled appearance. He hadn’t showered in days, and he was only wearing pajama pants, curled up in a pile of pillows as Heathers played on the screen.

“Sup,” Roman croaked. His throat was hoarse.

“I heard you haven’t been outside in a while.” Remy hesitantly sat on the couch next to Roman, adjusting his sunglasses hesitantly.

Roman laughed. It sounded fake.

“There’s this concert in town,” Remy started, “it’s pretty cheap, it’s, like, for some charity-”

“I’m not supposed to be overstimulated.” Roman cut him off, smiling wistfully. “Doctor’s orders. Don’t think a rock concert is gonna be the best idea.”

“It’s not that kind of concert. It’s this orchestra from some other county’s school. Apparently they won this national contest or something - but it’s not gonna be like a whole crowd of people dancing and screaming. I just thought it would be good for you to get some fresh air.” Remy shrugged, and Roman caught wind of Remy’s genuine concern that he tried so hard to mask behind his cool guy persona.

Roman sighed. “Get my parents to sign off on it, and I’ll go.”

Roman wasn’t sure how he was supposed to look for this kind of thing, so he cleaned himself up and picked out an outfit he figured was “business casual.” He was surprised at how much lighter he felt after a long shower. He started humming Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo as he picked up his things and checked that his phone was charged. He paused when he heard his mother gasp in the other room.

“He’s humming, darling, he’s humming again!” Her whispers were filled with tearful joy as she choked on her own words.

Roman stopped and looked down at himself. His own eyes watered and he smiled. Maybe he would be okay.

The ride to the concert was surprisingly... normal. Remy and a few of their other friends - who Roman didn’t know were even into this kind of thing or maybe they weren’t, maybe they were only there for him - gossiped about the new store in the mall, about the latest celebrity scandals and the new revival of Be More Chill. Remy pulled over the car at a little kid’s lemonade stand and every single one of them bought a cup. Roman caught himself strangely fixated on the cluster of bouvardia on the child’s elbows. Soulmate. Remy noticed his staring and lead him gently back into the car.

The auditorium was full of older people and what was probably the kids’ parents. They were the only teens in the audience, and received more than a few suspicious and judgemental stares. Remy managed to squeeze them all into the third row, and the group waited anxiously for it to start.

The curtains pulled open, and the conductor said a few words that Roman tuned out. He liked the dimness of the lights and the comfortable chairs. He loved how it all reminded him of a play theater. The performance arts weren’t all that different, he supposed, at least in setting. And as the big Shake-itty-speare man himself said, the world was a stage itself, was it not?

Roman glanced at the pamphlet and saw the first song’s name: Isle of Calypso. It sounded interesting enough. The conductor finally finished speaking and turned around. The first few measures drew Roman in instantly. He felt like he was on a beach, lonely and deserted.

And then a sound broke through. The song of someone else - a companion in his loneliness. The single violin pierced Roman’s skin like a million needles and he could feel his heart stutter in its rhythm. Roman looked up at the violinist himself and was even more awed.

The boy couldn’t have been more than a year older than Roman. His dark hair was slicked back and his eyes were closed behind his glasses. He had this memorized. His face was blank, but the light illuminated his jawline in a way that made Roman gape in amazement. The raw emotion poured into just one instrument seemed to powerful to contain. It ricocheted throughout the room. More than one person was crying. Then the solo ended and the song grew and swayed like the wind pushing an untethered island around a mysterious ocean, to be found once and never again. Roman, though, only watched that one violinist. He could feel his entire body pound every time the boy moved, bowed, danced this magical dance-

And then the song was over.

The concert was an hour long, with a five-minute intermission in between. Remy managed to drag Roman out into the lobby to buy some snacks, chattering the whole time about how old and crazy the conductor looked.

Roman was in a daze, just nodding and agreeing to everything Remy said. Then, he noticed something in the reflection of Remy’s sunglasses.

The boy working the drink booth had a scar on the skin around his left eye. It was pretty noticeable, but Remy and he hadn’t gotten to the drink booth yet. Without even realizing what he was doing, Roman tugged Remy’s sleeve and pointed wordlessly at the boy in the booth.

Finding your soulmate was usually an accident. It also, generally, involved some type of injury. Lots of people became doctors with the sole purpose of increasing their chances of meeting their soulmate. Others were afraid of meeting their soulmate - either they were afraid of the supposed injury, or in some cases, of being ridiculed for how they found each other. Society was cruel like that, and terribly contradictory. Roman had known Remy for years. Remy was the kind of person who was afraid.

Roman remembered vividly the day Remy first removed his sunglasses in front of him, revealing the orange mocks around his left eye. He said they’d been there since the fourth grade and had never gone away.

‘They… whoever they are, they have a scar. They probably get made fun of for it. I don’t want to… to draw attention to something they don’t like.’ It was the only time Remy had ever let his facade down.

‘How are you gonna tell them when you find them without drawing attention to it?’ Roman had asked.

‘I think I’m probably gonna try to take them aside - talk with them in private, you know?’

And that’s what Remy did.

Roman watched Remy walk nervously up to the boy at the booth. He couldn’t hear what they said, but he saw the way the boy’s eyebrow was raised questioningly as Remy led him to the hallway around the corner. The announcement came over the intercom that intermission was ending, and Roman went back to his seat alone. Remy didn’t come back.

Roman felt bitter. Then, he felt angry at himself for feeling bitter. Remy was only ever nice to him; he deserved his own happy ending. He thought of the oleander, Christmas roses, white heather flowers. A new song started and the violinist boy began to play. Roman’s heart began to soar again, but in the back of his mind Roman wondered - where was his happy ending?

When the concert ended, Roman headed out with Remy’s his friends back out to the lobby. Roman was only mildly surprised to see Remy waiting there. He was holding hands with the boy from before, and they were both smiling like giddy children. Good for them.

Their friends instantly starting peppering them with questions. Many of the people in the crowd - apparently everyone was listening in, those eavesdroppers - gasped when Remy took off his sunglasses and showed them how his flowers matched the boy’s scar perfectly. They matched each other perfectly. Apparently the boy’s name was Dee-something? Roman wasn’t really listening. His blood was boiling under his skin and it was all he could do to keep himself under control. He turned around and wormed his way through the crowd to the back door.

He closed it behind him, gulping in panicked breaths. His vision was blurring and his heart pounded in his chest. Everything seemed like it was too much, all at once. He tripped over something and fell all the way down. He heard someone’s footsteps.

“Are you alright?” The someone wrapped their arms around Roman and pulled him to his feet, holding him steady by gripping his shoulders. Their voice resounded in Roman’s brain, anchoring him back in reality. It was a soothing voice, really. It was soft but stern, concerned but assertive.

The blurriness faded and Roman looked up. It was the boy - not Dee-something, but the violinist. His lips were pinched together like - like he cared. He repeated his question.

“Are you alright? Do you need me to call someone?”

“I’m - ah, s-sorry. Fine. I’m fine.” Roman shakily pulled himself away.

“Are you sure?” The boy adjusted his glasses and Roman swore he felt his heart flutter. Then he remembered the oleander, Christmas roses, white heather flowers. What right had he to fall in love with someone when one of his soulmates was dead?

“Yeah.” Roman turned away and shoved his hands into his pockets, then immediately removed them when they began to sting. His palms were bloody from his fall, and he cursed himself for his stupidity.

“Wait.” The boy called. Something was different. Roman turned around.

“Let me see your hands?” He asked. Roman blinked and held them out. The boy’s expression was difficult to read as he held out his own hands. In the same places where Roman was scraped up, little jonquils were sprouting up on the violinist’s palms. Roman’s entire body froze, heavy like cement. Neither moved for a solid minute.

Finally, the boy spoke, retracting his shaking hands. “My name is Logan.”

“R-Roman.” He felt winded. His head kind of hurt, but he wasn’t focused on that at the moment.

Logan looked at the ground for a minute.

“M-May I ask, but, a little over a month ago… well,” he didn’t seem like he could get the words out.

“It wasn’t me,” Roman managed. “Who-whoever that was, they’re… gone, now.”

Logan swallowed and looked back up at Roman. “I suppose we have some catching up to do.”

Roman felt himself smile, really smile. He could still have a happy ending.

“Yeah, I guess we do. I’m lactose intolerant; how do slushies sound?”