#corporate retreat packages

[curiousquill1]

Choosing the Right Corporate Retreat Package for Your Company

A corporate retreat is one of those catalysts for teams, goal repositioning, and rejuvenation of the workplace culture. Meaningful experiences and well-structured activities leave long-lived impacts from a carefully chosen corporate retreat package. This detailed guide will walk you through the decisive factors you need to consider when choosing that retreat package that will deliver real value to your organization.

Understanding Your Company's Needs

Start by conducting an in-depth analysis of the requirements of your organization. Ask basic questions about what the team is facing or looking to achieve at this moment: Do you need stronger interpersonal relationships? Does your team need focused time for strategic planning? Or are you interested in investing in well-being and work-life balance in general?

Consider practical aspects such as:

Team size and composition

Special dietary requirements or access needs

Current team dynamics and challenges

Wanted results and concrete goals

Timed constraints and preference in scheduling

Cultural factors and preferences of teams

Technical requirements and connectivity needs

Seasonal factors and climatic considerations

Company Size and Dynamics: Getting the Fit Right

Your organization's size significantly influences the most suitable retreat package. Different group sizes require varying approaches to ensure meaningful engagement and effective outcomes.

Small Companies (10-50 employees)

In smaller organizations, intimate locations offer specific advantages:

More chance of one-to-one contact

Flexible scheduling and independent activities

More focus on personal engagement

Cost-effective utilization of resources

Ease of coordination and logistics management

Personalized attention from facilitators

More flexibility in choosing venue

Simplified communication and planning

Large Enterprise Organizations (> 50 employees)

Larger organizations need more formalized approaches:

Multiple breakout spaces for concurrent sessions

Professional facilitators to manage group dynamics

Various activity choices to cater to varied interests

Advanced technological infrastructure

Structured networking opportunities across departments

Dedicated event management support

Scalable catering solutions

High-tech audio-visual machinery

Establish Clear Goals and Objectives

Success depends greatly on how well the package aligns with specific, measurable objectives. Here are some popular focus areas:

Team Focus Building

Adventure challenges and group activities

Problem-solving workshops

Collaborative projects

Trust-building exercises

Social events and shared experiences

Interdepartmental mingling events

Cultural awareness sessions

Team sports and competitions

Strategic Planning Focus

Numbered brainstorming sessions

SWOT analysis workshops

Goal-Setting Frameworks

Industry expert presentations

Action planning activities

Market analysis discussions

Innovation workshops

Future scenario planning

Leadership development sessions

Wellness and Relaxation Focus

Mindfulness programs

Yoga and meditation courses

Spa treatments

Outdoor games

Stress management workshops

Nutrition counseling

Sleep hygiene workshops

Work-life balance seminars

Mental health awareness sessions

Location and Amenities: Creating the Perfect Environment

The location of the retreat plays an important role in its success. Consider the following:

Access to all participants

Distance from your office location

Natural environments vs. urban landscape

Available facilities and equipment

On-site amenities and services

Accommodation quality and comfort

Dining halls and catering services

Emergency medical facilities

Local attractions and activities

Transportation alternatives

Security measures

Environmental sustainability practices

Budget Considerations and ROI

Create a comprehensive budget that balances value with quality. Cost components to consider:

Hall lets and accommodations

Transport and logistics

Food and beverages

Activity materials and equipment

Professional facilitators or speakers

Insurance and contingency funds

Technology and audio-visual needs

Marketing and promotional materials

Documentation and recording services

Post-event evaluation tools

Expected Returns:

Better teamwork

Enhanced employee satisfaction

Clearer strategic directions

Robust company culture

Greater productivity

Better retention rate

Better problem-solving ability

Stronger inter-departmental relationships

Better communication patterns

Higher employee engagement levels

Planning Schedule of Implementation

Successful retreats require careful planning and execution:

3-6 Months Before:

Organize a planning committee

Select dates and venue

Define budget parameters

Negotiate with vendors

Draft the previous agenda

1-3 Months Prior:

Finalize activities and speakers

Arrange transport

Share details with participants

Develop the registration system

Plan meal setups

1 Month Before:

Confirm all reservations

Send detailed schedules

Organize team mandates

Prepare materials

Anticipate contingencies

Conclusion

A good corporate retreat package should meet your company's culture while facilitating meaningful experiences for all participants. You should consider size, objectives, location preferences, and budget restrictions to choose a package that will yield tangible results for your organization. Thorough planning, clear communication, and a chosen package that aligns with your company values and objectives would create the ideal system.

Remember, the best retreats balance structured activities and free time—an important mixture of professional development and personal connection.

Want to see what corporate retreat packages your organization would be interested in? Ertha Retreats offers you personalized recommendations and expert advice in planning a corporate retreat for your company. From our seasoned retreat coordinators comes the experience your company will want to be a part of.

[ertharetreats6]

Revitalize Your Soul: Wellness Holidays in Greece

Planning a holiday often revolves around the idea of relaxation and rejuvenation. But what if you could combine both and more on a wellness holiday in Greece? Imagine escaping to a place where the ancient wisdom of healing meets the serene beauty of nature. Wellness holiday packages in Greece offer exactly that—an escape where your mind, body, and soul can find balance. And if you're thinking about combining business with pleasure, corporate retreat packages provide the perfect blend of work and wellness.

Introduction to Wellness in Greece

Greece is not just a destination; it's a journey into wellness, a place where ancient healing practices have been embraced for centuries. The country offers a blend of Mediterranean landscapes, crystal-clear waters, and warm hospitality. Whether you're soaking in thermal springs or practising yoga on a beach, Greece provides a sanctuary for those seeking a break from the daily grind.

The appeal of wellness holiday packages lies in their ability to immerse you in nature while providing all the luxuries you need. From the bustling islands of Mykonos to the tranquil setting of Peloponnese, wellness options in Greece are as diverse as the country itself.

Top Wellness Destinations

Santorini: The Island of Tranquility

Santorini is known for its stunning sunsets, but it’s also a haven for wellness enthusiasts. The island offers luxury spas that use volcanic mud, believed to have therapeutic properties. Imagine starting your day with a yoga session overlooking the caldera, followed by a massage using local herbs.

Crete: Nature’s Playground

Crete is another gem in the wellness crown of Greece. Known for its rugged landscapes and beautiful beaches, Crete offers wellness resorts that focus on holistic health. From detox programs to mindfulness workshops, Crete has something for everyone.

Activities to Rejuvenate

Yoga and Meditation

Greece provides the perfect backdrop for yoga and meditation. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned yogi, the peaceful environment allows you to focus on your practice. Most wellness holiday packages include daily yoga sessions, often held on beaches or in olive groves.

Spa and Massage Therapy

One of the key elements of a wellness holiday is spa therapy. Greece is home to numerous spas that offer a variety of treatments. From traditional Greek massages to modern aromatherapy, there’s something to suit every need.

Hiking and Outdoor Activities

If you're someone who finds peace in nature, Greece won't disappoint. The country offers numerous hiking trails, many of which lead to secluded beaches or ancient ruins. Imagine hiking through the hills of Pelion, with the scent of wild herbs in the air and the Aegean Sea in the background. It’s like walking through a postcard.

Corporate Retreats in Greece

The boundaries between work and personal life frequently blur in today's hectic world. Corporate retreat packages in Greece aim to address this by combining work with wellness. Imagine holding a brainstorming session in a villa overlooking the Aegean Sea, followed by a group meditation session. These retreats offer team-building activities that focus on wellness, making them the perfect option for companies looking to invest in their employees' well-being.

Team-Building Activities

From sailing trips to cooking classes, corporate retreats in Greece offer a variety of team-building activities that also promote wellness. These experiences not only help in bonding but also in rejuvenating the team.

Wellness Workshops

Corporate retreats often include wellness workshops that focus on stress management, mindfulness, and work-life balance. These workshops are designed to equip employees with the tools they need to thrive in both their personal and professional lives.

Why Choose a Wellness Holiday in Greece?

So, why should you consider a wellness holiday in Greece? For starters, the country offers a unique blend of ancient wisdom and modern luxury. The food, the scenery, the culture—all contribute to an experience that is both rejuvenating and enriching. Plus, the wide range of wellness holiday packages means there’s something for everyone, whether you’re looking for a solo retreat or a group getaway.

Conclusion

In a world that never seems to slow down, taking time for yourself is more important than ever. A wellness holiday in Greece offers the perfect opportunity to hit the reset button. Whether you’re interested in wellness holiday packages or looking to combine work and relaxation with corporate retreat packages, Greece has it all. So, why wait? Your journey to wellness could be just a flight away.

[nectaryoga]

Escape, Bond, Excel: Unforgettable Corporate Retreat Packages for Team Building

In today’s fast-paced corporate world, organizations are constantly seeking innovative ways to enhance team dynamics, foster creativity, and nurture personal growth among their employees. This is where Nectar Yoga Retreat steps in as a catalyst for transformation and rejuvenation. Nestled amidst 20 acres of serene forested land on Bowen Island, just a short ferry ride away from Vancouver, our retreat center offers unparalleled opportunities for corporate teams to embark on a transformative journey through our tailored corporate retreat packages.

[verysaladobservation]

Exploring the Splendors of River Cruising with St. Johns Rivership Co.

Nestled beside the scenic St. Johns River, the St. Johns Rivership Co. is a beacon of elegance, offering many enchanting cruises and unforgettable experiences. With a dedication to providing unparalleled service and showcasing the river's natural beauty, this esteemed river cruise company caters to various guests, from nature enthusiasts and couples celebrating their special day to corporate teams seeking unique venues for retreats and events. Let us embark on a journey to discover the various services and experiences the St. Johns Rivership Co. offers, where every cruise promises adventure, relaxation, and cherished memories.

Nature Cruises: Exploring the Untamed Beauty

For those seeking solace amidst nature's splendor, the St. Johns Rivership Co. presents an array of nature cruises that traverse the tranquil waters of the St. Johns River. With knowledgeable guides, these cruises allow guests to witness the breathtaking scenery, abundant wildlife, and lush landscapes that define the river's ecosystem. From wildlife cruises showcasing native birds and animals to leisurely journeys along the riverbanks, each nature cruise promises a rejuvenating escape into the heart of nature.

Private Event Cruises: Creating Unforgettable Memories

Elevate your special occasions to new heights aboard a private event cruise with the St. Johns Rivership Co. Whether you're planning a romantic wedding, anniversary celebration, or corporate retreat, our dedicated professionals are committed to ensuring that your event is nothing short of extraordinary. With tailored wedding packages and the option to exchange vows on a cruise boat against the serene river backdrop, our wedding venue by the riverside provides a charming backdrop for couples to embark on their journey together. From intimate gatherings to grand affairs, our private event cruises set the stage for unforgettable moments and cherished memories.

Corporate Events: Inspiring Innovation and Collaboration

Escape the confines of the boardroom and embark on a corporate retreat like no other with the St. Johns Rivership Co. Our corporate event cruises offer a unique blend of business and leisure, providing teams with a refreshing environment to foster innovation, collaboration, and team-building. With customizable event planning services and versatile venues onboard our cruise ships, we cater to various corporate events, including meetings, seminars, workshops, and team-building exercises. Whether you're hosting clients, rewarding employees, or launching a new product, our corporate event venues set the stage for success.

Fundraiser Cruises: Making a Difference on the Water

Harness the power of philanthropy while cruising the scenic St. Johns River with our fundraiser cruises. Designed to support charitable causes and community initiatives, our fundraiser cruises offer organizations a unique platform to raise funds, increase awareness, and make a positive impact. From fundraising dinner cruises featuring gourmet cuisine and live entertainment to themed events such as music bingo, wine Wednesday, and karaoke, our fundraising cruises promise an unforgettable experience for participants while contributing to meaningful causes.

Lunch and Dinner Cruises: Culinary Delights on the Water

Indulge your senses with a culinary journey aboard our lunch and dinner cruises, where delightful cuisine and stunning views combine to craft an unforgettable dining experience. From gourmet meals prepared by our talented chefs to signature cocktails and fine wines, our onboard dining options cater to discerning palates and culinary enthusiasts alike. Whether you're savoring a leisurely lunch or enjoying a romantic dinner under the stars, our lunch and dinner cruises offer a feast for the senses that's sure to leave a lasting impression.

Special Event Cruises: Celebrating Life's Moments

At the St. Johns Rivership Co., every day is a celebration, thanks to our lineup of special event cruises designed to delight guests of all ages. From themed cruises celebrating holidays and cultural festivals to live music events, dance parties, and interactive experiences, our special event cruises offer something for everyone. Whether you're a music lover, a wine enthusiast, or simply looking for a fun-filled outing with family and friends, our special event cruises promise entertainment, excitement, and endless memories.

Corporate Retreat Venues: Inspiring Productivity and Connection

Our river cruises aren't just for leisure—they also offer unique opportunities for corporate retreats and team-building events. With versatile event spaces and customizable packages, we provide the perfect setting for companies looking to inspire productivity, foster teamwork, and strengthen bonds among team members. Whether you're hosting a brainstorming session, leadership workshop, or team-building activity, our corporate retreat locations provide a refreshing shift in scenery and an unforgettable experience for all participants.

In conclusion, the St. Johns Rivership Co. offers diverse services and experiences catering to our guests' unique interests and preferences. From nature cruises and private event venues to corporate retreats and fundraiser cruises, we strive to provide exceptional service, unparalleled hospitality, and unforgettable memories on every journey. Embark on an adventure with us and discover the river's magic, cruising along the majestic St. Johns River.

[tearueful]

Play With Fire ( Homelander x Reader)

18+ for language, female (plus size♥) reader | You walk into an elevator with Homelander...💋 [AO3 Link] Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, AO3 Link

You can only stare at Ashley’s cold dismissal. Not Ashley Barrett, of course. You’re not high up enough to get personally fired by the CEO. Her assistant is the one doing it, also Ashley. 

There were too many fucking Ashleys in this office.

Your head is buzzing and you can’t exactly focus on the words that spill out of her mouth. She has such a pleasant smile plastered on her lips. A fake, corporate smile as she tells you that as of today? You no longer work at Vought International. A job you had scraped and clawed for. Survived an unpaid internship in fucking New York City for, moonlighting as a waitress in a diner where patrons had sticky hands even for one such as you.

You stare at her, having no idea what words her placid smile makes. Something about turning your badge in at the front desk on your way out. That they’ve packed everything up at your desk already and it will show up to your house in two to four business days. An easier transition, she says. How kind.

Neatly packaging your existence away and shipping it off in the post as if it didn’t fucking matter. You blink and you’re already stalking out of the office. The dismissal had been clear. They had saved it for when you normally would be packing up for the day. Less drama. Always better to fire someone on a Friday afternoon. Not many witnesses. At least you can slink out with some scraps of your dignity. Before you realize it, you’re fast walking through the hallway to the elevator lobby. All your mind can focus on is getting in that elevator and escaping this fucked up place. That is your one goal as your insides churn with bitter anger and your brain buzzes.

Your rage is impotent, with no outlet. What could you even do? Nothing against Vought. Not with their airtight security. You knew how Vought paid everyone and anyone off to make undesirables vanish. How they mopped up the ‘accidents’ of their precious supe products. How your firing was another one of those casualties, dismissed at a whim of the Seven. You knew specifically who. That star-spangled blonde bastard. One typo led to one tantrum from the supe and you had to suffer for it.

Rage pushes your feet to move a little quicker as you spot the open elevator doors. Someone must have just exited, you see the retreating forms of a handful of people down the opposite end of the hall. Perfect, except those doors are closing and you’re too impatient to wait in the lobby a moment longer.

At the sight of the closing elevator doors, your feet pick up their pace. You can’t stay in this building a moment long, not in this hallway with the chance of spotting anyone you know who may recognize the set of your face as something amiss.. Some of them know you well enough to know that would mean something’s wrong, or they knew the bad news before you. That gives you the motivation to snap a hand out to stop those closing doors, praying it’s empty so you can take a breath alone. You need it.You deserve it. It’s the least the universe can do for you at this moment. The universe is not kind today.

The doors stop at the presence of your hand while you slip through the opening. Your regret is almost instantaneous as you step into the re-opening doors because there stood Homelander.

Fucking Homelander in his stupid suit, looking all the world like Uncle Sam shat out the perfect Boyscout. Except, you know far better. There was a monster in that human suit.

He looks ever the caged predator within the confines of the enclosed metal space, wholly uninterested in you. There’s only the briefest of glances your way before his attention is back on the elevator’s LED number display. Oh, but you hate him. Stuffed up supe, high on his own importance.

You’d seen him about the office, from a distance. A wolf among doting sheep, bleating for his attention. How did anyone dare to get close when he flashed those canines? You should flee, but the elevator doors click behind you with a finality. No, fuck it. Fuck him. You don’t care. All you care about is getting out of this shit hole and this elevator ride will be your last here. One way or another. The white hot rage is back to roiling in your gut and you feel as if you’d choke on it.

Homelander’s cold blue gaze flickers over you once more as you stew, taking you all in within an instant. Your badge and your name. Another useless Vought employee, a wriggling worm at his feet. The Hero Management Department by the logo on your badge, but he’s never noticed you. No wonder. You’re too short. Someone who could get lost in a crowd. His lips turn up in a cruel sneer. Fat, too. A pudgy, little grub. At least you’re dressed well. You need to be if you work here. Almost demure in that dress that must have cost half your pathetic paycheck. He wants to be disgusted by you, but you meet his eyes. People rarely did that. There’s fire burning in those wide eyes. A defiance he’s not used to seeing often. Especially not from something as breakable as you. It gives Homelander pause. He’s puzzled. That sort of volatile hatred was usually reserved for dear William, but you? It was almost comical seeing such a delicate thing like you sparking with it. You looked like a little firecracker about to go off and Homelander wonders what sorts of sparks you’d show.

Your expression was utterly, almost eerily calm yet he could feel the rage rolling off of you, it was a palpable taste on his tongue. An almost bitter tang that made Homelander reflexively lick his lips. That gets your attention. Previously, you’d let your eyes dart around the elevator in your unrest. Now your eyes fixate on the flick of Homelander’s tongue while the wheels within your brain begin to whirl. What is the stupidest thing you could do on your last day at Vought? Something reckless and impulsive. Suicidal even.

He watches you with interest now that you’re daring to meet his gaze, scrutinizing this little mortal confined in the elevator with him with anger steaming off your body. Normally, Vought employees fawned over him while reeking of fear. They cowered and all but tried to tongue his taint in their need to appease him and soothe Homelander’s volatile moods. Yet here you were, looking as much like a caged animal within the confines of the elevator as he felt most of the time. 

Homelander senses the shift in you, from anger to something else. He can’t pinpoint it, not yet. Not with how the adrenaline pumps through your veins as you fix your eyes on his face, a heady perfume if there ever was one. It’s a little like prey backed into a corner, finally deciding fight over flight. Homelander doesn’t fear you or any possible outburst you could throw his way. How could he? He’s a god and you’re an ant. Still, he’s curious as to what you’ll do. Homelander can see the tension in your body, how your muscles coil before a pounce.

You weren’t quick, by any means. Homelander could have deflected you with his pinky finger, but the determination in your eyes kept him still. What were you even planning to do to him, of all people? Seeing you unleashing your anger on him would amuse the supe. Give him a valid reason to crush your fragile skull in his fist with a satisfying wet crunch. Yet, you surprised him. All that anger and vitriol boiling over shifted into something else entirely, but it still burns.  It burns so much that you need to let it out. Which you do, by pressing your lips against Homelander’s. It’s pure impulse and oh so reckless. He’s killed people for lesser slights but you don’t care. Not in that moment. You want this, maybe even need it. Need to vent out all your frustration on the man who caused all this in the first place.

So you dig your nails into the leather fabric of Homelander’s suit, having to get up on your toes to press your lips against his own. 

They’re surprisingly soft, Homelander’s lips. You hadn’t expected it. A contrast to the lack of give against his body because leaning into Homelander is like leaning into a brick wall. Unmovable. The only give is from his lips and you suspect that’s because you took the supe by surprise.

The audacity of this little bug!

Homelander’s eyes are wide, shocked even at your brazen act. Staring down at this impertinent little human daring to touch him.There’s a desperation in your act, in how your face is still twisted up in rage and confusion but softening as you stubbornly keep your lips moving against his own.

Still so curious. 

He lets you kiss him, even goes as far to settle into the kiss himself. He can’t help it. Softness was a rare thing for him to feel and you really are oh so soft against him. Pliable and willing now that you’ve settled into properly kissing him. You’re not bad at this either, knowing exactly what sort of coaxing pressure to give him while teasing Homelander into giving back more.

So he does.

Homelander hooks you in the steel grip of one hand, fingers digging into your waist and he finds you yielding. Soft and giving as your lips. He should have expected that given your size, but he finds that he likes it. He can dig his fingers in a little deeper with no fear of snapping ribs with the slightest of pressure.

Homelander is kissing you back. Fucking Homelander! You half expected to get thrown across the elevator shaft for your action, but he was almost holding you gently. Almost. This close you can feel the restrained power of him that all but hums through the supe’s body. It should frighten you, but it’s thrilling having a monster yield so readily to you of all people.

You need something to ground yourself because this can't be real! You grab for Homelander's hair, sliding your fingers through it. Idly, you muse at the softness. It wasn't gelled and hard to the touch as you expected. Leave-in conditioner, that must be it. The thought makes you smile into the kiss, tightening your hold on Homelander's hair with a playful tug to coax his mouth closer.

You don’t expect the needy moan Homelander releases against your lips at the gentle tug. Would have never expected such a sound from a man like him. You greedily swallow it up, using it to your advantage to slide your tongue over his lips. They part under the pressure and then you’re kissing Homelander deeper. This is far from an innocent, impulsive act now. He’s meeting your fire, consumed by the flames as much as you are. More so because now Homelander seems intent on devouring you as he fits his lips to yours, bruising them while his tongue slides slick over your own within your mouth. He growls. Homelander fucking growls into the kiss and you feel that tremor down to your toes, arousal a white hot flash through your system. Thus it really can’t be helped when you mold your curves into the hard lines of his body, fingernails scraping at Homelander’s scalp while you try to taste every corner of his mouth. His free hand even comes up to take an ample handful of your ass as he pulls you flush against him properly, and is that- Holy fuck.

The chime of the elevator hitting the ground floor snaps you both out of the moment. You jerk apart and even in his surprise, Homelander’s grip is loose enough for you to step away safely. You stare up at him a beat, taking in Homelander’s flushed features and how he pants.

You did that. You did that to the most powerful supe of the Seven, possibly the most powerful supe in the world. Smug satisfaction settles on your shoulders for a moment.

You can see the rage building in his eyes, disgust twisting up Homelander’s features and there’s even the glaring threat of red sparking in his gaze. Holy shit. Your heart squeezes as the smugness shifts to the instinct to survive. It’s time to flee or die.

Homelander sneers at you and you know he’s about to say something scathing to put you in your place before he obliterates you. Instead of cowering, you flash him a thousand watt smile. The sort you’ve employed on dates with hapless men to get them giving dopey grins right back to you. It works well enough.

He blinks, the red glare vanishing from his eyes. People in this tower never smile at Homelander like that. Another surprise. You exit stage left before he recovers, almost running into someone on your way out of the elevator. It’s Ashley. CEO Ashley this time, with tablet in hand.

Her gaze flicks up from the screen as she gives a little start before suspicion tinges her features. “Weren’t you fired?” She whispers the words under her breath, brushing past you before stiffening up at the sight of the supe still within the elevator. “Homelander! There you are!” She chirps out with faux cheerfulness and a dead smile. “I’ve got fantastic news on your latest numbers!” That gives you enough time to slip away, with Ashley crowding up to Homelander eagerly to stroke his ego so he’s kept calm for another day and no one dies. You certainly didn’t die. Personally, you think the supe’s mind will be occupied by other things today. You turn your badge in at security’s front desk with a self satisfied smirk.

For his part, Homelander silently steps out of the elevator with eyes fixed on your retreating frame. He doesn’t register Ashley’s yammering as she tries to tell him the good news about a ten point boost. No, Homelander’s mind is too busy contemplating what he will do to you. Little bugs like you can’t get away with taunting gods.

A wide, shark-like grin spreads Homelander's lips now that he has revenge on his mind. He snaps his attention to Ashley, voice sharp as Homelander lifts a finger in her face for silence “Ashley. That woman. Give me her name, now.”

[scary-grace]

the new postmodern age (chapter 3) - a Shigaraki x f!Reader fic

Written for @threadbaresweater's follower milestone event, and the prompt 'a day at the beach'! Congratulations on the milestone, and thanks for giving me a chance to write this fic.

dividers by @enchanthings

Before the war, you were nothing but a common criminal, but in the world that's arisen from the ashes, you got a second chance. Five years after the final battle between the heroes and the League of Villains, you run a coffee shop in a quiet seaside town, and you're devoted to keeping your customers happy. Even customers like Shimura Tenko, who needs a second chance even more than you did -- and who's harboring a secret that could upend everything you've tried to build. Will you let the past drag both of you down? Or will you find a way, against all odds, to a new beginning? (cross-posted to Ao3)

Chapters: 1 2

Chapter 3

Tenko doesn’t come to the café the next day. He doesn’t text you back, or answer your call, but you know he hasn’t blocked you because your messages get delivered. That’s a relief, but not much of one. He doesn’t have his laptop, so he can’t work. What’s he doing today? What happened to him? Is he all right?

It should disturb you that the latter question matters more to you than the others, mattered more than the fact that you slept with a customer and the fact that he’s apparently a supervillain in disguise. It’s the supervillain part that should overwhelm everything else – but you’ve spent the last five years living by the principle of judging people on who they are now, not what they were in the past. You can’t drop that principle now. Not with how you feel about Tenko. Not with what you saw him do.

You keep up a happy face at work, like always – there’s no such thing as a bad day for a reformed criminal, you should remember that you’re lucky to have gotten a second chance – but beneath the surface, you’re in turmoil. You save a babka for Tenko, but you know deep in your heart that he’s not coming in today. If you want to give him his stuff back, you’re going to have to go to him.

You don’t know where he lives, but you have enough information to figure it out. During the afternoon, as the steady stream of customers trails to a stop, you collect what you know – the exact time Tenko’s power went out, the list of outage alerts the town posted, naming the exact time and the affected neighborhood. When you match Tenko’s text to the outage alerts, you see that he lives in a lightly populated neighborhood on the edge of town, so far out that you’re surprised he didn’t lose power sooner. It’ll be a long walk from your café, but the weather is nice, and it’ll be a while before the sun sets. When five o’clock comes, you close up shop, package the babka to take with you, settle Tenko’s backpack on your shoulders, and set off.

You try to get your head in the game as you walk. Tenko probably thinks you’ve guessed who he is. That’s probably why he left. You’re not just dealing with a customer you slept with; you’re dealing with an undercover supervillain whose identity’s just been revealed. You need to be careful going in there. You don’t know what kind of mood he’s in. You don’t even know if he’ll want to see you. If your positions were switched, would you want to see him?

You would. You’d want to know you still mattered to him, and you’d want what you’ve always wanted – for someone to come find you, to make sure you’re okay. Even if it’s the last thing Tenko wants, you have to try.

Tenko’s neighborhood is sparsely populated, and of the houses there, you rule out most of them immediately – they were built three years ago, and you can’t imagine Tenko moving once he got here. One house is way too big, a fancy lodge used for weddings and corporate retreats. It leaves exactly one place. A house set back in the woods, away from the shore, serviced by a dirt road and barely visible through the trees.

It looks like the kind of place people go to get murdered. If you were a normal person, you’d think twice about going down that road. But you hung out in scarier places than this when you were a criminal, and unlike back then, you have at least some idea of what’s waiting for you in there. You pick your way down the dirt road, skirting the overgrown patches on your way up to the front door. Almost immediately you notice that something’s wrong. The doorknob’s completely gone, as if it’s just crumbled away.

You swallow hard and knock on the door. It sways slightly in place. “Tenko?” When there’s no response, you try again, without the knock. “You left your backpack and laptop at my house. Can I come in?”

“Leave it there.”

As fast as your heart leaped at hearing his voice, it sinks again at his words. But you did what you wanted to do. You checked on him, and you brought him his things, and you don’t want to stay where you’re not wanted. “Okay,” you say. You slide his backpack from your shoulders and set it down carefully on the steps. You put the babka next to it. “Um – you’ve got my number, if you want to talk. I want to talk to you, but I understand if you don’t. I just wanted to see if you were okay.”

You turn away and start down the path, your eyes stinging, blinking hard. You think you hear the door open, but you don’t look back – but when your phone buzzes, you yank it out of your pocket in record time. The text is from Tenko. come in if you want to

The relief that sweeps over you feels too strong. You turn around without texting back, gathering up the backpack and the babka before pushing open the door. Tenko’s house is dim, the curtains pulled shut. His TV is muted with a screen full of static. You can’t see him, but you can hear the dry sound of his fingernails against the side of his neck. His voice is flat. “Why are you here?”

“I was kind of shaken up after what happened yesterday. I thought you might be, too.” You take a few cautious steps forward. “I was worried.”

“Don’t lie.” The kitchen is empty. So is the bathroom, and the bedroom when you peer through the door. “You saw. You know.”

His breathing rattles ever so slightly. “Why are you here?”

“I wanted to make sure you were okay,” you say. “I like you.”

“You sure about that?” Tenko’s voice takes on a mocking note. “I think you’re just here to see if it really was a villain you fucked.”

“I don’t –”

“Don’t say you don’t care about it. You do.” Tenko won’t even let you finish the sentence. “It’s all you care about now, so take a look.”

He’s been sprawled out on the couch, but now he stands up. Hood down, mask off, and it’s perfectly clear who you’re looking at. Shigaraki Tomura turned to dust on the battlefield, but he’s here right now, in the living room of a house that’s falling apart. He stares at you, and you remember a thousand still photos, a thousand news broadcasts, all capturing the same light of madness glowing in his eyes. There’s no such thing there now. Whatever drove Shigaraki Tomura onwards, fighting to destroy until his last breath, isn’t there anymore. It’s easy for you to hold his gaze.

He’s the first to look away, his jaw clenched. “What were you expecting me to do?” you ask. “Scream and run away?”

“Call the cops. Or the heroes.” His shoulders lift, the fall. “Maybe the press. You can tell them all about your one crazy night with the villain who came back from the dead.”

“I didn’t want it to be just one night,” you say. He looks at you, then looks away. “I still don’t.”

“Yeah. I guess your tell-all with the press will be more exciting if we fuck a few more times.”

“Hey,” you snap. “If you’re waiting for me to freak out, stop waiting. It’s not going to happen.”

“You’re out of your mind.” He’s turned most of the way away from you now. One hand is clawing at his neck. The other’s up over his face. “Were you under a rock during the war? Did you see what I did?”

“I saw,” you say carefully. “I know what you did. I know that’s the person you were. I know that’s not who you are now. I make decisions based on the person I see in front of me, not by who they were before – as long as they’re trying to be someone different.”

“You think I’m different?” He laughs. At least, you think it’s laughter. You need it to be laughter, because if it isn’t, it’s the worst sound you’ve ever heard. “You must be high.”

“I’m not.” You keep watching him. “You could have let that kid drown yesterday. My quirk couldn’t have saved him, and my plan was even worse. No one would have known the truth except you, and maybe you could have lived with that. I don’t know.”

You’re half expecting him to interrupt and tell you that he can, that it’s easy. He stays quiet. “You decided to save him, though. Even though it could mess things up for you. Even if it meant people might find out who you used to be. I know what you did before. I like who you are.”

It’s silent. He scratches one more time at his neck, a hard, sharp dig that draws blood. Then his hand falls away. “What did you tell the cops?”

“It wasn’t a cop thing. Just EMS and the fire department,” you say. You wonder if that will make him feel better. “The kid was unconscious by the time you got rid of the log. He didn’t see anything. I told them a wave came up and moved the log enough for me and him to get free.”

“And they believed you?”

“Yeah. Why wouldn’t they?” You’re a criminal who used to lie on the regular. You know when someone’s bought your story. “When the kid woke up, he remembered I was there, but not you. You’re safe.”

He doesn’t say anything. You figure he’ll kick you out if he wants you gone and stay put. Some part of you is desperate to find out what happened, how he came back from the dead, how he ended up here instead of in prison forever. The rest of you doesn’t care very much. The ideals you’ve lived by for the past five years won’t let you care, and even if they did, you wouldn’t want to. In some ways, it reminds you of how you feel about the Day of Peace. Not forgetting the awful things that happened. Being thankful for what’s there now.

You’re hoping he’ll break the silence, and you get lucky, sort of. “My couch is disgusting,” he says. “You can sit down if you want.”

You wait for him to sit down, then join him, setting the backpack down at his feet and passing the babka his way. He stares down at it blankly, like he’s never seen it before. “You like me.”

“Yeah.” You watch as he pulls off a piece and eats it. “Should I keep calling you Tenko? Or do you want –”

“Tenko.” He peels off another strip of pastry. “Sensei gave me the other name. It died with him. And me.”

You don’t know what to say to that. You look down at your hands in your lap and remember Tenko’s gloved fingers laced with yours, your fingers closed around his wrist as you rode him. “You’ve got questions, right?” Tenko says. You nod. “Ask.”

“I do want to know what happened,” you admit. “I mean, you died.”

“Wasn’t the first time.” Tenko shreds another piece from the babka and eats it. “The heroes had this kid who could Rewind people. Turn back the clocks on their bodies. I guess there was enough dust left for it to work on me.”

Tenko tells you that the heroes Rewound him as far as possible, but they couldn’t go back all the way – just to the point before All For One’s quirk was transplanted into him. After that, they used quirk-canceling bullets to erase his quirks one at a time. Tenko was kept in a secret facility for four months, almost dead to the world but not quite, while the world he meant to destroy began to rebuild itself. The heroes ran out of bullets before Tenko ran out of quirks. When they were finish, he only had one left – Decay. Tenko tells you between bites of babka, then leans back against the couch. “They woke me up after that.”

“They?”

“It was All Might’s idea,” Tenko says. His eyes are closed. “He couldn’t give up on saving me, and he dragged Midoriya in on it, too. They told me about the new laws that were being passed and their plans to help my friends, and then they said it would only work if I stayed dead.”

Todoroki Touya’s words cross your mind: Deku made him a martyr. “Everybody else was redeemable,” Tenko says, “but not me. After what I did, nobody cared about how I got there. I’d rot in prison for the rest of my life, and knowing I was still out there would remind everybody that evil really exists. Me being alive was going to undermine their push to get villains recognized as people, and it was going to screw my friends over. What I did – it was never just for me. It was always for them.”

You think about the first six months after the war. The question of what to do with the surviving members of the League loomed over everyone, and Deku was right in the middle of it, insisting that they deserved a second chance. That everyone deserved a second chance. He swore up and down that villains aren’t born evil, that it’s about choices, and more than that, about chances. And everyone was in a softer mood knowing that the greatest threat to Japan, to the world, was gone. Shigaraki’s death made people feel safer. Knowing he was still alive would have put a bullet through any chance of reform. “So you agreed?”

“They weren’t asking,” Tenko says. “Their plan was for me to live. No rehab, no charges, nothing. They gave me a new identity and a job and money so I could pay rent somewhere. I can’t be found out or it’ll ruin everything. I can’t let my friends know I’m alive or it’ll ruin everything. I dye my hair and wear that stupid mask and hide in plain sight, and I’m supposed to do that forever. And live a happy life.”

His voice takes on a flat, bitter note. “Half the time I wish they’d let me stay dead for real.”

You’ve never found yourself in anything like Tenko’s situation. You never will. But you know that feeling – of waking up every morning and wishing you hadn’t, of dragging yourself through each day with no purpose and nothing to look forward to, no hope that anything would change. Nobody ever made you feel better by telling you how much you had to live for. You touch Tenko’s shoulder lightly to warn him, then wrap your arms around him in a tight but awkward hug from the side, your cheek pressed against his shoulder. Tenko’s hand comes up to grasp your wrist, and for a moment you think he’ll pull you away, or worse. But his hands are still gloved. All he does is hold on.

“This is your fault,” he mumbles after a while. “You and your stupid free WiFi.”

You manage something like a laugh. “What did my WiFi ever do to you?”

“It’s better than mine,” Tenko says. “I had a reason to go somewhere. And somewhere to go.”

Your throat closes off in an instant. That was what you wanted this whole time. Even if it was what you had in mind when you opened the café, when you added the internet, you never expected it to work on the person who used to be Shigaraki Tomura. So many things happened because he stopped by that day, and not all of them were because of you – he’s the one who kept coming in, the one who kept talking to you, the one who asked if he could come over two nights ago. You remember what Tenko said after the power went out, about wanting to find out if living differently would work. You wonder what he thinks the answer is.

“Do you like me?” Tenko asks, and you nod. “Do you still like me?”

“Yes.” You’ll probably get tired of that question at some point, but maybe you can get Tenko to a point where he doesn’t need to ask before that happens. “It’s getting late, though. And I’ve got an early morning.”

“So you need to go.” Tenko’s voice is dull.

“Probably,” you say. “You can come too, if you want.”

“You really want a supervillain in your house?”

“You let a convicted felon into your house,” you point out. “We’re sort of even.”

Tenko shakes his head. “Not even close to even.”

“I’ve done more time than you have,” you point out, and Tenko snorts. “Come on. Grab what you need and let’s get out of here.”

You let go of Tenko to get to your feet, then hold out your hands to help him up. He doesn’t let go once he’s standing. “I like you, too,” he says. “You know, right?”

You nod. “If you didn’t, you wouldn’t have let me in.”

Tenko studies you, and you look back at him. You have the whole picture now, or close enough to it. Even knowing what you know, you like what you see. You lean forward, rising on your toes to kiss him, and when he kisses you back, you taste chocolate and cinnamon on his lips. You’re still tasting it as the two of you walk back to your apartment, hand in hand.

You haven’t worn a dress in a while, and you’ve worn a formal dress maybe never. It’s really uncomfortable. So are your shoes – low heels, but heels nonetheless, and even the scant makeup you’ve put on feels like a mistake. You really don’t want anybody to see you like this, but you promised you’d show at least one person. You snap a selfie and send it to Tenko. I hate this outfit.

i’ll decay it for you if you’re still wearing it when you get back. Tenko texts back right away. He usually does. when are you coming back?

You got a hotel room, but only so you could have somewhere to change clothes. You’re not planning on sleeping over. Tonight, on the last train.

good. The typing bubble hovers for long seconds. you look hot. don’t hook up with any heroes.

As if. You roll your eyes. Don’t worry. I only date people who’ve done time.

What you and Tenko are doing isn’t dating. To you, dating means something casual, and it isn’t casual – not when you basically live together, not when he calls you his girlfriend, not when he pays for half the groceries and inexpertly folds the laundry and spends every night wrapped around you whether you’ve had sex or not. It’s serious to him, and it’s serious to you. The kind of serious where if you got invited to an important event, you’d ask for a plus-one if you didn’t have one already.

You got a plus-one for this event, but it’s not one you can take Tenko to. For a gala celebrating the reauthorization of every criminal justice reform bill passed at the end of the war, it’s safest for you to go alone.

You gave testimony this afternoon before the vote – you, aided and abetted by your probation officer, who was able to show hard data on what you’ve accomplished, as well as share five years of survey responses from the people in your town, which displayed a marked positive trend in their perception of former criminals. You got to hear other program participants and their probation officers testify, too, and their results were similar to yours. The NCRA is working as intended. It’s working well enough that the government decided to expand it. During the next cycle, accomplices to violent crimes will be eligible, too.

Present Mic’s nomination of you for early release from the program was accepted. They’re going to clear your record gradually, starting with your earliest convictions, which means that although you’ll be hanging onto your felony conviction for another five years, your record will be clear before you’re thirty-five. The bigger deal to you is the forgiveness of the interest on your startup loan. Now all you have left to do is pay off the original balance, and you can do that by the end of the year. And you get to take down the sign in your window informing everybody that you’re part of the NCRA.

You don’t plan to do that. You plan to leave it up, and to keep answering people who ask questions, as long as it takes for offering second chances to become the norm rather than the exception. If you can change even one person’s mind, give even one person a shred of hope, it’ll be worth it. It already is.

Tenko texts you back, after laugh-reacting to your message. are any of them going to be there?

Spinner and Toga were at the hearing. You send a thumbs-up, and Tenko responds. if you can talk to them without getting in trouble, find out how they are.

Definitely. A thought crosses your mind. Is there anything you want me to tell them?

i can’t talk to them

Could they talk to you, you ask. If they knew you were alive?

i guess. but they don’t so it doesn’t matter

Huh. You need to think about this, but you’ve got to go. You’re going to be late. You text Tenko a quick heart emoji, then stuff your phone in your purse and hurry out the door.

You’re the only person in formal wear on the Shinkansen, and you make yourself even more conspicuous when you start changing the color of your dress, trying to make it look even slightly better. By the time you get off the train, you’ve created some kind of nightmarish watercolor effect that will draw more attention to your dress than your face. You decide that’s as good as it’s going to get and meet up with your probation officer just inside the venue.

Present Mic greets you with a grin. “Hey, now that’s a look!” he pronounces. “How are you feeling?”

“Okay,” you say. “It’s kind of unreal.”

“You earned it,” Mic says. “Congratulations, listener. How would you feel about not being a listener anymore?”

That’s right – now that you’re off probation, you won’t need a probation officer. You won’t see Mic again. The thought makes you sad, even if it’ll decrease Tenko’s stress levels by a factor of twelve. “Because I was thinking,” Mic continues, “you’ve got a pretty good story here. Why not guest-star on my show and tell it?”

You cough. Mic snags a drink off a passing tray and hands it to you, all while making his sales pitch at full volume. “I mean, they just made a whole new group of people eligible for the NCRA. Who better to spread the word than one of the originals?”

One of the originals. That’s you, isn’t it? You were on mental health watch in an overcrowded jail when you first heard the news, and you showed your first signs of life in days in your efforts to find out more. You swallow some of your drink – it’s alcoholic, but only lightly – and Mic keeps talking. “You’ve been a good example for the civilians. Why not be a role model for other criminals, too?”

“I don’t think I’m a role model,” you say hastily. “But, um – if you wanted me to come on and talk about how the whole thing works, then I will.”

“Nice. My people will call your people and set something up!” Mic cackles at his own joke. “Finish that and let’s go. I’ve got some people I want you to meet!”

You have no idea who he could be talking about, but you get two nasty shocks one after the other – first, that Mic is married to Eraserhead, and second, that he brought Eraserhead as his plus-one. You probably should have been better prepared for the possibility of running into someone who captured you, because every hero you run into is someone who captured you. Or who didn’t capture you, given that you also meet Endeavor, and he pretends the two of you have never met. Almost every hero you’re introduced to is someone who faced Shigaraki Tomura in battle, who was injured at his hands. People who observe the Day of Peace the other way.

Mic finally runs out of people to introduce you to and you earn a temporary reprieve, which you use to sit down. You spend all day at work on your feet, but at work you’re not wearing heels. You lift your feet partway out of your shoes, hoping you’re subtle about it, and dig your phone out of your purse. Tenko’s been texting you. The first text is a photo of the biggest, ugliest spider you’ve ever seen – on the floor, in your kitchen. The next is a picture of the kitchen floor, empty. don’t worry I took it outside

You and Tenko have talked about this. You try to take them outside, but you aren’t mad at him if he kills them. His next text makes less sense: I changed my mind.

About what? The typing bubble is up, promising another message and probably a clarification, but you hear a familiar voice nearby, and you’re pretty sure it’s someone Tenko wanted you to check on. You look up, and sure enough, it’s Spinner. The woman he’s talking to has a familiar voice, too. Neither of them sound very happy.

“I had to rent this thing,” Spinner is saying despairingly. “When it comes back looking like this –”

“Maybe it’ll fade?” the woman pipes up. “I’m so sorry. If I hadn’t tripped –”

“It’s not you. And it’s not gonna fade.” Spinner sounds even mopier than before. “They’re going to call my probation officer and I’m going to get busted –”

“Over a stain?”

You know an in when you hear it. You slide your feet reluctantly back into your shoes, get to your feet, and make your way over. There’s Spinner, a big red-wine stain blooming on his white shirt. The woman next to him is tiny, maroon-haired, and holding an empty glass. She looks familiar, but you’re not sure from where. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop,” you start, “but if the stain is the problem, maybe I can help. My quirk –”

“You’re the color girl!” The short woman’s eyes brighten. “Oh, I was hoping we’d run into you! We –”

“If you fix it, will it stay that way?” Spinner asks. “If it goes back later, they’ll think I lied to them.”

“It’ll stay,” you promise. You extend one hand to touch the shirt and change it back to white, setting the color to stay from now until the heat death of the universe. “There. Good as new.”

“Thanks,” Spinner says, embarrassed. He takes a second look at you. “I saw you at the vigil this year.”

“I go every year,” you say. “I would have said something, but you and the others never look like you want to talk.”

If you go next year, you’ll be in the same boat as Deku – wanting to tell them that their friend’s alive, unable to say a word about it. “Yeah, we really don’t,” Spinner says. “Nobody gets it. They can’t, since they never knew him like we did.”

You nod. Your phone buzzes in your purse and you ignore it. You really should have silenced it before you got to the party. “I’m so glad you could fix Shuichi’s shirt,” the short woman says. “He was so stressed. But I wanted to talk to you, too! I’m Aiba Manami.”

That’s where you know her from. “La Brava?”

“That was me.” She smiles slightly, sadly. “I don’t remember your villain name –”

“I didn’t have one,” you say. “And if we met in lockup or something, I’m sorry I don’t remember. I was kind of – out of it.”

“Oh, we didn’t meet! Don’t worry,” Aiba rushes to reassure you. “It’s more just that I – um –”

She breaks off. “She’s not gonna laugh at you,” Spinner says to Aiba. “Just tell her.”

“So, um –” Aiba looks down at her shoes, which match her dress. And her earrings. Her whole look is way more on point than anything you’ve ever worn in your life. “I’m eligible for the NCRA now.”

“Congratulations,” you say at once. You could have sworn you heard that La Brava and Gentle Criminal were pardoned after the war, but they must have pulled something else. “Job training?”

“She’s got that. She’s great with computers,” Spinner says, almost proudly. Something dawns on you. “She’s got a better idea.”

“I want to open up an internet café,” Aiba says. You try to hide the goofy grin that crosses your face and probably fail. “I could set up the network in an afternoon. But I don’t know anything about running a restaurant.”

“Neither did I when I got started,” you say. Looking back, you’re amazed you had the guts to throw yourself into a business where the margins are so tight. “If you get a space that’s already up to code it’ll be even easier. I had to do a ton of renovation before I could even think about buying equipment.”

“Did your loan cover all of that?”

You nod. You know you’re getting way too hyped, but it’s hard not to talk about something that saved your life with a ridiculous amount of enthusiasm. “Part of the deal is justifying all your expenses. Your probation officer will review them to make sure you’re staying focused, and if they see a reason to give a little extra, they will – or at least mine did. That becomes more to pay back, though, so it helps to be careful. Do you know what kind of food you want to have? Or are you just planning to do coffee? Coffee keeps costs down but it’s also faster, so if you’re charging by the hour for internet access –”

“I kind of don’t want to do that,” Aiba says. You blink. “You said yours is free.”

“It is,” you admit, “but I didn’t add it until five years in, when I already had a customer base. Adding it when I did just picked up some people who hadn’t stopped by yet.”

Like Tenko. Every so often he makes a joke about being lured in by the free WiFi and winding up with a coffee addiction, a pastry addiction, and a girlfriend. Aiba looks a little disappointed, and you feel a surge of guilt. “The thing is, I was starting out under different conditions than you’ll be. You had name recognition as a villain, and an iconic look – I mean, you still do. People will come in just to see what you’ve got going on. So you’ve already got some customers there. The trick will be getting them to stick around.”

Aiba nods. She also grabs Spinner’s hand, and you blurt out the question before you can think about whether it’s a good idea. “Are you two together? I thought you and Gentle Criminal were a thing.”

“Me and Gentle love each other a lot,” Aiba says. Spinner looks like he’s doing okay with someone who you’re pretty sure is his girlfriend talking about how much she loves some other guy. “We just don’t love each other like that anymore.”

“They still talk all the time,” Spinner says. “He came along on our first date to supervise.”

“Poor Shuichi,” Aiba giggles. “He thought we were trying to make him our third.”

So Spinner’s dating. And unlike Todoroki Touya, he hasn’t broken his probation. You know Tenko will want to know more. “How are you doing? I don’t know what your terms are like, but I’m guessing they’re strict.”

“Pretty strict, but my PO is pretty fair,” Spinner says. His PO is Ryukyu, if you remember right. “Since I don’t screw around like Dabi does, I get to travel in-country and stuff. As long as I clear it far enough in advance.”

“We’ve been meaning to take a trip,” Aiba says, and you get a hit of inspiration. “We just can’t decide where to go.”

This time you’ve made a decision to speak, so it doesn’t count as blurting out. Or so you tell yourself. “My café is on the coast. Why don’t you come out there? It’s really nice this time of year, and if you wanted to stop by the café, I could show you the setup and bookkeeping and everything.”

Aiba’s eyes brighten. Spinner looks less sure. “How do they feel about heteromorphs around there?”

“I think it’s on the safe list. A customer told me that one time.” You watch as Spinner pulls out his phone to check for himself. “I definitely don’t want to boss you guys around. But if you’re serious –”

“I am!”

“Then I want to help as much as I can,” you say. “You’re welcome to swing by.”

Spinner looks up from his phone. “It’s on the safe list,” he reports, and Aiba beams. “When do you want to go?”

They decide on two weeks out, and you suggest that they show up on your last open day of the week, so you can show Aiba what a full week’s expenses, documentation, and income look like. You give them both your number so they can text for recommendations about where to stay, a weird anticipatory feeling humming with in you. This could work. You know Tenko misses his friends, but he can’t contact them himself. But if they just happen to run into each other –

It could work. You want it to work. Your phone buzzes with texts as Aiba and Spinner tuck theirs away. You can make this work for Tenko.

“Spinner!” someone calls out. You look up and see Deku waving from across the room. “Hi!”

“Shit, not him,” Spinner mumbles. “I don’t wanna do this right now.”

“I could pretend to faint,” Aiba suggests.

“No, he won’t buy that. I just –”

You remember the conversation you overheard at the vigil. Spinner has a lot of good reasons not to want to talk to Deku. “Pretend you’re getting sick. I’ll run interference and you can make a break for it.”

“Thanks,” Spinner says. Aiba’s already acting woozy. “It was nice to meet you.”

“Yeah, see you soon.” You set off across the room and intercept Deku before he’s halfway there. “Hi! I don’t know if you remember me, but we talked at –”

“The vigil! Of course I remember!” Deku smiles. “I was wondering if you’d be here. Congratulations!”

“Thanks,” you say. You feel a little weird being congratulated for being a civilian again when you’ve just been engaging in some lowkey villain behavior. “I wanted to come thank you in person. If you hadn’t been advocating for this stuff, I don’t think there’s any way it would have passed.”

Deku’s smile softens, saddens. “I can’t be a hero anymore. This is the next best thing, right?”

“You could look at it like that,” you say. “Or maybe you it’s that you can save more people this way than you ever could have working as a regular hero.”

“People say that to me a lot,” Deku says, and you cringe. “But it’s not usually people like you saying it.”

People like you. People whose lives changed because of the initiative Deku spearheaded, which he only took on because he failed to save Shigaraki Tomura. “It’s easier to believe from you,” Deku concludes. “I just wish I knew what he thinks of it all.”

You know exactly what Tenko thinks about it. He thinks you have to do too much stupid paperwork. He doesn’t like that the hero who monitors you is someone whose quirk is way outsized for your power set. He thinks it’s dumb that the only reason you stopped going to therapy even though, to quote, “you still have issues”, is because you knew the heroes were reading all the notes on what you said. And at the same time, you know he’s glad you opened the café. You know he’s glad he met you. And it wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t let Deku and All Might fake his death, and if Deku hadn’t made it count.

Deku sighs. “I know I can’t,” he says. You really have to admire the coverup here – anybody who hears Deku express his feelings about Shigaraki will think he’s just really fixated on how Shigaraki’s doing in the afterlife. They’ll never guess that he’s really talking about Tenko, who’s alive and well and living in your apartment. “So I’ll think about it your way.”

“Okay,” you say. “Works for me.”

The two of you smile awkwardly at one another. Then Deku changes the subject. “Have you seen Spinner? I thought he was over there, and I wanted to –”

“I think he just went to get some air,” you say. “It’s a lot in here. I bet he’ll be back.”

Deku nods and hurries off, and you take a second to catch your breath. Tonight’s been a lot, but all in all you think it was a success. You didn’t look stupid in your dress, or if you did, no one said anything about it. You’re going to get to help out somebody who wants to join the NCRA. You got at least a little bit of the point across to Deku about what he’s done since the end of the war. And you set up a chance for Tenko to see his best friend again.

Tenko was texting you, wasn’t he? He was saying he’d changed his mind about something. You unearth your phone and swipe past the texts from unfamiliar numbers identifying themselves as Aiba Manami and Spinner to reach Tenko’s text thread. Spider, no spider, didn’t kill it, changed his mind – but now there’s follow-up. Follow-up you really should have taken the time to read before going to talk to Spinner.

don’t try to talk to him. Tenko’s serious enough to use punctuation, which means it’s as serious as he ever gets. i don’t want to fuck him up and i don’t want to find out i faked my own death for nothing.

You cringe in horror. You’re going to have a lot of explaining to do when you get home.

“This is crazy,” Tenko says. “You know it’s crazy, right?”

“You don’t have to do anything. You don’t even have to be there,” you say. You’re amazed Tenko is awake this early – usually he sleeps in when you go to work – but he’s here, leaning against the counter while you go through your opening checklist and yawning behind his mask. “It’s up to you if you want to talk to him or not.”

“He’s gonna be pissed at me.” Tenko slouches. “This fake-my-death shit – we were friends. I’d be pissed in his spot.”

“He and Toga both said they missed you,” you counter. You remember their sadness at the vigil and feel a distant ache in your heart. “Maybe he’ll be pissed at first, but then I bet he’ll be happy.”

“I can’t believe he has a girlfriend,” Tenko says. “One time he got his ass kicked because the hero he was fighting told him he was her type.”

You wonder what Spinner’s going to say when he finds out Tenko has a girlfriend. If he finds out. If Tenko decides to reveal himself. It’s the day Spinner and Aiba are supposed to get here, and you still have no idea what he’s going to choose.

Tenko wasn’t happy when you got home from the gala and came clean about what happened. He wasn’t angry, either – not when you told him you talked to Spinner, not when he found out you invited Aiba to come check out the café. The word you’d use was confused. Confused as to why you’d set up a way for he and Spinner to meet again. It could mess everything up, you remember him saying. Why would you risk that?

It doesn’t have to mess everything up.

Tenko shook his head. Aren’t you worried I’ll go back to it?

To being a villain? No. You and Tenko were sprawled out on the couch together. He’d yanked you down into his lap the instant you came close enough. When I was still on the other side of the law, I didn’t have friends, or allies. Most common criminals don’t. But you did. We all knew about the League, and how close you were. I used to think about how nice that would be.

You were understating it a little bit. You were jealous of the League’s closeness, of how clearly and obviously they cared about one another. The crowd you ran with was more likely to stab each other in the back than help each other out. I want you to have that again, you continued. If you want it.

Tenko didn’t answer you then. He just kissed you, and then the two of you made out on the couch until you fell asleep. The two of you have talked about it almost every day since then, and Tenko still hasn’t made up his mind. And it’s okay. He’s got until Spinner walks out the door to decide.

Osono knocks on the door, towing the pastry cart, and you abandon the opening checklist to hold it open for her. “I’ve got some new seasonal items today,” she says. “Mostly fruit – strawberries, peaches, that kind of thing. And – huh. What’s he doing here?”

She’s pointing at Tenko, who was taste-testing your flavored syrups until a split second ago. He ducks down behind the counter and vanishes from view. Osono stares. “Was that Shimura?”

“Yes,” you say. Osono raises her eyebrows. “We’re seeing each other.”

Seeing him is kind of understating it. He basically lives in your apartment and you’re pretty sure you’re in love with him. Osono’s eyebrows lift even further. “Since when?”

“Since –” You count back in your head. “Two months ago. Are there any allergens in the new pastries? I’m assuming they aren’t vegan.”

One of them’s vegan. You make a special label for it, and Osono helps you arrange the new pastries in the case, while Tenko stays hidden behind the counter even though she’s already seen him. The one time she comments on his presence is when he steals a pastry off the tray before she can put it in the case. “So you’re the one who’s been eating all the babka.”

“Mmph.” Tenko’s mouth is too full to respond, and once he’s swallowed the monster bite he took, he looks at you. “I can pay for that.”

“Just buy milk the next time we go grocery shopping. That’ll cover it.”

It’s not until Osono’s left that Tenko emerges from behind the counter. He’s grimacing. “That was stupid.”

“Telling her?”

“Hiding from her. Now she’s going to tell everyone that you’re shacking up with a freak.”

“She just knows we’re dating,” you say. “I didn’t say anything about living together.”

“Yeah, not until you mentioned us buying groceries.” To his credit, Tenko doesn’t call you a moron over it. “I don’t give a shit what they say about me. It matters what they say about you. Do you really –”

“Yes.” You kiss Tenko’s cheek over the mask. “And I still like you.”

Tenko’s voice is muffled. “I like you, too.”

It’s a busy day at the café. Tourist season is in full swing and the weather is bright and warm, which means everybody wants a blended drink and nobody wants to stay inside the café to drink it. You have four or five blenders going at a time, loud enough to partially deafen you but with enough capacity to keep you from falling behind on orders. You barely have any time to talk to Tenko, but he’s keeping busy, too – in the same spot as always, looking over the decision tree for a computer game. You’re not sure, but you think it might be the game he wants to make.

Spinner and Aiba show up just before closing, when you’re still swamped. You can’t even see Aiba – she’s that short – and Spinner calls out to you instead. “We’re gonna check out the beach for half an hour and come back”

“Sounds good,” you holler back over the sound of the blenders. Half an hour. You can clear the customers out, get your paperwork in order, and give Tenko some warning of what’s to come.

The nice weather’s worked in your favor all day, and it keeps working in your favor – you don’t have any trouble shooing out the customers once they’ve got their drinks. You flip the sign on the door to closed, drop all but two of the blenders in the dishwasher, and go to check on Tenko. He’s working hard at something, and you don’t want to interrupt. You sit down across from him and tap his foot under the table to let him know you’re there.

He looks up. “Did they leave?”

“For a little bit. They’ll be back soon.” You watch as Tenko pulls down his mask, unhooks it from over one ear. “How are you feeling?”

“If it happens, it happens,” Tenko says. “I’m not going to talk to him. But I’m not going to hide, either.”

“Okay,” you say. “I won’t mess around with it, either.”

“Any more than you already messed around with it.” Tenko kicks you lightly under the table, but he’s half-smiling at the same time. “I like having the choice. Didn’t get a lot of those before.”

“I know.” You hold out your hands for his, and Tenko gives them to you so you can raise them to your lips. He’s wearing his gloves, like almost always. “I –”

The bell rings, and both of you jump. It’s probably a good thing it cuts you off, because you have no idea what you were going to say next. Tenko’s grip on your hands tightens, and you kiss his knuckles again before standing up and hurrying to the door. Spinner and Aiba are out there, looking windswept but happy. “Come on in,” you say. “Do either of you want a drink?”

“Something cold,” Aiba says, and Spinner nods in agreement. “Do you have blended drinks?”

“Definitely.” You left two blenders out for precisely that reason. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Tenko’s arm pop up, giving you a thumbs-up. He wants one, too.

Since you know which one he wants, you start with his first, while your guests study the menu. Aiba’s eyeing the fruit flavors, but Spinner’s watching you. “Who’s that for?”

You could lie. But you’re keeping up appearances as usual, not making anything happen that shouldn’t, and if anyone else was asking, you’d answer honestly. “I have one person still hanging out back there. It’s for him.”

“I thought you were closed,” Aiba says. “Do you usually let people stay past closing time?”

“No. But he’s my boyfriend,” you say, “so it’s different.”

“Do you give him free stuff?”

“If he behaves,” you say. Tenko leans out from the booth to glare at you, and you struggle to keep a straight face. “Which he does.”

“If I gave you free stuff, would you stick around my café?” Aiba asks Spinner.

“No, I’d pay for stuff,” Spinner argues. “I don’t want to, like – grift, or something. Or take stuff away from people who will pay.”

Aiba frowns. “What if I want to give you free stuff?”

“I have a little room in my budget for stuff like that,” you say. “I’ll show it to you when we go over the expenses and stuff. Have you decided what you want yet?”

Aiba opts for white chocolate and strawberry. Spinner points at the drink you’re pouring into a cup for Tenko. “Can I get whatever that is?”

“Sure. And you can sit down wherever,” you say. “There’s no password on the WiFi, so knock yourself out. I’m just going to bring this one to my boyfriend, and then I’ll be right back to start yours.”

“I can take it to him,” Spinner says. Your heart lurches, and you shake your head, but Spinner’s already holding out his hand. “Seriously. If he won’t come up to get it himself –”

“Are you modeling good behavior? That’s so cute!” Aiba actually has to jump up to plant a kiss on Spinner’s cheek. She looks at you, grinning. “He’s so helpful. He never pours tea on me by accident.”

You don’t even want to know, and right now you’re in a bind. If you refuse, it’ll look weird. If you don’t, you’ll be setting Tenko up for a face-to-face meeting with a friend who’s spent the last five years thinking he was dead. What would be the normal, not-suspicious thing to do? Accept help when it’s offered. “Thanks,” you say, and pass the drink over to Spinner.

Then you turn away, back to the blenders. You can’t watch.

Aiba watches you make the drinks, asking how you know the proportions without measuring, asking how you came up with the recipes. You answer over the sound of the blenders, and all the while, you watch Spinner over the top of her head. Spinner dropped off the drink without incident, but he’s stopped to look at your latest mural – another sunrise, this one in the east over the ocean. Tenko kept suggesting weird things for you to paint, like the low-tide line or a slimy knot of kelp and seaweed, but when you started working on this, he sat and watched you the entire time.

You should do more like this one, he said when you were done. I like the horizons.

Spinner apparently likes them, too. He’s saying something to Tenko, who’s not responding and who’s probably face-first in his laptop. Spinner’s a nice guy, but you can sense him getting annoyed, and as you turn off the blenders, you hear him lose patience. “Did I do something to you? Why are you acting like –”

He breaks off suddenly. You see him take a step back, then another, until he collides with a table and chair and almost falls over. Aiba turns, concerns, as Spinner rights himself, stumbling over his words. “It can’t – you were – I thought you were – we all thought –”

“You were wrong,” Tenko says. “Get over it.”

You cringe. At the back of the café, Spinner explodes. “Fuck you!” he snaps. “That’s all you’re going to say? Get over it? Do you even have a clue, you bastard? We all thought – if you say get over it one more time –”

“Get over it.”

“You son of a bitch,” Spinner snarls, and he drags Tenko out of the booth. Tenko lets him do it, lets Spinner grab him by the front of his hoodie and shake him until the hood falls down. “You asshole, Shigaraki!”

“Shigaraki?” Aiba stares in horror, then goes for her phone. You reach across the counter and catch her wrist to stop her. “Let me go! If Shuichi talks to him – if anybody finds out –”

“Wait,” you say. Your hands are shaking. You take a deep breath. “Give it a second, okay? Just wait.”

Tenko finally gets tired of the shaking and plants his feet. “Are you gonna beat me up?”

“I should!” Spinner’s fury falters for a second, wavering into confusion. “You let us think you were dead, and all this time –”

“I didn’t have a choice,” Tenko says. “Do you want to keep shouting at me or do you want me to explain?”

“I don’t understand,” Spinner says. “I thought –”

“Yeah,” Tenko says. “I know.”

Spinner’s eyes well up, and you let Aiba go so she can race to his side. Tenko, meanwhile, snags his drink from the table and makes his way back to you, ducking behind the counter. “I was right,” he mumbles. “He’s pissed.”

“Give him a second,” you say. “It’s a lot to cope with.”

“You coped just fine.”

“I didn’t know you before,” you remind him. You set out two cups for Aiba and Spinner and pour their drinks before retrieving the whipped cream. “It wasn’t personal to me that you’d faked your death. It was personal to him.”

Tenko nods, but it’s clear that he’s dissatisfied. “I shouldn’t have come in today.”

“Give it a second,” you say again. You drop half a strawberry into the whipped cream on Aiba’s drink, then feed Tenko the other half, because his mask is down and his mouth is open. “If it went the other way, you’d need a second, too.”

Aiba’s still trying to comfort Spinner when you bring the drinks. Tenko trials after you. You set the drinks down on the table Spinner ran into, trying to ignore the way Aiba’s glaring at you. “You set this up,” she accuses. “You made Shuichi cry!”

“That was me,” Tenko says. He sits back down in the booth. “It was my choice to be here. If I hadn’t you’d never have known.”

“Why?” Spinner demands. His voice is watery. “It’s been five years. Why now?”

“I didn’t have a way to get in contact with you before,” Tenko says. “They made it pretty clear that I’d fuck up everything if I reached out on my own.”

Aiba hands Spinner a lacy handkerchief. Spinner wipes his nose. “Who’s they?”

“Maybe we should all sit down,” you suggest. “There’s a lot to explain.”

“Um, okay.” Aiba still looks wary, but you’re pretty sure the two of you are on the same side – you both want your boyfriends to quit fighting. “Come on, Shuichi –”

She manages to get Spinner into the other side of the booth, then slides in after him. You nudge Tenko until he scoots over and sit down, too. It’s quiet while Aiba tries her drink, Spinner tries his, and Tenko realizes you don’t have one and slides his over to share with you. Something about that breaks whatever’s keeping Spinner quiet. “How’d you get a girlfriend?”

“How’d you get a girlfriend?” Tenko retaliates. “Toga has more game than you.”

“More than you, too,” Spinner says. He’s glaring again. “What are you doing out here? What do you even do all day?”

“I could ask you the same thing.” Tenko takes his drink back from you and takes another sip. “One of us has to talk first. You’ve been doing more stuff than me, so it should be you.”

“Yeah, well, I didn’t come back from the dead,” Spinner says. “You first. This is really good, by the way.”

He’s looking at you. “Oh,” you say. “Thanks.”

“Everything she makes is good,” Tenko says, which isn’t true by any stretch of the imagination. “You want me to talk first? Fine. As long as you don’t start trying to beat me up again.”

“I wasn’t trying to beat you up.”

“Or bite me –”

“I never bit you!” Spinner protests. “Stop lying about shit!”

“You totally bit him,” Aiba says, patting Spinner’s arm. “It was on TV.”

You remember seeing that, and experiencing a moment of pure bemusement before going straight back to running for your life. “You were supposed to be unconscious,” Spinner mutters. “I’m not boing to bite you and I’m not going to beat you up. Start talking.”

You remember how Tenko explained it to you. You let him tell it at his own pace, and you were quiet, not asking questions unless you really needed to know. Spinner asks questions every two seconds, fixating on tiny details, lingering on parts of the story that Tenko clearly doesn’t want to talk about. When Deku’s name comes up, you see Spinner’s jaw clench. “That little shit. I don’t care if Stain called him a true hero. I’m going to kill him!”

“It’s a waste of time,” Tenko says. He looks a little curious. “What did he do?”

“Lied. He’s been lying to me and Toga and everybody for five years! He told me there was nothing left of Shigaraki Tomura when he knew damn well –”

“That it’s not my name anymore,” Tenko says. Spinner blinks. “Sensei gave it to me. Even if I could use it again, I wouldn’t want to. Midoriya didn’t lie to you. Technically.”

Spinner scowls. “But even if he wanted to tell you, he couldn’t,” Tenko says. “That was the deal.”

“Why?”

“I’ll tell you as soon as you let me finish a sentence,” Tenko says. Someone kicks you under the table. “They used that kid Overhaul tortured to bring me back as far as they could – to right before I got Sensei’s quirk – and then –”

You get another kick. It’s Aiba. You’ve got no idea how she’s able to reach you from her side of the table, but you look up, and when you do, you see she’s holding up her phone. You take yours out, but she shakes her head sharply, then slides hers across the table to you. There’s an open Note. We have to talk like this. The government intercepts texts.

That’s not a surprise. You type a response and pass the phone. What do you want to talk about?

Aiba types really fast. Spinner, meanwhile, is trying to argue with Tenko about why he should have contacted the League anyway, consequences be damned. Aiba’s response slides back across the table. Shuichi’s tried really hard to change things. Harder than anybody else in the League, and people treat him terribly even when he’s doing nothing wrong just because he has a mutant-type quirk. I won’t let Shigaraki ruin it for him.

“He’s not going to ruin –”

She kicks you under the table, and you go back to reading. How do you know he’s not just biding his time and waiting for the right moment to come back?

You don’t. You aren’t naive, and you know that there’s no way to tell for sure what’s going on in someone else’s heart. Anyone can play any part, as convincingly as they’d like, until the moment they can’t take it any longer. You would know. That person used to be you.

And at the same time, you judge by action. You judge by Tenko not lashing out at Spinner even though Spinner’s provoked him. You judge by him keeping his hands covered, even though you know he can control his quirk. You judge by him keeping his head down, staying out of trouble, not seeking the spotlight or railing against the system. You judge by how he let you into his world, how he’s let you make yourself at home just as he’s made himself at home in yours. You judge by how he saved someone’s life.

I worry about him going back as much as I worry about me going back, you finally type. I can’t say never. I can say that things are better now than they were before. We could go back. I just don’t think we’d want to.

Aiba takes her time reading over your answer, and when she responds, she changes the subject. I think we should let them talk now. Will you still tell me about how you run your cafe?

“Of course,” you say out loud. You slide out of the booth, only for Tenko to catch your hand. “I’m just going to walk her through the business stuff. Send up a distress signal if you need me to come save you from Spinner.”

Spinner snorts. “Bring it over here instead,” Tenko says. His grip on your hand shifts, and you realize all at once that he doesn’t want you to leave. He wants you to stay while this happens. “I’ll move my shit off the table.”

He clears away his laptop, and you bring over the binder where you keep your expense reports, inventory sheets, income tracking, tax forms, and all the extra forms you have to fill out as part of the NCRA requirements. Aiba doesn’t look worried about it, although Spinner visibly blanches at the sight of so much paperwork. “Manami, I know I said I’d help you with the stuff, but –”

“It’s not that bad once you get used to it,” you say. You turn your attention to Aiba. “Where do you want to start?”

“I made a list,” she says. “Tell me about the loan application first.”

While you and Aiba go over the finer points of the initial stages of the NCRA, Tenko explains to Spinner. You listen with half an ear as he goes over everything, speaking quickly and with more assurance than he did when he told you, and you’d think he was comfortable with the story if not for how tightly he’s holding your hand under the table. It triggers a strange mix of feelings within you. You’re proud of him for trying to explain, for reaching back out to his friend. You’re a little worried that it’s stressing him out this much. And you feel – lucky, almost. Lucky that you’re the person he turns to. Lucky to find him. Or lucky, maybe, that he found you.

Aiba’s smartwatch beeps as you’re looking over the expense reports, and she sits up. “Shuichi, the sunset! We have to go.”

“Right.” Spinner looks kind of drained. So does Tenko. “It’s supposed to be really good here. We were gonna go down to the beach to watch.”

“You know the sun goes down on the other side of the country, right?” Tenko snarks. You elbow him. “Go check it out. I’ve never seen it, so don’t take my word for it.”

Then you should come with us, too,” Aiba says. Tenko startles. “And you!”

She’s looking at you now. “I don’t know if I can. I have to finish closing down –”

“We’ll come back and help you after,” Spinner says. He looks like he’s warming to the idea, even though a sunset beach walk is the kind of thing you’re supposed to do with just your girlfriend, not your best friend you’re mad at and his girlfriend who set the whole thing up. “Come on.”

You close up shop in a hurry, and the four of you set off for the beach. The crowds on the main beach are big, like always, so you lead the way to Fourth Beach, just like you did the day you found out who Tenko was before. Spinner and Aiba walk a little ways behind you, hand in hand, Aiba taking two steps for every one of Spinner’s. You match Tenko’s pace, like always. You watch him out of the corner of your eye. “How do you feel?”

“Weird.” Tenko sidles closer, leaning against you for a moment. “I’m not like he remembers me. I am, but I’m not. The last time we talked we were about to destroy the world, and now we’re just – normal.”

“You don’t think he wants to be friends with normal you?”

“I don’t think he thinks normal me is me,” Tenko says. His grip on your hand tightens for a moment. His hand shakes. “If there’s nobody down there – if it’s just us four – can you change my hair?”

A jolt runs through you. “Just for a little while,” Tenko says. “So he quits looking at me like I’m an imposter. Change it back when we leave.”

He looks miserable. You want to tell him that he’s not giving Spinner enough credit, that Spinner just found out today, that it’s probably still going to take time for Spinner to get used to the former Symbol of Fear slurping blended drinks in an internet cafe in a seaside town – but none of that is going to help. And he’s just told you what he thinks will fix it. You tighten your grip on his hand. “I’ve been meaning to offer to help with your hair,” you say. “I know you’ve been dyeing it yourself –”

“And I suck at it,” Tenko says. You didn’t want to say it. “You have better things to do with your quirk than fix my shitty dye job.”

“I can do a lot of things with my quirk at once,” you say. “What color do you want it today?”

Tenko’s quiet for a while, long enough for you to make the turn onto the path down to the beach, long enough for you to slow down and let Spinner and Aiba pass you. He doesn’t speak until you’ve both looked up and down the beach, confirming that the only people there are the ones who came with you. “Turn it white.”

“Okay,” you say. You let go of Tenko’s hands and beckon him closer. “Come here.”

When he’s close enough, you cradle his face in your hands, wait for permission to unhook his mask so you can kiss him. As he kisses you back, you run your fingers slowly through his hair.

He didn’t even own a hairbrush when he first started staying over at your apartment. You didn’t realize he was using yours until you started finding strands of matte-black hair caught in its bristles, and you didn’t realize how he was doing it until you caught him yanking the brush hard through the knots in his hair. It took a while for Tenko to grasp why you were offering to do it for him, but then he let you, and it’s become yet another small ritual in your lives. You don’t use a brush anymore. After the first few times, the knots are so small that you can draw them apart with your fingers.

If you were at home, you’d take your time changing Tenko’s color, a few strands at a time – but right now, you can’t. You run your fingers through Tenko’s hair, eyes closed, and when the two of you separate reluctantly, you open your eyes to check your work.

Even knowing what you know, knowing almost everything, there’s still a single moment of shock when you look at him. Maskless, white-haired, it’s impossible to see him as anyone but Shigaraki Tomura, Symbol of Fear, would-be destroyer of worlds – but only for a moment. Then he covers the back of his neck, glances awkwardly away and back again. “Does it look right?”

“Yeah,” you say. You take his hand again and start the walk down to the beach. “Let me know if you want to change it back.”

The sunset hasn’t quite started yet, but the sky is already beginning to change colors. The tide’s low, too, and you suppress the urge to tell your guests not to climb on the few beached logs with an effort. Tenko must be thinking of it, too, because he calls out to Spinner. “If you get stuck under one of those things, I’m not saving you.”

“You wouldn’t need to. I’ve still got my strength quirk. Unlike you, so –” Spinner looks back up the beach towards you and nearly jumps out of his skin at the sight of Tenko’s new hair color. “Fuck, don’t do that!”

“Do what? Look like me?” Tenko challenges. You wince. “I don’t know what you want from me.”

“I wanted you not to die,” Spinner says, and then it’s quiet, other than the crash of the waves and the distant cries of gulls. Tenko’s grip on your hand is tight and shaky. “Maybe it’s better this way. I couldn’t kick your ass in League if you were locked up in Tartarus.”

“You couldn’t kick my ass at League if I had on handcuffs and a straitjacket,” Tenko shoots back. “GTA, maybe –”

“Street Fighter, absolutely. Hand to hand combat isn’t your strong suit.”

“And sense of humor isn’t yours, if that’s the best hand joke you’ve got –”

They sound like they’re arguing, still. They sound like they’re arguing, but they aren’t. Tenko’s grip on your hand relaxes just enough that you can pull away, so you do. You leave them to talk and continue up the beach alone. Aiba’s taking photos of the sky as it goes pink and purple and gold, high over the hills. You leave her to it as well, but you commit the colors to memory, so you can use them later if you need to paint another horizon one day. You might. You probably will.

You believe in second chances, but this doesn’t feel like a second chance. It feels more like a miracle than anything else, the small kind, the kind you don’t notice until everything’s already fallen into place. The kind you would never have imagined when you moved here, six months after the war, hoping against hope that you could start over.

You stare up at the sky until you get a crick in your neck, then turn away to face the sea. The moon will be up soon. You haven’t painted a moonrise yet. Maybe this next time you will.

“Hey.” Tenko’s snuck up on you. He wraps his arms around your waist and pulls you back against him. “How’d you end up over here?”

“How did you end up over here? I thought you all were watching the sunset.”

“They wanted to kiss or something,” Tenko says. “Not my thing. So I cam to find you –”

“So we could kiss or something?” you ask, and Tenko snorts. “Or just to make sure I didn’t get stuck under a log?”

“You wouldn’t be that dumb.” Tenko hugs you a little closer. A few strands of his now-pale hair brush against your cheek. “Thanks. For getting Spinner to come out here.”

“Did you guys patch things up?”

“Not much to patch up. He just had to get it out of his system,” Tenko says. “He’s already trying to figure out how to get Toga down here.”

Another member of the former League of Villains hanging out at your cafe. It makes you nervous until you remember that you’re not on probation any longer. You wouldn’t have been in trouble for that even before. “Is that something you’d like?”

“It would be good to see her again,” Tenko says. “To see all of them. But I don’t think that’s what you signed up for.”

“Huh?”

“It’s not like with those two.” Tenko doesn’t have to tell you who he means. “There’s no rehabbing this. I didn’t talk to anybody in five years because anybody who got close enough could get close enough to guess. If you stick with me, you’re going to be hiding something your whole life.”

It always puts you a little on edge when Tenko starts talking about the future. You’re never sure how seriously he’s talking about it, if he really means it when he brings up staying together your whole lives. “I know that’s not what you wanted,” Tenko says. “You spent five years here tying yourself in a knot trying to be normal –”

“And look how many friends I made.” You kept to yourself, too. Being friendly to your customers isn’t the same thing as having friends. “Maybe it’s a good thing, if your friends are around more. We won’t have to hide anything from them.”

“You aren’t listening,” Tenko says. “Do you really –”

“What’s the alternative?” you ask. “Not for me, for you. That you never talk to anybody and never try anything new and never find things that make you happy? That’s not living.”

The thought of Tenko shutting himself away again – not just from you, but from everything – hurts more than anything nonphysical has a right to. “The world exists the way it is because of you. You should get to live in it.”

“Me?” Tenko scoffs. “Good try.”

“Yeah, you.” Spinner’s voice rings out from behind you. You peer out around Tenko to see he and Aiba approaching. “Deku feels so guilty for fake-killing you that he guilt-tripped everybody else into fixing things.”

“Not everything.”

“No, but some stuff,” you say. “If the laws hadn’t changed, I’d still be in prison.”

“Me and Gentle would have been, too,” Aiba adds. “And Shuichi.”

“I’d have been in Tartarus on a double life sentence. Toga’s and Dabi’s charges were even worse,” Spinner says. “You promised me and the others that you’d show us the most beautiful horizon we’d ever seen. This one looks pretty good to me.”

He gestures out over the ocean. The stars are already out, and the moon is just beginning to clear the horizon, a thin, bright crescent that casts a slender blaze of light across the water. You think he’s right. It does look pretty good, but there could be prettier ones, too. Maybe. You won’t know for sure unless you’re out here tomorrow.

So you will be. You’ll bring Tenko with you, as many times as you can, as many times as it’ll take, and maybe you’ll never make him see the world the way you do. But you can remind him that you like him when he asks, and switch in the other word sometime soon. You can find ways to bring his friends back to him, and maybe make friends with them yourself. He might think of it as hiding, but that’s not how you see it. It’s just part of living in the new world. You like living in it with him.

It’s quiet for a long time, all four of you watching the waves. One of Tenko’s arms unwraps from around your waist, but only so he can grab your hand and pull it up to his mouth. His lips brush against your knuckles, so soft that you can’t quite call it a kiss, and he keeps your hand there. When he speaks at last, it’s through your fingers, never looking away from the place where the ocean meets the sky. “Yeah,” Tenko says quietly, and you feel a smile break across your face. “It’s not so bad.”

[st-just]

Years later, autopsies would list all the ways the union and workers had been complicit in their own demise. Their contract gains had become unaffordable for the company – not just on wages, but on benefits such as pensions and retiree health coverage, and extended vacations that, for some senior workers, included thirteen weeks off every five years. Their insistence on the ‘past practices’ clause in their contract, which they gained in the 1950s to protect members against automation, prevented the company form assigning workers in the most efficient ways. The union too often covered up for lazy or unproductive workers, the ones who tucked into a truck cab for a nap.

There was truth to all this. It was also true that any indulgence or fecklessness on the part of the union was more than matched by upper management at Bethlehem Steel. Veteran executives were getting seven week vacations by 1980; there were twelve paid holidays for white collar employees, including UN Day and a floating holiday. There were company-paid security forces and chauffeurs. There was bureaucratic bloat and empire-building to rival that of any government agency; in the quarter-century before 1980, the company doubled its ranks of vice-president or higher and, as John Strohmeyer wrote, ‘each of these vice-presidents required there own assistants, assistants-to, managers, assistant managers, and secretaries.’ In 1980, the party celebrated a new chairman with a party in Boca Raton for all its managers and their wives, five hundred people in all – and then sent the incoming and outgoing chairmen and their wives on a global tour in the corporate jet with stops in Singapore, Cairo and London. When the new chairman left six years later, after presiding over $2 billion in losses, he rewarded himself with an 11 percent raise and approved $1 million severance packages for all thirteen vice presidents. One vice president used a company jet to fly his kids to college and go to a vacation retreat in upstate New York. Rank-and-file workers were not blind to such excesses, and took them as a model.

-Fulfillment: Winning and Losing in One-Click America, by Alec MacGillis

[crosswood]

Find out the charm of Crosswood Hotels in Nainital

Crosswood Hotels: Crosswood hotels make this world more stunning by the natural view and it is fastest growing in Nainital, nestled amidst serene hilly terrains of city. With its picture perfect landscapes and serene surroundings, this destination makes for the ideal setting to experience a unique stay at Crosswood Hotels like never before- blending relaxation with adventure.

Elegance Meets Comfort

And Crosswood Hotels Nainital does a fabulous job when it comes to the amalgamation of modern amenities with rustic flavors. Every room is a cocoon to relax in and furnished with the best essentials along sleek furnishings that offer breathtaking views of verdant hills outside. We offer a range of accommodations including guest rooms and parlor suites to provide modern comforts with luxe touches. Featuring plush bedding, contemporary design and modern amenities including high-speed internet service, flat screen TV sets and in-room dining.

Gastronomic Delights

When you combine an evening of dining with Crosswood Hotels, it is a gastronomic adventure in its own right. Guests can enjoy a variety of dishes served at the on-site restaurant. Providing both local and international dishes for different tastes made set in this hotel Using the freshest, locally sourced ingredients possible Morning Noon Night offers everything from indulgent Breakfasts to extravagant Dinners that are just as delectable in taste! As you take your meals amidst the charm of rolling hills and lakes, guests find their food as memorable experience.

Unparalleled Location

Location is the main highlight of hotel in nainital is Crosswood Hotels. Located a convenient distance from prominent attractions in Nainital, the hotel is easily accessible to major points of interest like: The Naini Lake; Snow View Point and Mall Road. Whether you want to experience the nature around here, do some adventure activities or just take a walk by the lake Crosswood Hotels would definitely serve as an amazing stepping stone in your explorations.

Recreational Activities

Some of the leisure activities offered by the hotel include fitness center. Guests seeking to unwind can visit the spa on site, which offers treatments designed both to refresh and invigorate body and soul. For leisure, the hotel houses a good-sized modern fitness center for guests who want to keep up their workout whilst on vacation. Crosswood Hotels also provides customized guided tours and adventure activities such as trekking, boating & horse riding ensuring a memorable experience for all the guests.

Warm Hospitality

Where Crosswood Hotels really distinguishes itself is in exceptional customer service. The teams at Crosswood Hotels are some of the most hospitable people who go out their way to ensure you have all your needs met with what seems like an effortless nature. Driven to provide you with a great and calm experience from check-in all the way through your trip.

Perfect for All Occasions

From a romantic holiday to structuring any important family event from wedding hall in Ganganagar, book hotels in mukteshwar the Crosswood Hotel and even the conference room on rent for corporate events. The hotel is also outfitted with a variety of meeting, conference and special celebration facilities that can be tailored into packages to suite your event requirements. The scenic environment and state-of-the-art facilities account for the high number of wedding bookings here, as well as with many other grand events.

This makes Crosswood Hotels in Nainital a trait of luxury combined with comfort and nature. This makes it the perfect option for those travelers who seek to discover pretty hill station of Nainital and prefer a stay in stylish & restful surroundings that offer a memorable experience on comfort, good food & amazing hospitality. Crosswood Hotels delivers an unforgettable journey, be it a brief retreat or extended experience.

[curiousquill1]

Ertha Stella Island Retreat – Luxury Wellness Escape in Crete

Experience the ultimate luxury at Ertha Stella Island, a serene wellness retreat in Crete. Designed for both relaxation and transformation, this retreat offers bespoke experiences in a stunning over-water villa setting. Perfect for corporate getaways or personal rejuvenation, Ertha Stella Island blends tranquility with exclusive amenities.

[ertharetreats6]

Rejuvenate in the Swiss Alps: Wellness Travel and Corporate Escapes

Switzerland, with its breathtaking landscapes and serene environments, has become a top destination for those seeking rejuvenation and relaxation. This charming nation has everything you need for the ideal getaway, whether you're searching for wellness travel packages or thinking about planning corporate retreat packages.

Why Switzerland is the Perfect Wellness Destination

Switzerland is not just famous for its chocolates and watches; it is also a haven for wellness enthusiasts. Picture this: you're surrounded by snow-capped mountains, the air is crisp and pure, and there's a gentle breeze carrying the scent of pine trees. Sounds like a dream, right? But this is the reality of a wellness retreat in Switzerland. The country offers a unique blend of natural beauty and world-class facilities that cater to all your wellness needs. Whether you're looking to de-stress, detox, or simply unwind, Switzerland has something for everyone.

Exploring the Top Wellness Retreats in Switzerland

When it comes to wellness travel packages, Switzerland offers some of the best retreats in the world. From luxurious spa resorts nestled in the Alps to quaint wellness centres in serene villages, the options are endless.

The Dolder Grand, Zurich:

This iconic hotel offers a blend of traditional Swiss hospitality and modern wellness facilities. The Dolder Grand's spa is renowned for its wide range of treatments, including hydrotherapy, massages, and beauty treatments.

Clinique La Prairie, Montreux:

Known for its cutting-edge medical spa treatments, Clinique La Prairie is the place to go if you're looking for a wellness experience that's both luxurious and transformative.

Waldhaus Flims Wellness Resort:

Located in the picturesque town of Flims, this resort is perfect for those seeking a holistic wellness experience. The resort offers everything from yoga and meditation sessions to detox programs and nutritional counseling.

Each of these retreats offers tailored wellness travel packages designed to meet individual needs, ensuring that every guest leaves feeling refreshed and revitalized.

Benefits of Wellness Travel in Switzerland

You might be wondering, what makes wellness travel in Switzerland so special? Well, it's not just about the stunning scenery.

Mental Clarity:

The natural beauty of Switzerland has a calming effect that helps clear the mind, making it easier to focus on personal well-being.

Physical Health:

The combination of fresh air, outdoor activities, and healthy cuisine contributes to overall physical health. Whether you're hiking in the mountains or enjoying a spa treatment, your body will thank you.

Emotional Balance:

The serene environment of Switzerland allows you to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of daily life, providing a space to reconnect with yourself and find emotional balance.

Incorporating wellness travel packages into your lifestyle can have long-lasting benefits, making Switzerland an ideal destination for anyone looking to improve their overall well-being.

Incorporating Corporate Retreats into Wellness Travel

If you're planning a corporate retreat, why not consider integrating it with wellness travel? Switzerland is not only a great place for personal rejuvenation but also offers fantastic options for corporate retreat packages.

Imagine holding your next team-building event at a wellness resort in the Swiss Alps. Your team can participate in workshops, enjoy spa treatments, and engage in outdoor activities, all while surrounded by breathtaking scenery. This not only boosts morale but also enhances productivity and fosters stronger team bonds.

Many resorts in Switzerland offer specialized corporate retreat packages that combine business with wellness. These packages often include meeting facilities, team-building activities, and wellness treatments, making it easy to balance work with relaxation.

Conclusion: Your Next Wellness Journey Awaits

It's more crucial than ever to make time for yourself in the hectic world of today. Whether you're looking for wellness travel packages to rejuvenate your body and mind or planning corporate retreat packages to boost your team's productivity, Switzerland offers the perfect setting for your next journey. With its stunning landscapes, world-class wellness facilities, and a unique blend of traditional and modern treatments, Switzerland truly has it all. So why wait? Your next wellness adventure is just a flight away.

Remember, a wellness journey is not just a vacation; it's an investment in yourself. Are you ready to make that investment?

[thesamsaraholidays]

Unlock the Wonders of Jammu and Kashmir: Customized B2B Travel Packages

Discover the Enchanting Landscapes and Rich Cultural Heritage of J&K

Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost union territory of India, is a true gem waiting to be explored. Whether you're planning a corporate retreat, a team-building adventure, or a strategic business meeting, our carefully curated B2B Packages for Jammu and Kashmir offer the perfect blend of breathtaking natural beauty, vibrant cultural experiences, and seamless logistics.

Explore the Top Attractions in Jammu and Kashmir

Srinagar: Cruise along the serene Dal Lake, marvel at the magnificent Mughal Gardens, and immerse yourself in the enchanting Shikara boat rides.

Pahalgam: Venture into the lush green meadows, go for a thrilling pony ride, and witness the awe-inspiring Betaab Valley.

Gulmarg: Ride the world-famous Gondola cable car, enjoy snow sports in the winter, and embrace the breathtaking vistas of the Himalayan peaks.

Leh-Ladakh: Embark on a spiritual journey to the iconic Monasteries, explore the captivating Nubra Valley, and marvel at the enchanting Pangong Tso Lake.

Best Time to Visit Jammu and Kashmir

The ideal time to visit Jammu and Kashmir for B2B travel packages depends on your specific interests and requirements. The region offers year-round attractions:

Spring and Summer (April to September): Enjoy the lush greenery, blooming flowers, and pleasant weather perfect for outdoor activities.

Autumn (September to November): Witness the stunning fall foliage and explore the region's vibrant cultural festivals.

Winter (December to March): Revel in the snow-covered landscapes, indulge in winter sports, and experience the cozy charm of the region.

Estimated Travel Cost

The approximate travel cost for a B2B package in Jammu and Kashmir, including transportation, accommodation, and essential activities, can range from ₹30,000 to ₹50,000 per person, depending on the package duration, group size, and level of luxury.

Book Your Unforgettable B2B Journey in Jammu and Kashmir Today!

Embark on a transformative B2B travel experience in the enchanting land of Jammu and Kashmir. Contact us now to customize your perfect corporate getaway package.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is the best way to reach Jammu and Kashmir?

Ans. Jammu and Kashmir can be accessed by air, rail, and road. The major airports are in Srinagar, Jammu, and Leh, with well-connected domestic flights from major Indian cities.

Q. Is it safe to travel to Jammu and Kashmir?

Ans. Jammu and Kashmir is generally safe for tourists, especially when traveling with reputable tour operators. However, it's essential to stay informed about the latest travel advisories and follow local guidelines.

Q. What is the currency used in Jammu and Kashmir?

Ans. The Indian Rupee (INR) is the official currency used in Jammu and Kashmir. Major credit cards are widely accepted in most tourist areas.

Q. Do I need a special permit to visit Jammu and Kashmir?

Ans. A special permit (called an Inner Line Permit) is required to visit certain restricted areas in Ladakh and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Our team can assist you with obtaining the necessary permits.

Q. What are the must-try local cuisines in Jammu and Kashmir?

Ans. Jammu and Kashmir is renowned for its delectable Kashmiri cuisine, including dishes like Rogan Josh, Yakhni, Gushtaba, and the iconic Kashmiri Wazwan. Don't miss the opportunity to savor these culinary delights.

Q. Can I combine my B2B trip with leisure activities in Jammu and Kashmir?

Ans. Absolutely! Our B2B packages can be customized to include a perfect balance of business and leisure activities, allowing your team to experience the best of Jammu and Kashmir.

Q. What are the top adventure activities available in the region?

Ans. Jammu and Kashmir offers a wide range of adventure activities, such as trekking, hiking, white-water rafting, skiing, and snowboarding, depending on the season and location.

Q. Is the infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir suitable for B2B travel?

Ans. Yes, the region has a well-developed infrastructure, including modern hotels, conference facilities, and transportation options, catering to the needs of corporate travelers.

Q. Can I extend my B2B trip to explore other parts of India?

Ans. Certainly! Our B2B packages can be seamlessly integrated with travel plans to explore other captivating destinations across India, creating a truly comprehensive and enriching experience for your team.

Q. How can I book a B2B package for Jammu and Kashmir?

Ans. You can contact our dedicated team of travel experts, who will work closely with you to design a custom B2B package tailored to your specific requirements and budget.

Conclusion

Jammu and Kashmir, with its breathtaking landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and well-equipped infrastructure, is an ideal destination for B2B travel. Our carefully crafted packages offer the perfect balance of business and leisure, allowing your team to forge stronger connections, boost productivity, and create lasting memories. Embark on an unforgettable journey with us and unlock the wonders of this enchanting region.

[infamousbrad]

The Unabomber Died in Prison Today, and I'm a Little Bit Conflicted about It

Harvard-trained mathematician, MK-ULTRA victim, and terrorist assassin Ted Kaczynski died today in prison. He was 81.

In 1978, he began mailing cleverly disguised package bombs from the cabin he retreated to in Montana, and continued doing so, intermittently, until his capture in 1995. Law enforcement and journalists code-named him the Unabomber because his first targets were university professors and airline executives.

Kaczynski believed that a loose coalition of computer scientists, advertisers, corporate lobbyists, and free-trade advocates were, mostly inadvertently, about to bring into existence a world of powerless, dysfunctional governments, where all humans would be manipulated by software algorithms into surrendering their freedom to global corporations who would, in their quest to maximize profits, attempt to condition human beings to make them even more predictable.

In a desperate attempt to prevent this, or to at least draw attention to the danger, he specifically targeted computer scientists who were working on the Internet, advertising executives, airline executives, and lobbyists, hoping to either assassinate enough of them to prevent advertiser-dominated Internet companies from being invented or, failing that, to warn people not to surrender their power to them.

He was captured when the government and the New York Times agreed to publish his manifesto, correctly guessing that somebody would recognize his "voice." His brother did recognize his unique turns of phrase and turned him in.

The Unabomber's assassination campaign did not prevent advertiser-controlled social media companies from coming into existence. Assassination campaigns are, to a first approximation, never successful at producing their desired ends. Terrorist assassination, as a tactic, isn't just evil, it's counter-productive.

And yet ... Kaczynski was not the only scientist in 1978 to see our modern dystopia coming, nor the only one to try to prevent it. Nothing anybody else tried succeeded in stopping it, either. So I wonder if, as he died in prison, having lived long enough to see his worst fears come true, he felt any satisfaction, if he comforted himself with the thought, "It had to be tried"?

[suryatourandtravels]

Discover Unmatched Adventures with Surya Tour & Travels Agency in Bhopal

In the vibrant city of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, lies a travel agency committed to turning your wanderlust dreams into reality. Surya Tour & Travels Agency stands as a beacon of excellence in the realm of transportation services, offering rental taxis and cars that redefine travel experiences. As the premier tour and travel agency in Bhopal, we pride ourselves on providing the best tours and packages at highly competitive prices, tailored to suit the diverse needs of our customers across Madhya Pradesh.

At Surya Tour & Travels, we understand that every journey is unique, and that's why we offer a wide range of vehicles to cater to your specific requirements. Whether you're planning a solo adventure, a family vacation, or a corporate retreat, we have the perfect mode of transportation for you. From luxurious SUVs to spacious buses and well-maintained tempo travelers, our fleet is designed to ensure your comfort, safety, and enjoyment throughout your travels in Madhya Pradesh.

One of our recent endeavors includes organizing taxi services for the Narmada Pushkaram event, also known as Pushkaralu. This historic event, celebrated once every twelve years, attracts pilgrims and travelers from far and wide to the banks of the sacred Narmada River. As part of our commitment to providing exceptional service, we are proud to offer dedicated taxi services to facilitate seamless transportation for attendees of this auspicious occasion.

At Surya Tour & Travels Agency, we specialize in understanding and catering to the unique travel needs of tourists. Whether you're seeking spiritual solace at ancient temples, exploring the rich cultural heritage of Madhya Pradesh, or marveling at the natural beauty of its landscapes, our team is here to curate the perfect itinerary for you. Our tour packages are meticulously crafted to offer you the best of what Madhya Pradesh has to offer, ensuring an unforgettable travel experience.

What sets us apart from other travel agencies in Bhopal is our unwavering commitment to excellence. Our fleet of vehicles, including taxis, cars, tempo travelers, and luxury buses, is fully maintained to the highest standards to ensure your safety and comfort. Additionally, our team of professional and experienced drivers is dedicated to providing you with a smooth and enjoyable journey every step of the way.

Whether you're a local resident in search of a weekend getaway or a traveler from afar exploring the wonders of Madhya Pradesh for the first time, Surya Tour & Travels Agency is your trusted partner in adventure. Our reputation as the leading tour and travel agency in Bhopal is built on a foundation of unparalleled service, competitive prices, and unforgettable travel experiences.

So why wait? Contact Surya Tour & Travels Agency today to embark on your next great adventure in Madhya Pradesh. Let us be your guide as you explore the diverse landscapes, rich history, and vibrant culture of this magnificent region. Your journey begins here with Surya Tour & Travels Agency, where every trip is an experience to remember.

[leam1983]

Zeitgeist

Replaying Grand Theft Auto V is kind of depressing, seeing as you realize very little of its caricature of mid-2010s America has actually changed.

We're still choking under mountains of debt, we're still mostly powerless in the face of modern-day robber barons fleecing us of our cold, hard cash in crypto schemes that might as well be the 1920s Oil Plot scam dressed up in shiny new clothes, we're still slavishly adhering to corporate-mandated expectations of body image and self-esteem, we've effectively turned positivity into a corporate buzzword to be packaged and sold, kids retreat into extended childhoods in the face of an adulthood that seems more irrelevant than ever, which results in fortysomething YouTubers and Internet celebs with the maturity level of a fourteen year-old - and there's still misinformed machos proselytizing the idea that the Right Guy with a Gun could clean up North America's entire value system by selectively purging anything and anyone that doesn't fit with their worldview. We've also still got would-be tech evangelists that shit out the dumbest ideas in existence to the widespread approval of zealous sheeple whose only concern is of Fitting In. It was LifeInvader's Dock in GTA V, and the Metaverse for us.

Is it any wonder, considering, that we're still saddled with middle-class Average Joes that snap, grab themselves a gun with little to no oversight and then go on a spree?

Fuck, if I had to actually buy a house, I might as well pick up Mike DeSanta's toolset and rob myself a bank or two...

[aceluxurywinetours]

Get Premier Wine Tour Packages in Long Island at Ace Luxury Wine Tours!

Are you ready to escape into a world of exquisite flavors, stunning landscapes, and unforgettable moments? Look no further than Ace Luxury Wine Tours, where we've crafted the ultimate wine experiences for you in the heart of Long Island's wine country. Our passion for wine, combined with our dedication to providing a truly luxurious journey, sets us apart as your go-to choice for exploring Long Island's finest wineries.

Why Ace Luxury Wine Tours?

Handpicked Selection of Wineries: We've scoured Long Island's wine region to bring you an exclusive selection of award-winning wineries. From boutique family-owned estates to well-known vineyards, our tours provide a curated taste of the diverse wines this region has to offer.

Luxurious Travel: Your comfort is our priority. Travel between wineries in style and luxury with our fleet of top-of-the-line vehicles. Relax and enjoy the scenery as we chauffeur you through picturesque landscapes.

Gourmet Culinary Experiences: A wine journey is incomplete without the perfect culinary pairings. Indulge in gourmet meals crafted to complement the wines you'll be tasting. Our partnerships with local chefs add a delicious twist to your tour.

Tasting with the Experts: Meet the passionate winemakers and experts behind the labels. Engage in insightful conversations, learn about the winemaking process, and gain a deeper appreciation for the art of winemaking.

Breathtaking Scenery: Long Island's wine region is a blend of rolling vineyards, serene water views, and charming countryside. Our tours take you to the most picturesque spots, ensuring you capture memories as beautiful as the wines you'll taste.

Customizable Experiences: Whether you're planning a romantic getaway, a bachelorette party, or a corporate retreat, we offer tailored Wine Tour Long Island Packages to suit your preferences. Let us know your desires, and we'll create a memorable experience just for you.

Educational and Entertaining: Our tours are designed to be both informative and enjoyable. Whether you're a wine novice or a seasoned connoisseur, you'll leave with a wealth of knowledge and an unforgettable adventure.

Wine, Memories, and More: It's not just a tour; it's a memory-making experience. Sip on exceptional wines, savor gourmet food, and share laughter with friends old and new. Let us take care of the details while you savor every moment.

 Book Your Best Long Island Wine Tours Today!

The vines are calling, and the wines are waiting. Elevate your Long Island experience with the best Long Island wine tour packages at Ace Luxury Wine Tours. Unveil the secrets of Long Island's terroir, immerse yourself in its culture, and create memories that will last a lifetime. Contact us today to book your journey into the world of luxury wines and unforgettable moments. Your glass awaits!