#grand staircase escalate

[marseesthisway]

the Wave, Utah

[raihann1]

˚ ༘ ೀ˚🎄Christmas Dinner w/ the creeps🍽ˎˊ˗

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The snowfall outside the Slendermansion painted a serene portrait of the approaching holiday season. Inside, the warm glow of candles and the rich aroma of a roasting turkey filled the air. Slenderman had been meticulously preparing a feast for his peculiar guests. Each place setting at the long, dark wooden table sparkled with silverware and crystal glasses, and a festive garland of holly and ivy wrapped around the centerpiece. The quiet clinking of dishes and the muffled sound of a distant bell harmonized with the peaceful ambiance.Suddenly, the tranquility shattered like the delicate glassware on the sideboard. Jane and Jeff, seated directly across from each other, broke into a heated stare down. The tension grew as palpable as the steam rising from the mashed potatoes. Without warning, they both lunged at each other, their fists colliding with a ferocity that shook the very foundations of the house. The other residents looked on in shock, frozen in their seats. Sally, the youngest among them, burst into tears as Lucy and Lazari rushed to her side, trying to calm her trembling form.Masky, ever the composed one, took the chaos as an opportunity to excuse himself for a "smoke break." He strode out the back door, his trench coat billowing behind him as he stepped into the frigid night, leaving a trail of quiet dignity in his wake. Meanwhile, Laughing Jack and Laughing Jill, seemingly unfazed by the brawl, simply vanished into thin air, leaving their plates of food untouched. The suddenness of their departure sent a shiver down the spines of the remaining guests, who were already on edge from the escalating fight between Jane and Jeff.As the sound of their fists hitting flesh echoed through the dining room, the pitcher of water on the table trembled precariously. Toby, qho was rarely clumsy had been watching the scene with a mix of fascination. He tightly put his hands around his plate, his movements grew erratic until he lost his grip and tumbled to the floor, the pitcher following suit. The crash and splash of shattering glass and water added to the cacophony, and the room grew eerily silent as the water spread out like a dark stain across the floor.In the aftermath of the sudden commotion, Kagekao, the creature known for his dramatic entrances, took a tumble down the grand staircase. His elongated limbs flailed wildly, knocking over the banister and sending a cascade of ornaments and lights with him as he plummeted. The thunderous impact of his fall was matched only by the horror in his eyes as he lay there, unmoving. The tension in the room thickened, but Slenderman remained unfazed, his gaze never leaving the feast laid out before him.Clockworks, the resident with a penchant for the dramatic, took the opportunity to make her own exit. She stood up with a flourish of his coat and a dramatic groan, flipping everyone the bird before sprinting out the door. The sound of her retreat was quickly replaced by the echo of the slammed door, leaving a lingering silence in her wake. Jason, the stoic figure who usually hovered in the shadows, looked on with a mix of disgust and disappointment at the unfolding chaos. He was about to leave the dining room and the absurdity behind him when Ben, in a fit of mischief, stuck his foot out, tripping Jason in his haste. Ben's laughter was cut short, however, as he realized he had just made an enemy out of someone much more dangerous than himself.In the midst of the chaos, Homicidal Liu stepped forward, attempting to break up the brawl between Jeff and Jane. His eyes flickered with a mix of anger and concern as he grabbed Jeff's shoulders, trying to pull him away from the fight. "That's enough!" he bellowed, his voice a thunderclap in the tense room. Jeff, fueled by a sudden burst of adrenaline and the instinct to protect his sibling, broke free from Liu's grip and lunged at Jane again.

[thewordswewrite]

The Drought of an Ocean

Chapter 11 - Rings Like Gold

Pairing | Finnick Odair x Fem!Reader

Story Summary | Finnick Odair was the youngest victor to ever win the Hunger Games but that didn’t earn him respect as a mentor, at least not until she came along. When a dejected volunteer from District 4 puts her life on the line, Finnick will do anything he can to protect her.

Chapter Summary | A new development from Snow puts Finnick and his victor in a tough situation

Chapter Warnings | canon typical violence, nonexplicit forced prostitution, mentions/situations of sexualizing minors, anxiety inducing situations, explicit language, mentions of suicide

W/C | 3.2k

Taglist | @lem0ns77   @lostintheendlessvoidthatislife @curlycarley​   @bela-nov​ @lilylovelyxo​   @jaydiann @shynypeacekitten​ @dd122004dd​ @jyessaminereads​   @aquawhore420   @qallaghereid  @bazzaza​ @zulpix-blog​

A/N | guys we’re just ruining these people’s livessss fr sorry not sorry-Smoe

Donations |  Link    

|Masterlist|

As the party continued on into the night, the girl faithfully followed Sagan to the point of nearly cowering behind them as they descended further into the depths of the palace. Without Finnick by her side, she was vulnerable to the touches and offers of the partygoers, Sagan clueless to the fact that one might be made uncomfortable by this type of behavior; they meant well but ultimately, they were one of them.

She had seen the first glimpses of Finnick acting like himself when he had snuck away, finding something more important than her safety, than her to occupy his night. The idea of heading back home and never having to see him in more than a passing glance and mentor-related events was becoming more and more appealing. What had he really done for her anyway? She had been the one to impress the judges during training, to get in with the career pack and to fight her way out of that arena. Even with the unfortunate implications that had come from her interviews, she had clearly made an impression in the Capitol given she received a sponsor in her biggest time of need. If anything, Finnick’s presence in her life only made things far more complicated than they needed to be.

“Is the party almost over?” She asked Sagan as they pulled her along hand in hand, “Finnick’s gone and I just want to go home.”

“Over? Darling, it’s barely begun,” Sagan gasped. “You’re the star here. If you go now…well, I suppose it will continue on but at least stay for the fireworks!”

“Fireworks?”

“Exactly! You simply must see them.” As much as she didn’t want to admit it, she was intrigued. At the very least, she had heard rumblings of the President’s speech and the grand presentation being imminent so it wouldn’t be an impossible task to wait a bit longer. 

They were mingling for a little while longer when out of the corner of her eye, the girl saw a peacekeeper approach Sagan. She excused herself from the conversation she was in, in favor of finding a larger crowd to hide amongst. It was no use however, as her escort and the armed guard were by her side in minutes. When a leather gloved hand wrapped around her upper arm, she tried to escape the bruising grip but Sagan stepped in before she could start an altercation.

“It seems you’re a very lucky girl tonight. A private audience with President Snow awaits you!” Sagan said the words pointedly, knowing the girl well enough to urge her to calm herself before things escalated. “Go on now. I’ll be right here waiting to hear all about it!” 

She eased in the guard’s grasp as he led her towards the other man from his post. With the two of them behind her, they corralled her up the grand staircase to the top floor. The dark wooded hallway loomed around her, seeming to go on for miles with different doors. The guards led her to one at the end of the hall, marked in its importance by a wide set of double doors. The two of them took their new position, one on each wall as she looked at them for some indication as to what she should do but their masked faces revealed nothing. She stepped up to the door and before she could reach out a hand to knock, it opened, revealing a familiar face. 

“Finnick, what’s going on?”

Her eyes darted from Finnick’s wide blown ones to Snow’s narrow gaze. 

“Ah, and here’s our victor now,” Snow announced with a gesture of presentation, the room eerily silent beyond those words. Finnick’s mouth was agape as he stared at her, failing to form any sound. His eyes glanced between her and the door as if he was thinking of making an escape. The President cleared his throat. “Please have a seat, my dear. I’ll formally extend my congratulations in a moment but first, Finnick has something he wanted to say. Don’t you, Finnick?”

She took the finely upholstered seat in front of the President’s desk, sitting awkwardly stiff. It was impossible not to feel as if she had walked in on something she wasn’t supposed to be a part of, the air in the room cold and tense. She was angled towards Finnick, eyes moving from the President to her mentor as he practically shook in his stance.

In a moment there was a burst of words from Finnick, rushing out of his mouth where there were none before, “You have to understand I didn’t mean for this to happen this way, there was nothing I could–”

The frantic quality of his expulsion and no doubt the volume caused the peacekeepers to step towards him, hands on their weapons but Snow must have anticipated the reaction for he stopped all three of the men with a tut.

“There’s no need for that, my boy,” The President sighed, turning to her to add, “He’s simply overexcited. Of course, Mr. Odair has taken a special interest in you and as a gift for him, I’ve approved your arrangements.” With the frigid air in the room, she was breaking into a cold sweat, a pit in her stomach growing larger by the minute.

“Arrangements?”

“Finnick, would you like to try that again?” Snow ‘asked’ though it was clear from the look on Finnick’s face that he had no choice. He pulled something out from behind his back that she couldn’t make out but if he wasn’t careful, his shaking hands would surely drop it. With his head pointed down towards the floor, he inched closer to her. His hand made to present the item in his possession to her but the President interrupted before she could catch a glimpse. “Now, now, be a gentleman and do it properly.”

Stinging hot tears sprang to her eyes as she watched Finnick get down on one knee, shaking her head before he revealed the piece of jewelry in his hand. In his palm sat a pearl ring, glittering stones around it forming the shape of a seashell. Finnick’s eyebrows were deeply furrowed, the lines of his frown mirroring the anguish that she too felt. Her vision was blurred by unfallen tears as she looked to Snow who nodded with a ‘go on’ gesture. There was no refusing, no running or fighting to be had; this was inevitable, it was this or death.

She nodded along in time with Snow, turning back to Finnick as silent tears traveled down her face. Grabbing her hand with his own, she flinched at Finnick’s touch briefly before relinquishing, allowing him to slide the ring onto her finger.

Finnick stood up, using her hand as leverage before she yanked her hand out of his. They turned to Snow expectantly, their next move unclear, the rest of their lives essentially up to the man in front of them. She felt the years slip through her fingers, her life already carved in stone. A cold dread traveled her entire body. 

Snow cleared his throat and stood to attention, “I believe it’s time for my speech. Join me, would you?” She could feel Finnick’s gaze on her but she didn’t dare turn to him, resolving to deal with him later. If it weren’t for the President, for the armed guards, she might’ve thought it in her best interest to fight her way out. Though, her instinct for self preservation was dwindling by the minute.

The peacekeepers led the three of them out onto the balcony, her and Finnick flanking the President on either side. The room having been void of life had not prepared her for the thousands of eyes on her in an instant. Seeming to go on for miles, the estate stood in its entirety in front of them, the Capitols citizens cheering as a spotlight fell onto her and the two men. She attempted to shield her eyes from the light as Snow began to speak. 

“Greetings, everyone,” The president’s voice boomed from next to her, echoing across the courtyard, “I know many of you have been anticipating the return of a fine young victor to our Capitol and tonight, I would like to formally introduce you to our very own Pearl, our 70th victor of the annual Hunger Games!” The crowd roared appropriately, a sound she had come accustomed to. Snow raised a single hand with a rehearsed grandeur and not an ounce of force, yet still the audience was immediately silenced.

“But it seems good fortune has fallen upon us. On this, the last day of her tour, I am most honored to announce the engagement of our newest victor to none other than our very own, Finnick Odair.” 

No interview, speech or appearance had prepared her for the uproarious response of the Capitol citizens. People were cheering, hugging, crying. They had not cared so much for her safe return home, for her very life and yet they stood beneath her as though this was the greatest news they had ever heard: the end of her freedom. 

Out of the corner of her eye she could see Finnick smiling and waving as though they were truly some happy couple, as though he weren’t essentially her captor. The lights around her were blurring together as she became dizzy with anger. She imagined joylessly the reality in which she could tell the truth, cry out for help, the reality in which one of these people would notice even a piece of the corruption that their lives were built on. 

An explosion of both sound and light painted the sky above sending her into a panic. She looked around wildly for the source until on her other side, the process repeated, this time a cerulean shadow cast itself over the crowd. Before she could understand what she was seeing, Snow was making his closing remarks and the peacekeepers were leading them back inside.

Her eyes struggled to adjust to the sudden darkness and a hot putrid breath was on her ear, “We’ll be seeing each other soon, my dear. We’ve things yet to be discussed.” The doors were shut behind her without another word, leaving her alone with her fraudulent fiance. Finnick was already walking down the hall, not checking behind him to see if she would even follow but follow she did. When they made it to the stairs, he was running his hand through his hair, the other hand flailing as he spouted excuses.

“Listen, I’m going to get us–”

She didn’t take any time to listen, the object of her rage before her. With a strangled shout and all her strength, she shoved him. Despite her attempt to fully disarm him, she watched as he stumbled down about half the steps before regaining his composure.

“Hey! Listen to me-” She ignored him, stomping down the steps and trying to attack him again. She couldn’t think, her vision completely red and filled with the man who stole her future.

“This is all your fault!” She screamed, still shoving at his chest. In their struggle, they had unknowingly found themselves at the bottom of the stairs from which she could now hear onlookers whispering around them. She made to hit him still, unbothered by the crowd for she had nothing to lose but he stopped her, grabbing her forearms with bruising strength as she grappled against him. 

“We can’t do this, not here,” Finnick hissed through his teeth for only her to hear. She was inconsolable, her only objective being to make him feel her pain. Though she held her own, he was undoubtedly stronger, years of training behind him and he stood, hoisting her up along the way. Her arms now free, she made for another strike but he had already snaked an arm around her waist, throwing her over his shoulder before she could make another move. She pounded his back with her fists but he did not relent. 

As always, Finnick performed for his audience, leaving the room with a charming explanation and wink.

“She’s just so eager to get home and celebrate!”

・・・Ψ・・・

Finnick was splayed across the cushioned bench of an unmoving train, contemplating the life he had not even months before and the life that was unfolding in front of him like some child’s picture book though rather than a fairytale, it was the kind of story parents used to scare their kids into good behavior. It wasn’t as though he had any big plans for himself–he always knew his life belonged to the President–but at the very least he had hoped for the comfort of routine, some semblance of peace. Now he was responsible for another person’s life, another person who could be used as leverage against him and if she had anyone in her life, that also traced back to him; it was wave after wave, distending until they would inevitably drown him. 

On top of that, he knew the girl would not make any transition easy, having shown him exactly how she felt the night before when she had attacked him with a bloodlust he hadn’t even seen her break out in the arena. Still, he held out hope that she would come to understand that though unfair, this was the safest option for both of them. If he was being honest, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief at being free from having to give up his body to strangers, to put on a mask that was becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish from himself; he had spared her from that and surely that was something to be grateful for.

“Any word on your…fiancee’s arrival?” Sagan asked gingerly, sneaking glances at the window above him. They had been despondent since the party, he figured for feeling scorned having not heard about their ‘engagement’ before the rest of the Capitol. “The conductor is getting antsy.”

“She’s on the President’s time. She’ll be back when he sees fit,” Finnick sighed, an arm slung over his eyes. Peeking over his elbow, he could see Sagan scoff before stomping off, their heels only making a dramatic thud on the carpeted floor of the traincar. He wanted her back more than anyone, he wanted to get home more than anyone but of course, Snow came first. 

The anticipation was killing him, worsened by the fact that he was not there to refute or explain away Snow’s words. Whatever the President was telling her, he was sure it painted him in a bad light and life would be easier for all of them if he could for once find himself in her good graces. He cursed the day they had laid eyes on eachother, wishing Mags had been there to guide her through, the distaste the girl likely still would have had for him only leaving him more determined for the next year.

The sun had nearly set when the doors to the main car slid open, Finnick’s heavy lidded eyes opening with a snap. He bolted upright, smoothing the wrinkles from his clothes as she stepped in. Once she laid slitted eyes on him, she purposefully made her way towards the next car but on unsteady legs he dashed after her, stopping her with an arm wrapped around her middle.

“We can’t not talk about this,” He grunted, “It’s not just going to go away if we ignore it.” She slipped out of his relaxed grasp with ease but he had already whirled around, putting himself between her and the doors.

“Get the fuck away from me,” She seethed. He swallowed the anger that she so specially drew out from him, shaking his head with a deep breath.

“What did he say? If I could just explain–”

“Oh, he explained everything. You’re disgusting,” She hissed lowly, regarding him as if she couldn’t stand to be in his presence. He reeled back as though she had hit him and Finnick considered that he might have preferred that to such blatant contempt. Couldn't she understand that it wasn’t his choice?  

“Everything?”

“Everything.” 

Finnick felt a deep shame well within him. Maybe in another life he would still sleep around but it wasn’t that part, the promiscuity, that bothered him, it was the lack of control over his own body that made him feel ill, feel disgusting. He had never uttered to another person the truth of his situation, the sale of him as a commodity by their own President, their valiant leader. This was just another thing that Snow had taken from him: the ownership of his own truth.

“Snow went on about how he ‘owed you for your…loyalty.’” Her face was twisted in genuine disdain. The implications of what his loyalty entailed made his face flush in humiliation. A long silence fell between them as he tried to regain his composure. It was broken, however, when a gasp rang out from the other side of the room. 

“There you are!” Sagan gushed, rushing over to the pair. “Well, now that the two of you are here let me just say congratulations! Snow’s announcement last night was quite…sudden. I certainly never would have expected it.” A smile was plastered on their face so widely it looked as though it might crack. At that, his girl groaned and used the distraction to slip away. Finnick shot Sagan a ‘what can you do’ kind of grin and followed after her.

“Hey,” Finnick called after her, taking quick strides to follow her through the cars. He managed to grab her upper arm and her attention with a firm, “Hey.” 

She whipped her head back to look at him, her jaw clenched. He took a quick scan of the surroundings and pulled her into a spare bedroom, shutting the door after them.

“Listen,” Finnick began, “I’m sorry, okay? But this–” he gestured vaguely between them, unwilling to put it to words, “this is the reality now. I would take this all back if I could but if he really told you everything, then you know this is for the best.”

“What do you know-”

“Enough. I am speaking now.” She didn’t cower in front of him, nothing even close, but she dignified him with her silence, her head tipped back. “Snow doesn’t take things like this lightly. If we don’t play along–and we’re going to play along–he won’t hesitate to get rid of us the same way he gets rid of everyone but he’ll break you down first, make you wish for it. He’ll start with the ones you love.”

She laughed cruelly, “I don’t have anyone that I love.”

“Well, I do,” Finnick bit back, “So whatever Snow’s idea of a happy couple is, that’s what we’re going to be. End of story.” Her bottom lip trembled but she kept that sardonic grin that made his blood boil.

“You’re a sick man, Finnick Odair,” She scorned.

“Maybe so,” He offered with a grin that mirrored her venom, “but we’re in the real games now and I won’t lose.”

|Masterlist| |Previous Chapter| |Next Chapter|

[cherr-22]

TNGDH 23

The day was warm and clear.

I stood before Belial, Sen, and the carriage at the castle entrance. Sen, who was gazing up at the castle, wore a thick velvet cloak and had her hair lightly tied up.

As if to prove the description within <Winter’s Heart> was not an exaggeration, she who stood before the Northern sun was more beautiful than ever.

Even a proud prince would fall in love with her. In fact, even the prince may not be worthy of Sen.

“Thank you very much, Your Highness the Grand Duke. ……I apologize for leaving so suddenly.”

Kyle looked down at Sen with his signature reticent expression.

Despite receiving no response back, Sen smiled. Perhaps because it looked as if Kyle was supporting her in silence.

Kyle Blake was that kind of person. Contrary to his cold and blunt attitude, he was someone who truly worried and cared for his people.

Sen smiled brightly.

“I will do well no matter where I am. I will never forget the favor you have given me.”

“Good.”

Kyle replied blandly, but the short response and his gaze conveyed the feelings he had for the one who had been one of his people until now.

I did not talk with Sen. After all, we have already said what was needed to be said and heard out one another. So all we did was exchange a reassuring glance with each other one last time.

Belial stood quietly. He briefly came over to thank me for saving him during the chandelier incident, and then gave Kyle a smug look while exchanging a few words in an arrogant tone. Despite this, the atmosphere between the two was not as heavy as it had been in the study.

Kyle also didn’t seem to want to create any trouble so he held out his hand as a goodbye to Belial.

Yeah, yeah. You must be happy to take Sen with you. Don’t regret it and come crying later and live well. Don’t act rash even if you are going to take revenge, and don’t bother Kyle anymore.

I glared at Belial for him to hurry up and leave. Thankfully, he quickly left as I had hoped. Seeing the carriage move far into the distance gave me a sense of relief.

“I thought something would happen.”

“My words exactly. It’s as if I grew 10 years older…….”

“I still dream about the chandelier. Damn it…….”

Hearing that, I felt Kyle staring at me. I was glad that my back was turned towards him to not be burdened with that gaze.

However, my eyes were still fixed on the carriage. It felt strange to see the carriage move further and further away, slowly turning into a black dot. Why did it look as if it were being swallowed by the fog.

‘……Whatever. I’m just having useless worries.’

The biggest problem is me, who had to live most of the day as a hamster after all.

“You asked me to follow you to the study for a moment to check on the demonic beast, right?”

Kyle caught on my signal that I wanted us to quickly leave. I only had two hours a day. Time is gold so let’s go, Your Highness the Grand Duke.

If it was the inside of the castle, I now knew all the routes like the back of my hand. It was all thanks to my previous life’s ability to find the cafeteria no matter where I was in the company. Office workers who lack energy always do their best to walk even a single step less.

“Let’s see. This way should be the fastest?”

I walked ahead with long strides. Of course, to Kyle, this would be like a duck showing off in front of a swan, but he decided to follow me from behind.

Soon we went up the stairs to the study. Climbing up the spiral staircase, climbing up more, climbing……

……My steps began to slow down. To be more accurate, I began to slow down from the fifteenth step. It seemed even my office worker’s stamina was brought over with the ‘Summon’ skill……

“Shit. What kind of place doesn’t have an escalator…….”

“Hm?”

Kyle came close. I grumbled back.

“Well, it’s nothing special.”

You don’t even know what an escalator is. Sigh, tsk. As expected of a countryside Northern hillbilly. 

“The stairs move on its own, carrying people all the way up to the top without needing them to climb.”

“…….”

Kyle looked at me as if he had just heard the biggest joke of the century, and then picked me up.

“The stairs won’t move as they are stuck to the wall, but I understand that you are feeling tired.”

“No wait, excuse me…….”

He just picked me up like some luggage.

I glanced at Kyle once and then at the top of the stairs in the distance once, and quickly put aside my resistance. Well, we’re only going to the study so what’s the issue anyway.

While he steadily climbed the stairs, I opened the store.

[Love Love Corner~❤]

……I will never get used to this.

[Current Possessing Hearts ��� ❤×323]

[Replica hamster to sooth the loneliness (Duration : 30 minutes) ｜ ❤×100]

Hold on, the last time I saw it was 320 hearts. Where did the other three hearts come from? Does it increase on its own too?

No matter how much it increased, it was still barely 300 hearts. To need 100 for a single replica hamster…… this would mean it would take a third of what I have now.

How expensive, really expensive.

I glared into a random space in the air.

Do something about the price.

[(〃｀ 3′〃)]

Why. Let’s be honest here, this isn’t cheap at all. And the fact that it’s specifically the replica hamster that I need right now to be so expensive.

……Huh? Wait a second.

[（*゜ー゜*）]

Don’t avoid my eyes.

I narrowed my eyes at the system and hesitantly purchased the replica hamster. Then, a system window decorated with pink hearts popped up.

[‘Replica hamster to sooth the loneliness’ has been stored into the inventory!]

‘No. That’s not it!’

You’ve got to put it in the cage, not the inventory! If I pretended to take my hand out of the pocket and say, ‘Ta-da, your hamster is here~’…… the moment I say ‘ta-da’ would be the moment when my head flies off. Do you not know of Kyle’s personality!?

[‘Replica hamster to sooth the loneliness’ has been stored into the inventory!]

How shameless.

“Haaa…….”

Kyle’s arm slightly shook as he heard my sigh.

“What’s wrong?”

“It sure is hard to make a living.”

“Do you lack in money?”

“I wouldn’t say I have a lot for sure. So, in return for taking care of the demonic beast, please pay me plenty.”

As I said that, Kyle opened the door to the study with the other arm that wasn’t holding me.

“I asked for your help first, so I have no intention of providing just a small compensation for your work.”

Good. I couldn’t use my first payment since I have transmigrated, earning Miracle Points was painfully difficult, and the Love Love whatever spent one point every three minutes. I hope to earn a lot of money from now on.

“I will look forward to it.”

We stood in front of the hamster house. Naturally, he began to look for Cashew by lifting up the nest and other items in the house.

“Where did it go?”

It’s obviously not there, you dunce. Because I’m over here.

I imagined pounding myself in the heart with my fist in frustration. I can’t even tell you that I’m your pet hamster. I’d love to tell you but I can’t!

Anyway, move out of the way.

“If you search so abruptly, wouldn’t the beast be surprised and scared.”

Kyle’s hand paused in place. He then nodded in agreement.

“……That makes sense. I’m sorry.”

The apology was most likely towards Cashew. Well, Cashew was also me though.

I nudged him out of the way and carefully patted around the sawdust. How to take out the replica as discreetly as possible……

“You can just touch it. It's clean.”

He said with pride in his voice.

“Cashew potty-trained itself. Isn’t it a genius?”

……Are you crazy? If I went to the bathroom anywhere I wanted, I’d be a beast not a human…… you might be right, in your eyes I must look like a genius.

I looked at him with conflicting emotions in my heart. Kyle truly seemed happy.

“Sooner or later, it’ll start talking too. How cute and clever it is.”

[Currently Possessing Hearts ｜ ❤×224]

Wouldn’t it be strange if it started talking? No way would a demonic beast would speak like a human. My baby has already called me ‘dad’! Is this what you wanted to happen?

You must be plenty happy just thinking about it……

“You look like you’d cry in happiness if your demonic beast really started talking.”

Kyle quieted down for a moment. It seemed he was really imagining what it would be like if Cashew started talking. What was there to imagine though. Can’t you see me chattering away.

While he was occupied, I quickly took out the replica hamster.

“Ah, here it is.”

Act natural. Act natural.

I’m a magician. I was a magician in my past life. I was a magician that shocked the whole nation with a single dove, a piece of cloth, and a hat. I could definitely fool at least one Northern Grand Duke as easy as blowing my own nose.

I pretended to carefully look over the replica hamster in my hands.

‘Hmm.’

This was rather detailed. It breathed, blinked, and moved around like an actual hamster.

When I flipped the replica over to pretend to examine its stomach, Kyle muttered something strange.

“Something’s a little different…….”

I flinched for a moment. ……He knew the difference? What was different? The appearance? Or its behavior?

The replica hamster cried out a squeak. See, the replica could also squeak. Even the voice sounded the same.

However, Kyle frowned even more after hearing it.

“I wonder if it’s hurting anywhere? It’s usually not this quiet.”

“How do you know?”

The system could take note of the difference. Now, give me a thorough feedback.

Kyle’s response was unexpected.

“I know it through love.”

“Love…….”

He was completely charmed. ……I will never get used to this.

[Currently Possessing Hearts ｜ ❤×225]

Different from the Miracle Points, Hearts could increase without doing anything. Right, let’s cheer up. Who knows when another expensive item will appear.

I glanced at Kyle, turned my back slightly, and moved the replica hamster around to pretend to check on it.

“Let’s see, our cute demonic beast.”

Kyle spoke softly behind me.

“My demonic beast.”

Whatever. Stop being possessive and giving me envious looks.

“There are no problems and it is very healthy. However, its weight is a little…….”

Did I really eat that much? I’m starting to feel guilty now that I’m saying it out loud.

“He’s a bit chubby, but there shouldn’t be any problems. You can just leave it alone for now. Since it is in its growth stage, don’t feed it only vegetables. Raw food can also ruin its stomach. Surely you’re not giving it any mealworms or other live food, right? ”

Kyle flinched.

“……I heard rodents like those kinds of stuff. It can learn to hunt too.”

“How savage. Are you planning to raise and release it in the North in the future?”

I spoke harshly on purpose as I carefully placed the replica hamster back into its house.

“Don’t give it anything weird and feed it what humans would eat. Cooked beef, chicken, or something. Demonic beasts can eat oily food quite well so there is no need to feed it only boiled food. ”

That’s right. Boiled food tastes bad. Would telling him to season it be taking things too far?

“Give it some fruits too.”

Kyle listened and nodded seriously.

“Yes, then I’ll do that. But since Sen is no longer here, it would be difficult to procure all those things…….”

He glanced at me as if asking me to take care of it myself. It’s important to meet Kyle in person like this often anyways, and two hours would be more than enough each day.

I nodded with an earnest expression on my face. All for the sake of a quality life of a pet hamster.

“Thank you.”

Kyle said honestly.

“How should I say this…… Right, thanks to you, I can let go one of my worries. In return for caring for Cashew, is there anything you want?”

What is there to think about.

The price of all hard work is, of course,

“Money.”

I flipped my hand and formed a circle using my thumb and index finger as I said that.

“Money is good enough.”

“…….”

“If possible, a lot.”

Now, let’s start shaking the duke’s wallet upside down. If you want to keep a pet hamster, you have to have a lot of money, alright?

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Previous Chapter / Next Chapter

[zeciex]

A Vow of Blood - Chapter 62: Waves

preview

As Daenera commenced her ascent of the grand staircase, her gaze inadvertently caught the sight of her brother, his posture taut with tension. His shoulders were hunched, elevated by deep scowl directed at the silver haired, one-eyed menace, who stood leisurely, hands folded behind his back. She could already imagine the provocative smirk on his lips. Her brother loomed over Aemond, his height advantage evident only due to his elevated position–up two steps from the level on which Aemond stood. His hands, clenched into tight fists, hung by his sides, his jaw set in a firm, unyielding line, betraying his simmering frustration.A surge of apprehension unfurled within Daenera’s chest, propelling her feet to quicking their pace up the stairs. The tension between the two was palpable, and she felt an urgent need to intervene before the situation escalated. With each step, her concern grew, her mind racing to find a way to defuse the brewing conflict and avert the likely outfall of a war. Daenera arrived just in time to catch the tail end of Aemond’s sentence, his words trailing off as she approached, “...Ask your sister.”

[magnetictapedatastorage]

grand central madison is designed so fucking badly it's insane. you want to know how to connect from the LIRR to the subway? something a huge number of commuters do? you get off the train, climb a flight of stairs up to the LIRR area, and then you see the slow-moving ultra-wide escalator that is the size of 12 consecutive flights of stairs* (minus the landings that stairs would have... don't trip!). Run up that like your life depends on it, and try not to die. then at the top, you turn and run through the most bizarrely sloped maze in history, twisting around several directions before running something like six blocks through a tunnel, then run up another two flights of stairs, now it's time to "buy your subway ticket". now once you get in, you're in the home stretch, it's time to run down a dimmer, dirtier sloped hallway that at least doesn't seethe with hatred as much as the newer parts of the station (iykyk), and finally, at the end of that hallway, there is a simultaneously very wide and very claustrophobic room where you will eventually find the staircase down to the correct subway train. and then you can get on the train. Flights of stairs/equivalent: MORE THAN FIFTEEN, not counting ramps. And after all that you'll still be late for work <3 better luck next time <3

*this is the longest escalator in new york city.

[dramamelon]

Constructicon Week is here! @constructiconweek

I'll be posting them here as well as reblogging with an AO3 link because they're all short pieces. :)

What Once Was

Day 6: Mixmaster | Welding Rating: T Tags: Minimal Editing, Canon Blender of IDW1 & IDW2, Snippets of Larger Story, Abandoned & Destroyed City, Haunted Houses, Whump, Blood and Injury, updated as necessary Fic Summary: In a moment of peace that was either the End of the War or a Temporary Truce (no one was quite sure where they stood yet), the Constructicons claimed the shattered remains of Crystal City as their own. So far, no one else had raised a fuss, leaving them free to rebuild as they wished. Chapter Summary: When things got ignored, someone was going to bear the brunt when it escalated. Poor Mixmaster had never even noticed anything unusual. Note: Tags have been updated!

He was sure it hadn't been his fault. There was no way Mixmaster tripped over his own pedes and fell down a flight of sharp-edged stairs to land at the bottom, dented everywhere, cracked open in several places, and laying in a growing pool of energon. A large spike of a shattered support truss hit on the way down left him with a large puncture in one side, the source of most of his vital fluid loss. An attempt to cycle the irises of his optics resulted in a disturbing grinding sound that had Mixmaster pausing the attempt mere moments after beginning. Instead, he slowly blinked his optical shutters, holding them closed long enough to let the flowing stream of cleansing fluid give the cracked lenses a good wash. Hook would appreciate him doing at least that much.

This was very not good.

His armor creaked as he tried to roll into a position he could more easily stand from, pain flaring from the wounds stressed by the action. He pushed a bit harder, hoping he might be able to get himself to help under his own power, but it quickly became apparent that wasn't going to happen. Giving up with a sigh, Mixmaster eased his frame back down against the ground and opened the team bond. The likelihood of the others laughing at his predicament was incredibly high, simply because all of them were Like That, but he knew they'd come around to help him before he completely bled out.

::If there's a chance someone's not busy right now, I would appreciate if I could get a little help?::

As the bond crackled with a swirl of curiosity, annoyance, and long-suffering knowing, Mixmaster could only cringe and hope he hadn't misjudged them. Really, of all the ways to go, deactivating in a broken heap at the bottom of a grand staircase in a ruined city had never crossed his mind. And oh, how very big the puddle of his living energon was becoming, stretching across at least half the length of the lobby. He touched his flagging consciousness against the bond again. With luck, he didn't sound like too much of a loser as he added a little extra plea to his request.

::Please?::

It all turned into a bit of a blur after that point. He didn't feel quite so bad about it, though, when what little his optics could decipher through the static haze was familiar green and purple. Might have been nice to be able to hear whatever Bones was saying, but Mixmaster knew one couldn't have everything.

He felt the rumble of the rest of his team as they rushed into the lobby of the medical facility they were searching, felt the heady and worried crush of their erupting EM fields. Maybe a snicker slipped from his intake when one of them slipped in the slick spill of his energon on the old and cracked tiles of the floor. He couldn't have said who it was. Or if it actually happened.

Then, hands were on him, pulling and shoving him onto his back—or as well as could be obtained with his barrel in the way. Whatever sound might have escaped him, Mixmaster kind of found himself grateful he was blissfully unaware of it over the raging agony that swept over his frame from the top of his helm to the tips of his pedes. When the severed lines were tied off he wept. When a piece of scrap metal was slapped against the gaping hole in his side and the heat of Hook's torch touched the edge, welding the panel to his torn plating, Mixmaster remembered no more.

[aercascade]

Tented Market - Scrapbook

These are some more rougher photos, taken of the Tented Market before it's closure on the 31st of August 2017.

On a beautiful sunny day in 2017 I decided to visit the Tented Market for 1 last time before it's closure.

It had a special place in my heart as when I was a young child I remember my parents taking me here, it was a different time back then. The Tented Market was alive and well. The thriving market was a bastion for local businesses.

The pristine white roofs were well kept, bright and followed a theme of the town centre. It wasn't the only place to feature such decor, but over time it had been changed.

As the town of swindon grew, the Tented Market remained much the same. It was home to great local businesses but they could not survive against the competitors.

The council invested more into the Brunel Centre, and times changed; the local stores within this once welcoming structure could no longer compete. It was a time capsule still standing but barely.

Even outwardly, they had to remind people the place was still open. Signs were plastered all over the building. An attempt to save the doomed building.

It was clear that those left in this place still actively loved and appreciated the Tented Market. Unfortunately. It did little to save it.

What used to be a grand entrance to the Tented market, had nothing to advertise itself as a bustling store. It's no wonder they needed signs to remind the passersby that the place was still open.

At the staircase to one of the main entrances. It was so neglected, not even the typical unsavoury type had any desire to loiter here. It was that empty.

The placard sign commemorated the market being open for a grand total of 22 years. It's one reason why the closure of the Tented Market hit me.

There are definitely older shopping centres in Swindon. Though that's discrediting what the Tented Market was before this was built in 1994.

Obviously, this was well before my time. I have no photographs of the Tented Market in any other state.

Unfortunately I took 1 photograph of the Tented Market map. I wish I took more photographs of the Tented Market, but 2017 “me” was a bit more afraid of taking pictures inside businesses.

This map wasn't even accurate, there are more businesses that were on there than there should be. Ouch.

In one of the many empty shop spaces I saw a "SAVE OUR TENT MARKET" poster. One of many attempts to spare the market from closure.

Left, you can see the remains of the comic shop. On the right I can't remember what it was. At the only used entrance you could see 2 of the last remaining shops in the Tented Market.

In 2013 when I was still attending college I visited this place for lunch. At this time it was clearly on its way out but the Tented Market had it's share of visitors.

You could walk in here and smell the exotic food. I can say it was pretty good. At the time of this photo, it was nothing. Just an empty stall and a reminder of what was lost.

They still kept the bench and chair used by the very few customers who would wait for their order... yes. When I was at college it was the very chair I sat on waiting for my chicken wrap. Nothing had changed in that time.

It was still advertising the same menu available in 2013, Eggelicious was only a recent move. Setting sights on a new offering opening up in the Brunel Centre...

The Brunel Centre in this year (2017) was undergoing a drastic renovation to one of the interior corridors. They opened it up into a designated food hall. It seemed at this time Eggelicious decided to finally abandon the Tented Market and instead opt for the much newer food court instead.

Included is the photograph of them building the escalator to the new food hall still in progress.

I found some stickers that had accumulated on the door, A time capsule. Including a sticker that read "Never Trust a Hipster"

Here is a collection of empty doors, empty stores. Much appears the same.

For a time I can remember there existing an American Candy store. I can't say I'm surprised they didn't take off. The drink I had was so sugary and expensive... I'll stick to European snacks I think.

They still tried to get people on board. I hadn't taken note of what that sign said until today... I mean if they're still offering up a commercial space for £20 a week. I'd be down to set up a photography shop.

That's not half bad... if you ignore the fact this place is dead. Also not opening ever again.



That is the end of the Tented Market. There are whispers here and there of redevelopment. Like much of Swindon it's destined to become something else.

Something mid. That is.

That isn't all I have to show of Swindon. There are far more parts of the it to be documented!

~ Aercascade

[kevinsreviewcatalogue]

Review: John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

Rated R for pervasive strong violence and some language

<Originally posted at https://kevinsreviewcatalogue.blogspot.com/2023/03/review-john-wick-chapter-4-2023.html>

Score: 4 out of 5

John Wick: Chapter 4 is absolute, balls-to-the-wall action movie excess. It feels like a film where everybody involved, given a $100 million budget and carte blanche to make the ultimate action movie as they defined it, decided to throw in everything they could without concern for pacing, just a pure spectacle running close to three hours that is designed to wallop your senses with some of the most awe-inspiring action scenes you've ever witnessed. You've got shootouts. You've got a horse chase in the Moroccan desert that opens the film. You've got hand-to-hand fighting with everything from nunchaku to swords to martial arts. You've got goons wearing heavy body armor forcing the heroes to get in close. You've got a high-stakes card game that ends in, you guessed it, a shootout in a Berlin nightclub where everybody is drenched in falling water. You've got what I've seen described as a lethal game of Frogger in the Arc de Triomphe roundabout. You've got shotguns that fire incendiary rounds. You've got a scene filmed from a top-down perspective that evokes Metal Gear Solid or Hotline Miami. You've got a lengthy climatic action scene on a massive staircase that Rocky Balboa could never. It feels like director Chad Stahelski was influenced this time around less by Hong Kong heroic bloodshed movies than he was by video games that throw an absolute onslaught of enemies at you, knowing that the real appeal isn't the plot but overcoming the next challenge the game throws your way.

And it also has a surprisingly melancholy plot, clearly intended as a grand finale for this series given that Keanu Reeves, as great as he still is as an action hero, is also 58 years old and not getting any younger. Set an unspecified amount of time after the events of the first three films, we start with John, having gone into hiding with help from the Bowery King now that he's wanted dead by the High Table, rigorously training for the day when he sets out to get his revenge on them. We open the film with the Bowery King presenting John with his trademark Kevlar-lined tuxedo and asking if he's ready, and from there, we begin our nearly three hours of globe-trotting ass-whooping that's structured almost like a video game as John has to complete various errands for allies before he finally takes on the Marquis Vincent de Gramont, the extremely wealthy French fop hired by the High Table to take John out. John's hope for the escape from a life of crime he's sought for four movies now is a high-stakes duel with the Marquis where, if he wins, he will claim as his prize freedom from the obligations placed on him in accordance with a series of arcane rules that govern organized crime in the series' universe. The Marquis, who has more than a bit of a dirty coward streak to him, responds by putting an ever-escalating bounty on John's head in the tens of millions of dollars in the hopes that somebody will kill John before he has to face Baba Yaga head-to-head.

This movie is long, and it feels like it, in what turns out to be a double-edged sword that marks its biggest weakness but also does a great job putting the viewer in John's headspace. While there are moments, especially early in the film, that are light on action, they all serve to build up to the film's bloody action set pieces, featuring a who's who of character actors ranging from returning series veterans like Laurence Fishburne, Ian McShane, and the late Lance Reddick (who died just days before this film premiered) to newcomers like Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen as the blind assassin Caine who clearly respects John and doesn't like that he has to kill him, Shamier Anderson as the mysterious Mr. Nobody who you're not quite sure is an ally of John's or an enemy, Scott Adkins as the slimy German crime boss Killa, pop star Rina Sawayama delivering a surprisingly solid acting debut as a yakuza boss' daughter named Akira, and Bill Skarsgård making the Marquis a truly loathsome villain in his cowardice and brutality. Each and every one of them gets plenty of time to shine in the action scenes, almost to the point of bloat, especially once the film reaches Paris and starts throwing everything it possibly can at John; at some point, you have to ask yourself when enough is enough. It's hard to complain about this much ass-kicking in one movie, but it eventually starts wearing you down, just like the film seems committed to wearing John down on his long and grueling road to freedom. There's easily a version of this movie that, in the hands of a lesser director than Stahelski, could've just turned into a slog.

But... this movie has enough killer action scenes to power three whole other comparable movies. Every time I started to ask myself if I'd seen enough, this film grabbed me by the ear, pulled my attention back to the screen, and managed to find a way to impress me once again. I've already given a rundown of some of the highlights, but suffice it to say, just as the first movie helped spur a revival of Hollywood action cinema, I can see many scenes from this one inspiring other filmmakers to try and imitate them. In particular, I'd like to comment on the influence that video games seem to have had lately on action movies, made more obvious than ever here in the scene shot from a top-down view. In games, the action needs to be crystal-clear and easy to follow for a very practical reason, namely that you don't wanna make things unnecessarily difficult and cheap for the player. Bad camera angles used to be the bane of 3D action games, especially before the likes of Resident Evil 4 and Gears of War perfected how it's done in the modern day, and oftentimes, it was specifically because they were trying to imitate the "cinematic" flair of the movies. As it turned out, the same qualities that make action easy to follow in games also apply well to movies, and I would not be surprised if a behind-the-scenes featurette shows Stahelski and others involved with the production openly cite those games as a direct inspiration.

The Bottom Line

This is a movie that's designed to kick your ass as hard as John kicks the asses of the goons sent after him, for better or worse. It makes up for its pacing problems and overly-long ending with sheer overwhelming firepower, demonstrating that quantity is a quality all its own. If you want the last word in outrageous action, then bring a nice comfy seat to the theater and steel yourself.

[madlichen]

Universe Hotel

MMO but it's all one hotel.

Each floor is a server.

Server list is the elevator buttons / stairwell floor signs.

Elevator buttons take everyone on the elevator to that floor, even if it's not on your server list.

Stairwells are liminal spaces and are only client-side.

Mutual servers can be linked together with grand staircases and escalators.

[steven1123x]

Behind The Scenes - Chapter 7: Welcome To New York City

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July 1, 2008

Greg and Rose were in their van, Steven sat in the back, he was asleep. Rose was driving as Greg was also asleep, they got to New York three hours ago. Rose read the time off her phone clock. 1:25 A.M. She saw the hotel come up and she parked.

"Greg…" Rose shook her husband's shoulder. Greg opened his eyes and yawned. throwing his hands above his head as he stretched in his seat.

"Hey, Rose. Are we here?"

Rose giggled softly and cupped her hand on his cheek. "We are, Come on. I'll get the luggage. You can carry Steven." Rose looked at Steven sleeping on the mattress with a blanket thrown over him. Beside him, were two suitcases. One for Greg and the other combining both Rose's and Steven's clothes.

Greg opens the doors to his van and grabs the suitcases. Rose picked up her Son's sleeping body and they walked inside, Rose saw the hotel.

It was a grand and elegant hotel lobby or a similar upscale space with a luxurious and sophisticated ambiance. The architectural design features a lavish golden ceiling adorned with intricate detailing, exuding a sense of opulence. The polished floors, likely made of marble, add to the high-end finish of the space, reflecting light and enhancing the overall grandeur.

In the center of the room, there is a round table elegantly decorated with a large floral arrangement, adding a touch of freshness and beauty to the luxurious setting. On the left side, an escalator is visible, suggesting access to different floors, while the right side features wide staircases and multiple levels with visible railings, hinting at amenities or rooms above.

The presence of large, opulent chandeliers hanging from the ceiling adds to the glamorous ambiance, casting a warm and luxurious glow throughout the space. Modern and sleek light fixtures mounted on the walls contribute to the overall illuminating of the lobby.

Greg got their key cards and they headed up to their room.

They walked in after getting their room, Rose set Steven on the other bed, Greg and Rose set their suitcases down, Greg changed into his PJs which was a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. Rose put on a Pokémon t-shirt and a pair of pink short shorts.

She grabbed her electric toothbrush and the tube of toothpaste and went into the bathroom and brushed her teeth.

Rose walked out, got into bed and fell asleep.

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Sunlight streamed in the room, Steven opened his eyes, he stretched and yawned, he heard his parents breathing coming from the other bed, Steven got up and walked to the curtain, the noise outside coming from traffic was expected from a city like New York.

Greg sat up, He smiled at his wife, who looked stunning as always, He moved some hair out of her face and kissed his wife.

Rose's eyes fluttered open, Greg smiled. Rose did the same. "Well, good morning Mr. Universe."

"Good morning, Mrs. Quartz Universe."

Rose giggled and kissed her husband. "I love it when you say that. But I love you even more, Greg."

Greg wrapped her arms around her and kissed her hair. "I love you too, Rose." Greg said, getting up. He went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and his hair.

Rose sat up and swung her legs and her feet touched the floor, She saw Steven looking out the window at Manhattan.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Rose walked to the window where his son was standing, Greg walked out and saw his wife and son, Greg stared at her large ringlet style hair in awe.

She is so beautiful…

Greg walks up to her and wraps an arm around her waist. Rose smiled and laid her head on his shoulder. Steven looks at his father.

"Hey, dad."

"Hey, Schu-Ball." Greg hugs him, Steven smiles and looks at them.

"Let's go have breakfast at the hotel."

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They went to the buffet, Steven grabbed a plate and got some stuff, Greg and Rose did too, Greg had his earbuds on, listening to Drake, Rose was grabbing food too, they all sat down and ate.

"What are we doing today?" Steven asked, eating his eggs.

"We're going to explore Manhattan. And at six we're going to the concert." Rose said.

"Hey, wanna play basketball, I'm pretty sure I could beat you again!"

"Greg, I lead an entire rebellion, are you sure you want to do that? I kicked your butt the last time we played against each other!"

"That was last week, Rose!"

"Yeah, Last week. Or your chicken?" his wife crossed her arms over her chest and smirked.

Greg shook her hand. "Deal!"

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Greg, Rose and Steven all went to Central Park. Greg saw a large basketball court. Steven held a basketball that they had brought from home.

Removing the black hair tie that was on her wrist, Rose tied her hair back, Steven sat on the bench and watched his parents.

"Check." Rose said as she checked the ball to her husband. Greg bounced the ball back to her, then another time to her husband, He ran with it and tried to score, Rose used her float power to smack the ball while in the air, she came back down and ran to her side to shoot a basket.

"Woah! Hey, Troy. look at her go." A man told his friend. His friend looked at them play, Steven was sitting on the bleachers watching his parents play.

Rose shot back to back threes while Steven watched."Come on, Dad!" he said

Greg stole the ball from Rose and shot a three, but missed, Rose was just taller than him at basketball. So tall in fact, Greg thought that she would be a good player for Women's basketball.

"Come on, dad!" Steven encouraged. Greg dribbled the ball and tried to shoot a layup. Rose was at an advantage with height, and plus. She has enhanced speed and strength.

"You were awesome, mom!" Steven said, as they all walked through Central Park. Rose blushed, Steven was on his mother's shoulders.

Greg took out his phone and read a notification he just got from Luisa and Jasmine. "Oh, I got a text from them. they're coming to our hotel. I'll give Lucas, Lance and Mikey the VIP pases before we go to the concert." Rose smiled at her husband and nodded.

They went back to the hotel, Steven didn't see his friends anywhere. Then a seven year old boy ran up towards him.

"Lance!" Streven exclaimed, hugging him.

"Hey, Steven. where all at the pool, you wanna come?"

"Um…." Steven was getting flashbacks of the day he drowned at his house and his mother had to save him. Jasmine walked up to Steven and smiled.

"Hi, Jasmine…" he said, looking at his flip flops.

"You okay?" Steven smiled and nodded.

Man…. How am I going to get over this dumb fear… What am I, Sonic?

"Mom, Can you take me up to the room so I can get changed and go to the pool with Lance and Mikey?" Rose smiles and nods, they go to the room so Steven can get changed into his bathing suit.

Steven sees a swim shirt inside his and his mother's suitcase and looks at Rose while she was getting changed for the pool too. "Mom, did you pack a shirt in our suitcase?"

"No." She sighed internally. "It was probably, Pearl… She doesn't like the idea that we 'don't cover up your gem’ or something.” She said sarcastically.

"Why?"

"I dunno, Schu-Ball, I don't know… Pearl's sometimes…. A little bit overboard."

"Why is she like that, mom?" Steven asked.

"I don't know, Steven… I don't know. Are you ready? I am." Rose said, grabbing her sunglasses.

Steven nodded and they walked out of the room and went to the elevator. Rose and Steven went to the lobby, then to the pool.

Steven and Rose walked outside, Greg found a chair for them next to Luisa and Jasmine, Rose and Steven walked up towards him. Steven looks at the pool.

He sees a lively outdoor swimming pool area situated in front of a multi-story hotel or apartment building. The pool is the focal point of the scene and is teeming with activity, with several individuals seen swimming and relaxing in the water. One distinctive feature is a mushroom-shaped water fountain located in the shallow end of the pool, adding a playful touch to the setting.

Surrounding the pool are numerous sun loungers where people are seen either sunbathing or sitting beneath colorful umbrellas, enjoying the sunny day. The hotel building itself showcases a modern architectural design with multiple balconies overlooking the pool area, likely offering guests a scenic view from their rooms. The building's structure consists of tiered floors and sizable windows, contributing to its contemporary aesthetic.

The atmosphere portrayed in the scenery is one of leisure and enjoyment, characteristic of a holiday resort environment. The bright and sunny day.

"Hey, Steven!" Jasmine said. Steven amiles and waved. Rose opened the bottle of sunblock and applied it to Steven, the half-boy cringed.

"Ew! why is it so slimy?" Steven asked, shivering.

"Would you rather be sunburned, Steven. You have your dad's complexion."

"You do too, well you're a gem so, you don't get sunburned."

Rose rubbed it in, Steven cringed as he felt the cream on his legs, Steven waited until his mother was finished. He felt her hands pull away from him.

"Turn around, Steven. I need to do your front." Steven did. Rose puts more on her hand and rubs it in.

"Try not to get it on my gem." Steven said.

"I'll try not to." she said, putting it all over and around his gem. Steven waited until she was finished. Rose wiped her hands on her pool towel.

"Am I done?" Steven asked, Rose smiled and nodded.

"YEAH!" Steven said running to the pool and going in with the other kids.

"Hey, Steven, we brought water guns, wanna have a water fight?" Mikey asked. Lucas walked up to them, joining them.

"Yeah!" He said Lance had a spare one and gave it to the boy. Steven smiled and filled it up with water, then sprayed his friends.

"This means war!" Mikey said.

Steven was now in the other pool. Then a girl swam up and saw his gem.

"What is that?!" she asked.

Steven looked down at the water, he didn't know what she was talking about. "Um… Sorry, I don't know what you're talking about.

"Where is your belly button?"

Steven covers his gem with his left hand. Then, his mother swam up to both boys, The girl looked at the woman, who had the same 'jewel' as the boy.

"Is that a jewel? it looks pretty." Steven looks at his mother with a look of worry on his face, Steven hugs his mother.

Lucas swam up to him and touched Steven on the shoulder. Steven looks at his friend, then he uncovers his gem and they swim away from her. Rose looked at the girl and started talking.

"What did you tell him?" she asked. The girl looked away in embarrassment. Rose smiled softly and looked at her.

"You can't ask people that, and to answer your question, he was born with it, and it's a gem. Not a jewel. It's real and can't be removed, If he removes it, he will… Pass on." Rose hated the thought of that, she hopes she will never have to witness that.

"Oh…" the girl said. And she swam slowly away. Rose put her arms on the warm concrete and looked at everyone, Steven was with his friends, Greg was talking with some people who were probably in a band, like he was, and it was a couple of hours until the concert started.

Greg and Rose were getting dressed, Greg wore a black LINKIN PARK T-shirt, Rose wore the same thing as her husband with a pair of pink jeans, and Steven wore the same pink jeans with a pair of white Converse high tops.

Steven wore a white LINKIN PARK t-shirt — featuring their album, 'What I've Done' Steven grabbed his backstage pass and put it around his neck. His parents did the same and they headed out.

Lucas, Lance and Mikey were waiting in the lobby. Their backstage passes around their necks. Their mothers were waiting for the Universe's.

"Hi, Mr and Mrs. Universe!" the three boys said.

"Hey guys, are you ready to get your rock on?" Rose asked, holding up two hands making the sign of the horns with both of her hands.

"YEAH!" the boys said. Steven joined in. Rose giggled.

"Bye guys! Have fun!" their moms said, they stepped out of the hotel.

🎬🎥 🎬🎥 🎬🎥 🎬🎥 🎬🎥 🎬🎥 🎬🎥 🎬

A\N: Another chapter down! I hope you are enjoying this so far, I love it. Sorry I've been slacking. I had writer's block for a little bit and I wasn't in the right headspace to do this, but I'm back! So… I'll see you guys in the next one!

[twatkcox]

[The Keihancarl Diaries: January 20, 2024]

Hi everyone, Keihancarl here. Today I'm heading to the North Avenue Malls for the second time since the pandemic, and my first mall-hopping trip for 2024.

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I decided to wear all-black right now since I feel like it. Anyway, traffic is mostly light along Commonwealth Avenue. I even get to see the old Citimall (near UP Diliman campus), ready for demolition.

Reaching SM North EDSA, I checked the hypermarket first at The Block. There's an escalator access to the second level, though there's no direct access to the supermarket area from there.

I checked Uniqlo at the second level where I bought an awesome Naruto shirt (UT). Quite pricey, but I loved the design so much that I didn't hesitate to buy it.

At the bridgeway to the North Towers, people are lining up for the exclusive artist-made collection by Korean boy band SEVENTEEN at the pop-up store right beside the Park Inn entrance. I also passed by MizuSawa (a milk tea/coffee/dessert place), but I only checked the menu at the counter.

At the North Towers, I passed by Decathlon first. I also checked Muji Cafe as well and had a cafe latte (unsweetened) and a shiopan (salted butter bread).

I also checked the shop adjacent to the cafe. I get to see the infamous tabo, which makes rounds on social media for being pricey.

Checking the rest of the North Towers, there's a sitting moose on the ground floor near the escalators.

Heading back to The Block, I visited a few shops, including Fully Booked and Bocu.

The Fully Booked branch there had a storefront renovation, though it's business as usual.

Timezone opened at the fifth level. The rest of former Fitness First's space would probably be the future location of SM Game Park (just a hunch, though).

The Block looked a lot better and more luxurious (sort of) than when it first opened back in 2008. The layout itself is also different from what it was during the pre-pandemic days.

There are interesting art murals on the bridgeway to the North Towers parking, as well as the LED tunnel on the bridgeway to the City Center.

Heading to the City Center, I only checked a couple of shops, which are the Mi store and Book Sale. I bought a couple of second-hand manga books at the latter.

The staircase at the former cinema wing had a biophilic design like most parts of the mall.

The other staircase at the cinema wing looked like something from a resort swimming pool due to the design that looks like DOST's (Department of Science and Technology) logo.

And I'm off to the Annex. The LED billboard is already gone.

Inside, I checked a few more shops, including those in the Cyberzone area. Passing by MN±LA, I saw an interesting robe jacket (a drape, as the tag says) but I didn't feel like buying it at the moment. I loved the design, though. Hoping to get my hands on it one of these days.

The glass staircase at the fourth level still fascinates me to this day. By the window, I can see the entire Sky Garden (including the Sky Dome), the upcoming Unified Grand Central Station, and the City Center + The Block. And of course, Trinoma and the buildings on top of the Vertis North Mall.

Going back to the City Center, I dropped by the National Book Store branch there and saw a light novel I previously bought. I didn't stay long, though.

I decided to check the Interior Zone first before heading to Trinoma. Nothing much to see, except for a showroom. I passed by The Block one more time and exited through the Sky Garden entrance.

The Chinese lanterns are on display. Chinese New Year is only a few weeks away.

Going to my next stop, the footbridge was already dismantled so we had to use the pedestrian crossing instead. Anyway, I did get to see the Unified Central Station from there. Before reaching my next stop, I also managed to see a tarp regarding a possible connection (from Trinoma) to the upcoming Unified Grand Central Station.

Reaching Trinoma, I decided to check Landmark Supermarket first. After that, I immediately headed to the two Fully Booked branches (I visited the old branch at the basement level first before the other, newer branch at the third level). Having visited both the old and the new branches, I think the newer branch on the third level is smaller than the old one below.

Anyway, at least it does carry the usual stuff, especially the novels and manga books. I couldn't find Osamu Dazai's No Longer Human, though (the one published by Tuttle, both novel and manga).

I also had an early dinner at Pepper Lunch at the mall's Food Choices. It's been a decade since I first had my beef pepper rice at the Power Plant Mall branch in Makati (which had closed, unfortunately). This is the second time I've ever had a beef pepper rice, and a jumbo size too.

I checked the garden area as well. Too bad, the water features near the cinema area (including the fountains, I think) are gone (I never checked the rest of the garden area). Some even had potted flowering plants in their place. I wonder if it's just a temporary setup or a permanent one.

I then head on to my final stop, Vertis North. I only checked a few shops there, including The Craft Central and Uniqlo. Oh, and there's an electric vehicle charging station outside the mall area.

I passed by Japan Town, though the large LED display appears to have been removed. Or so I thought. Still loved the wooden elements, as well as the square lamps and the tatami-inspired tiled flooring.

And it's time for me to go home. I decided to take the UV Express at the Trinoma terminal near the MRT-3 North Avenue Station. Travel time took a lot faster than expected too considering that the traffic situation along Commonwealth Avenue is mostly light with moderate traffic in some parts.

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And so, I get to visit the North Avenue malls for the second time since the pandemic. I was really taking my sweet time visiting the shops in these malls, just like my last visit. Also, I was feeling a little disoriented during some parts of that mall-hopping trip. Later on, I was getting stressed over the Instagram app's greatest defects (I'll cover this in another post very soon).

By the way, did I mention Chinese New Year? Yup, since my next mall-hopping trip will take me to Binondo, but I'll visit the malls at the Ayala Center first, especially the newly-opened One Ayala Mall. It won't be long.

For now, it's back to reality for me. Until next time!

All pics are from my Instagram account, @kcox_105.

[investmentsquares]

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[aestheticvoyage2023]

Day 115: Tuesday April 25, 2023 - “Babies Mamas”

This post contributed by Audrie after hosting a pool party with her baby mamas:

I am so grateful for these women. Kate and Bre. They both are saved in my phone contacts with “Stella” and “Otis” attached respectfully. We all met about 18 or so months ago at the Birth-Center-Mom-Baby group. Stella was just a little sprout and Otis had to have been closing in on 7-9 months, William in 4-6 month range, and I just latched on to the positive energy of these two.

Out of all the women, and all the children, I knew Bre and Kate could be my tribe. It wasn’t more than a few words after hearing Kate & Stellz’s dad were from the STL, that I suggested beers at the brewery and invited a friendship that went beyond Friday’s at the Babymoon.

The rest is history.  We co-encountered and co-conquer all the variations of sleep regressions, teething tenuousnesses, food introductions, and developmental milestone markers along side one another while strolling the zoo, group texting or sneaking away for mamas-only-night at the comedy club.  

Then suddenly Bre and Tom were unexpectedly expecting a second baby and Kate and I didn’t hesitate to throw a warm welcome sprinkle-shower for baby E.

These women have been my go to for mom-talk, ladies nights, and just over all steadfast rocks to recenter on and cling to when the waters became too murky and rough to navigate solo.

These two were always on standby to hoist me back up when the slippery sloping edge that is new-motherhood got too steep to navigate alone.

I love them, and their babies. And we don’t all get together as often as we all would like, or connect as much as we all wish we could to let the kids bond, and the wine and whines flow. And yet, it’s been enough to not ever forget the value of this band of new mamas and the impertinent asset of having a few good women in your corner; walking a journey not exactly right along with you but somewhere…as if on a similar trail…within the same rough square mile of foreign landscapes and wild places…. A square mile made up of rock, and wash gullies, dehydrated shrubbery, and random wondering useless cows.

These women have been a lot like fellow desert hikers: picking their way from the tattered ends of the long dirt road that goes over the grand escalate staircase, and then diverges like the Nile’s Delta into the randomly-organized maze of trails that weave and wonder their way up to the backside of Lake Powell.  

We are all out here looking for the golden goose— that amber glazed sunrise donut reflecting off the red rock and glassy still water in Reflection Canyon.  We are all seeking that piece of peace.  Whether it’s in the wild or it’s in the wildness of the child, we are all set to conquer the peace.

In preparation for the journey, someone might have given you their compass, or their recollection of the way along that similar excursion that they hiked years ago… but until you are in it yourself, and realize we are all on a journey aimed at the same destination, but true north will point in different directions in the same compass for for each mama and child — we all have a yearning for the the prize of that award winning son-rise: a happy and healthy child, a thriving and not-crying and peacefully-sleeping-not-weeping-tiny-human that is not just the product of our cell building and milk rearing, but also our decision making and pathway picking though the neural-network map of endlessly possible passages to the sweet water’s edge.

This singular journey that pushes back and dances with the banks of insanity, also brings grounding and recenter in the small moments with the mamas who cross paths, who find their tribe on this solo journey; who take shelter under the same shade tree, together to breathe, to share, to reflect and to project and then to continue on again, in our slightly different directions and at different paces —yet all arrows aimed to arrive collected again. Down the trail. We all want the waters’ edge. The peace the love the beauty of a contended child, the warmth, the joy, the gratitude reflecting back in that baby’s smile.

We collected under a shade tree again today, Bre, Kate and I. And in the cooling waters of the Finca’s back yard, our hands stayed busy, while our hearts slowed down— for at least a few fleeting moments we rested our mama-souls. Leaning into one another, affirming, praising and recollect.  

It’s never enough, and it’s also always just enough time with these women, and our babies.

Song: Mazey Haze - Back to the Start 

Quote: "What we know of other people is only our memory of the moments during which we knew them. And they have changed since then. To pretend that they and we are the same is a useful and convenient social convention which must sometimes be broken. We must remember that at every meeting we are meeting a stranger." ~T.S. Eliot

[jonthephotographer]

Grand Staircase

Turn here to go to Reflection Canyon. The directions were hike about 7 miles, not to close to the cliff, but not too far away either. Then when you see this cliff turn left. No official trail just follow the footprints. Sounds like a nice adventure.

[neochan]

[ 5:59 PM ] The smell of alcohol and sweat soaks into his skin and invades his nostrils each time he breathes in. Hot bodies dancing to a shallow top forties playlist press up against him as he makes his way through the thick of the crowd. A hand lands on his hip, tugging him backwards, asking for a dance.

Fuck that.

He wrenches the hand away and continues to push through the bodies of intoxicated college students who were lucky enough to land an invite to one of his parties.

The main living room was huge, big marble pillars dominating the center, rows of tables being used for beer pong, a couple stripper poles with half naked girls twirling around them, and of course the twelve couches set up in a large square.

Johnny sat on the one in the corner, arm slung over a bleach blonde bunny, drink sloshing around his cup, that, at any moment, was sure to tumble out of his hand and splash all over the poor girl’s white shirt.

What a way to get her naked Johnny.

Someone passes a half empty bottle of Patron into Jaemin’s hand. He takes a big gulp, relishing the burn that slides down his throat.

“Where’s Y/N?” his voice is hoarse, strained, and if Johnny had heard him, he showed no signs.

Right when he was going to ask again, Johnny slides his eyes to his, “Your room.” His expression was one of guilt, eyebrows turned up, mouth set in a frown.

Jaemin curses under his breath and turns around, headed for the grand staircase. He passes half drunken couples making out, girls taking endless pictures, frat boys downing as much cheap soju as they could, and the occasional nerd who was there for the experience.

Dark red and purple lights pour over the crowd as he ascends the stairs. It was beautiful, yet a deep exhaustion spreads itself through his body. There weren’t as many people at the top of the staircase, but looking over the crowd, he knew this was going to be a long night. He wanted to go home.

How ironic.

The bottle of Patron in his hand was weighing him down so he takes another swig. “Fuck” he cries out. A tear runs down his cheek, but it’s not from the alcohol. He had walked up to his bedroom door and swung it open, revealing you naked and riding … he couldn’t see the guy’s face, but did it matter? Nothing could compare to this, not even the burn of straight tequila.

“Really Y/N? My fucking bedroom?” you look up and see his face, mouth dropped open in shock.

Jeno’s face pops up from the behind your torso.

Jaemin laughs in awe, “Okay, and with my bestfriend. This is so great. This is actually fucking perfect. Ya know, I didn’t think this night could get any better!” a delirious smile stretches from ear to ear.

You scramble to throw on your dress, forgetting about Jeno, and stumble to run after Jaemin, who had already made it to the bottom of the stairs.

“Please,” you call out, drawing unwanted attention to you, “Please, Jaemin, Wait,”

He swings the front door open and runs out into the yard. You follow after him till he stops at the side of his house, a place completely unoccupied, encompassed by overgrown shrubbery.

“No, Y/N, it’s exactly what it looks like. You’re always saying that you’re going to change but you always seem to end up screwing somebody that isn’t me,” his arms are gesturing wildly, eyes bloodshot, “someone that isn’t your fucking boyfriend.”

Trying desperately to calm him down you say the first thing that comes to mind “I – I didn’t mean to I - ”

“Oh yeah, you accidentally walked to my room and accidentally slipped and fell on his dick accidentally.” He aggressively puts air quotes around the word, ‘accidentally.’

You wanted to cry. You didn’t mean too, really. A couple drink too many and you found yourself making out with Jeno. He started to take off your clothes… and it escalated from there.

“Jaemin” your voice comes out in a whisper.

Tears are streaming down his cheeks, and you’re surprised they aren’t freezing on the spot with how cold it is outside. “Don’t fucking say my name when you’ve been moaning my bestfriends.” His eyes narrow down to slits.

The anger radiating off of him was brutal, there was no way you were going to come back from this. He’d given you so many chances before, so many times to redeem yourself, but you always end up seeking solace in others. It wasn’t your fault he couldn’t give you what you wanted.

“Please, I couldn’t find you anywhere - ”

“So, you end up screwing my bestfriend?” He shouldn’t even be asking the question. This always happens, every weekend, like clockwork, but he always ends up forgiving you. At this point he was setting himself up for heartbreak. “You’re the fucking devil, and I’m the poor angel that follows you around, willing to fall from heaven to be at your side.”

“What?” He was losing you with his poor drunken analogy.

“You’re bad for me Y/N! Can’t you see that?” His voice echoes off the trees and lands dully on your heart.

“I promise to be better, I’m sorry! Please,” this couldn’t be happening, “Please, don’t leave me.”

He’s crouched down now, one hand pressed against the dewy grass – trying to ground himself, the other tightly gripping the bottle of alcohol. “Go away, I just want to be alone.”

Like a shot to your chest, the wind is knocked out of you, almost making you join him in his crouched position.

“We need to fix this!” Even though you always found yourself wanting other guys, Jaemin was dependable. He was the consistency in your mess of infidelity, and you couldn’t lose him, otherwise you’d lose yourself in a downward spiral.

“No, we don’t. I’m finally fucking done with you.”