#mice company near me

[sostravelhouse]

Explore MICE Companies in DelhiNCR with Customer Feedback

SOS Travel House stands out as one of the top MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) companies in Delhi, offering comprehensive event management services tailored to the needs of businesses and organizations. With a focus on excellence and attention to detail, SOS Travel House has established itself as a premier destination for those seeking top-notch MICE solutions in the capital city.

Their team of seasoned professionals possesses extensive experience in orchestrating successful events, ranging from corporate meetings and conferences to incentive travel programs and exhibitions. As a leading MICE event management company, they understand the importance of delivering seamless experiences that leave a lasting impression on attendees.

SOS Travel House goes above and beyond to exceed client expectations, providing personalized services that cater to specific requirements and budgets. Whether you're looking for mice tour operators to organize a memorable incentive trip or seeking mice companies in Delhi to handle the logistics of a large-scale conference, SOS Travel House is equipped to handle it all.

Conveniently located, they are the go-to mice company near you, offering convenience and accessibility for clients across Delhi and beyond. As a trusted mice organizer, SOS Travel House is committed to delivering excellence in every aspect of event planning, ensuring the success of your MICE. Further More Information About MICE Companies in Delhi So Check Link- https://www.sostravelhouse.com/services/mice-event

[pestmastersuk]

Expert Pest Control Service London for Homes & Businesses

For reliable pest control service London, Pest Masters offers comprehensive solutions tailored to both residential and commercial needs. Their expert team provides customized pest control plans, with options for ongoing commercial contracts to keep properties pest-free. Utilizing the latest methods and eco-friendly products, Pest Masters tackles common issues like rodents, insects, and birds, ensuring effective and lasting results.

[pestquote]

Rodent Extermination Services | Pest Service Quote

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[lair-of-platonic-yanderes]

hello queen >^< I have a request ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ so you know kirara the best girl she’s a Yokai (?) now how would she react to a mouse yokai reader just imagine what shenanigans they’d get in:DD think Tom and Jerry except one thinks one is about to eat them and one just wants to kidnap the mouse

gn child

thank yluuuu🫡🫡

Hi! I hopped you like that fic 🙂

Little Friend

Platonic! Yandere! Kirara x GN! Child! Reader (plus, a tiny bit of Platonic! Mentor! Yae Miko)

Description: Cat is chasing after the mouse, together they cause shenanigans in the shrine, and fox is thinking about the past.

Warning: OOC. English is my second language. Platonic Yandere.

Reader based on kodama nezumi

_____

Yae Miko has many duties.

As head of the Grand Narukami Shrine, she must oversee the shrine, and makes sure, that people are getting needed help and not causing troubles.

As owner of the Yae Publishing House, she has to make sure, that writers aren't fooling around, and submit new works in time.

As Eternity's servant and friend, she keeps Ei company, reminding her old friend about the beauty of an ever-changing world.

But, Yae Miko had one more duty.

As an older and wiser youkai, and as youkai, who is to live alongside humanity, she must teach young youkais, how to live near humans.

Today, she has another lesson with one of her current youkai pupils. A child with mouse's ears and tail.

She called them [Y/N], and, right now, they were starting to get late for their lesson.

[Y/N] were a kodama nezumi, a mouse youkai, who could create small firework-like explosions. Their explosions weren't harmful, and were used by kodama nezumis to escape from danger.

Mice youkais were quite rare, even back in the Kitsune Saiguu's days, so, Yae Miko was really surprised, when she found [Y/N] few months ago, when few villagers came to shrine, begging for help. They insisted, that evil spirits start haunting the village, causing loud noises at night. Yae Miko, who had a rare moment of free time, agreed to visit the village. She was sure, that there were no evil spirits, and villagers were simply mistaken some forest animals' noises for ghosts' howling. Yae Miko were waiting for the moment, when she will prove villagers, that they were wrong. Some soft teasing won't hurt them.

However, both sides were wrong.

Kitsune was sure, that kodama nezumis went instinct. And she was quite shocked, when, after she went to investigate, she saw a kid with mouse's ears and tail, who were hiding in a tool shed and were playing with old temari.

After a quick chase (kid were sure, that "foxy wants to eat me", so they tried to escape), Yae Miko managed to convince [Y/N] to trust her. She promised to teach them, how to live with humans.

Ever since then, [Y/N] were visiting Narukami Shrine twice a week.

Yae Miko carefully rubbed her temples. She had an idea, why little mouse youkai were late. And, for the love of Electro Archon, she hopped that she was wrong.

The sounds of people jumping, loud squeaking, happy meowing and shrine maidens' "Lady Yae, they are here again!" crashed kitsune's hope. She made a deep breath and left the shrine building.

She immediatly saw a big, round mouse and a two-tailed cat in a special express delivery running around the Sacred Sakura. 

As usual, Kirara and [Y/N] were causing troubles.

Their meeting was an incident. Kirara was delivering a package to Guuji Yae when Yae Miko had a lesson with [Y/N]. Meeting between nekomata and kodama nezumi, between a cat and a mouse, went as good as you can guess. 

With a loud "Cat!" squeak, [Y/N] transformed into their mouse form and ran off. In a flash, transformed cat Kirara chased after them. After that, Yae Miko herself hurried after the duo, quickly commanding shrine maidens to catch the cat.

It was quite a chase. [Y/N], despite being young, were smart. They managed to trick Kirara into running on the top of the shrine, got tangled in bushes and ran into Kano Nana. After that, both [Y/N] and Kirara were caught and brought back to Yae Miko. Kitsune scold them for their behavior. She also reassured [Y/N], promising, that Kirara won't eat them, and made Kirara promise not to scare the mouse kid.

Yae Miko wasn't sure, if her talk worked.

Kirara was still chasing after [Y/N] from time to time.

[Y/N] still were jumpy around Kirara.

Their chase became famous through all Inazuma. They became so famous, that one of the new authors from publishing house started to write a series of children books about smart mouse being chased by sly cat. 

Meanwhile, [Y/N] and Kirara were running in circles around shrine maidens. Suddenly, mouse [Y/N] climbed on one of the maidens and jumped, landing on Yae Miko's sleeve, while Kirara continue running around the shrine maidens. When nekomata realized, that kodama nezumi were gone, she froze, looking around in shock.

Mouse on Yae's sleeve were squeaking happily, but, after noticing their mentor's gaze, got silent, jumped down and transformed into their human form. Kirara followed their example. The duo looked guilty.

"[Y/N]." softly called Yae Miko. Kid's mouse's ears perked up.

"Yes, Great Guuji Yae?" 

Yae smiles slightly and pointed back to the shrine. 

"Please, go here. Our lesson will start soon, so, get ready."

Kodama nezumi nodded and skipped towards the shrine. Yae Miko turned her attention to Kirara. Her voice became slightly strict.

"Kirara, how many times I asked you not to chase after [Y/N]? You are scaring them."

Nekomata's tails twitched.

"But, Guuji Yae, I just want to help My little friend! But every time I try to offer my help, they refuse or try to change the topic. But I just want to help!"

Yea Miko raised an eyebrow. Kirara elaborated.

"They are a kid, they won't have any way to take care of themselves! And I can take care of them! They can live with me, I will find a cozy box for them, I will feed them. I will be their big sister!" with every word Kirara's eyes shined with some strange emotion. Yae shook her head.

"Kirara, your heart is in a right place. But, please, take it slowly. Don't harass [Y/N], and, maybe, one day, you two will be close friend, and, maybe, [Y/N] will see you as a big sister. But, please, be patient."

With that words, Yae Miko turned around and returned to the shrine. She has a lesson to teach to [Y/N].

_______

Kirara was on her way to the bottom of Mt. Yougou. She wasn't able to get [Y/N] to her home once again. But, she wasn't sad. As Guuji Yae said, it can be changed in a future.

One day, [Y/N] will live with her. Granny will love them for sure. Kirara will play with [Y/N], will teach them how to read and write. She will buy [Y/N] anything they want! There would be no need for them to go outside.

One day, her little friend will be safe, happy and sound. And right by her side.

[tleeaves]

Folks going "WHAT they made a show about the Fallout franchise?? I've been hearing people say Bethesda messed it up, but I haven't watched it myself, so I'm going to trust the word of other people -- some of which also haven't finished watching it" is driving me insane.

Being a hard core fan of something obviously brings with it a lot of passionate feelings when adaptations come into play. Of course, there's going to be people going "but in 8 episodes of the first ever season they made, they didn't explore Theme C or D, didn't introduce factions E and F and G, and because the source company is notorious for its scams, we and everyone else who's a TRUE fan should hate it".

The Amazon Original series Fallout follows the videogame franchise of the same name. It is a labour of love and you can tell by the attention to detail, the writing, the sets, and YES THE THEMES ARGUE WITH THE WALL. It's clearly fan service. I mean, the very characterisation of Lucy is a deadringer for someone playing a Fallout game for the first time. She embodies the innocent player whose expectations drastically change in a game that breaks your heart over and over again. Of course, she's also the vessel through which we explore a lot of themes, but I'll get to that.

There're some folks arguing that the show retcons the games, and I gotta say... for a website practically built on fandom culture, why are we so violently against the idea of someone basing an adaptation on a franchise that so easily lends itself to new and interesting interpretations? But to be frank, a lot of what AO's Fallout is not that new. We have: naive Vault dweller, sexy traumatised ghoul that people who aren't cowards will thirst over, and pathetic guy from a militaristic faction. We also have: total atomic annihilation, and literally in-world references to the games' lore and worldbuilding constantly (the way I was shaking my sister over seeing Grognark the Barbarian, Sugar Bombs, Cram, Stimpaks, and bags of RadAway was ridiculous). Oh, and the Red Rocket?? Best pal Dogmeat? I'm definitely outing myself as specifically a Fallout 4 player, but that's not the point you should be taking away from this.

The details, the references, and the new characters -- this show is practically SCREAMING "hey look, we did this for the fans, we hope you love it as much as we do". Who cares that the characters are new, they still hold the essence of ones we used to know! And they're still interesting, so goddamn bloody interesting. Their arcs mean so much to the story, and they're told in a genuinely intriguing way. This isn't just any videogame adaptation, this was gold. This sits near Netflix's Arcane: League of Legends level in videogame adaptation. Both series create new plots out of familiar worlds.

Of course, those who've done the work have already figured out AO's Fallout is not a retcon anyway. But even if it was, that shouldn't take away from the fact that this show is actually good. Not even just good, it's great.

Were some references a little shoe-horned in to the themes by the end of the show, such as with "War never changes"? Yes, I thought so. But I love how even with a new plot and characters, they're actually still exploring the same themes and staying true to the games. I've seen folks argue otherwise, but I truly disagree. The way capitalism poisons our world, represented primarily through The American Dream and the atomic age of the 45-50s that promoted the nuclear family dynamic -- it's there. If you think it's glorifying it by leaning so heavily into in the adaptation, I feel like you're not seeing it from the right angle. It's like saying Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck glorifies the American Dream, when both this book and the Fallout franchise are criticisms of it. If you think about it, the post-apocalyptic world of Fallout is a graveyard to the American Dream. This criticism comes from the plots that are built into every Fallout story that I know of. The Vaults are literally constructed to be their own horror story just by their mere existence, what they stand for, what happens in each of them. The whole entire show is about the preservation of the wrong things leading to fucked up worlds and people. The missions of the Vaults are time and again proven to be fruitless, unethical, plain wrong. Lucy is our brainwashed character who believed in the veritable cult she lived in before she found out the truth.

So then consider the Brotherhood of Steel. I really don't think it exists in the story to glorify the military. We see just how much the Brotherhood has brainwashed people like Max (also, anything ominously named something like "the Brotherhood" should raise eyebrows). Personally, I don't like Max, but I am intrigued by his characterisation. I thought the end of his arc was rushed the way he "came good" basically, but [SPOILERS] having him embraced as a knight in the Brotherhood at the end against his will -- finally getting something he always wanted -- and him grimly accepting it from all that we can tell? Him having that destiny forced upon him now that he's swaying? After he defected? If his storyline is meant to be a tragedy, it wouldn't surprise me, because Fallout is rife with tragedies anyway. And a tragedy would also be a criticism of the military. That's what Max's entire arc is. It goes from the microcosm focusing on the cycle of bullying between soldiers to the macro-environment where Max is being forced to continue a cycle of violence against humanity he doesn't want to anymore because a world driven to extremes forces him to choose it to survive (not to mention what a cult and no family would do to his psyche). Let's not forget what the Brotherhood's rules are: humankind is supreme. Mutants, ghouls, synths, and robots are abominations to be hated and destroyed. If you can't draw the parallels to the real world, you need to retake history and literature classes. The Brotherhood is also about preserving the wrong things, like the Vaults (like the Enclave, really). They just came about through different method. The Enclave is capitalism and twisted greed in a world where money barely exists anymore. The Brotherhood is, well, fascism plain and simple.

Are these the only factions in the Fallout franchise? Hell no. But if you're mad about that -- that they're the main ones explored, apart from the NCR -- I think you're missing the point. These themes, these reminders, are highly relevant in the current climate. In fact, I almost think they always will be relevant unless we undergo drastic change. On the surface-level, Fallout seems like the American ideal complete with guns blazing that guys in their basements jerk off to. Under that surface, is a mind-fuck story about almost the entire opposite: it's a deconstruction of American ideals that are held so closely by some, and the way that key notion of freedom gets twisted, and you're shooting a guy in-game because it's more merciful than what the world had in store for him.

I mean, the ghoul's a fucking cowboy from the wild west character he used to play in Hollywood glam and his wife was one of the people who helped blow up America in the name of capitalism and "peace". There are so many layers of this to explore, I'd need several days to try and keep track and go through it all.

The Amazon Prime show is a testament to the Fallout franchise. The message, the themes? They were not messed up or muddled or anything of the sort, in my opinion.

As for Todd Howard, that Bethesda guy, I'm sure there's perfectly valid reasons to hate him. I mean, I've hated people for a lot less valid reasons, and that's valid. We all got our feelings. But the show is about more than just him. My advice is to keep that in mind when you're judging it.

[briandraws]

Here's a funny gay man fic for Kinger x Caine

Nothing suggestive, just them being gay men

If you don't wanna read this, then don't click the read more

Caine seemed to enjoy the company of Kinger. Just them in the pillow fort, talking about who knows what. At the moment, it was Kingers obsession with insects.

A question arose in Caine's mind. Without hesitation, he asked, "Why do you like bugs so much?" Kinger looked up from his hands to stare at Caine, who might've realized the question was not a great thing to ask.

Kinger stared at Caine for a few minutes, before sighing and reaching into his left glove. Caine's head(teeth?) tilted curiously.

Kinger pulled a photo out of his glove, with messy handwriting written on the back "dear sister <3". Upon turning it over, it was a photo of Kinger and Queenie enjoying the carnival near the tent.

"Is that... Queenie?" Caine looked at the photo in disbelief. Kinger nodded solemnly. "My sister. She was the one who introduced me to the insects of this digital world. I miss her dearly."

"Oh... I'm sorry, Kinger, I didn't mean to-" Kinger shushed him with a wave, ticking the crumpled photo back into his glove. "It's not your fault, Caine. It was bound to happen." Kinger sighed.

They sat there for a while, silent as mice. Caine seemed to regret asking the question, as he had inched away from Kinger out of fear.

Kinger simply dragged him closer.

"Don't blame yourself for what happened, Caine." Kinger gripped Caine's shoulder. "It happens, and while I grieve her everyday, I'm sure she'd want me to move on. To love you."

Caine stared in disbelief. Kinger chuckled and laid down onto the pile of pillows, falling asleep soon after. Caine laid down beside him, pulling a blanket over them, sleeping with him.

[sirianasims]

Insurrection - Part 2

While my parents were obviously very upset at the time, my brother was excited and wanted to go. The strangers, his uncle and grandmother, would take him with them when they returned to Sixam. Until then, my mother would teach them about her new technology.

The next few days, before they left, the rest of us tried to spend as much time with my brother as possible.

I admit that I was angry with him at first. I felt that he was abandoning me. Who was now going to help me with homework and make me laugh when I had a rough day at school?

Luckily, we managed to make up before he left. And I could see why he wanted to go – it was both an obligation and an adventure to him.

My father also had a heart-to-heart with my brother, the last night before he left for Sixam. It was a warm night and I could hear them outside my open window.

I know my father and brother both consider themselves true father and son, despite my brother’s origins. I hope spending time with his biological father on Sixam hasn’t changed that.

When the Sixams left, my dear brother left with them. I knew that it could take years before he would be able to travel back and visit us, especially if the wormhole technology never worked.

Trying to overcome the sadness of my brother leaving, my mother threw herself into her work. Sometimes I would barely see her for days, because she would stay late at the lab every day.

We now know that it was worth it, that she finally managed to secure a communication link, so we can get updates from my brother every few months, but she still hasn’t succeeded in establishing travel, and my brother is too busy to leave Sixam for a year or two just to visit.

My father tried to compensate for my mother’s constant working by spending more time with me.

But my father’s job was also very demanding, and I often spent my afternoons alone.

Most days, I only had Maggie for company.

But she was more than enough.

It’s not that I didn’t have friends, I had good friends at school, but I couldn’t exactly schedule playdates every single day.

One day, when I was alone at the playground, I saw a stray cat. She was limping and very dirty, and would not let me get near her, but I wanted to help her.

I spent the entire day trying to befriend her, and she finally let me pick her up so we could take her to the vet.

The cat had no chip or ear tattoo, and when no one came forward to claim her, my parents decided that I could keep her. I named her Winky.

Seeing how the veterinarian expertly diagnosed her problems and treated her while being kind and respectful made me realise that this is what I want to do with my life as well.

My parents tell me that I would play vet constantly, and bring home any animal I found. I was allowed to keep smaller birds and a couple of mice while nursing them back to health, but my parents helped me take any stray cats and dogs to the shelter, or I would have had an entire zoo.

A few years later, one of our neighbours had to move into a retirement home, and had to find a new home for her old dog, Milo. I had often been walking him for her, and she wanted me to have him. This time, my parents did not object.

Animals are what keeps me going, my reason to be courageous, kind, and disciplined. These are the qualities I will bring to Foxbury.

Thank youoooo99999ggggrrrrr;;;;;;;;33333333333

“Winky, seriously? Thanks for helping, but this is a very important letter.”

Thank you for your time and consideration. I hope this essay gives you a better idea of the passion I bring to everything I do, and that I will bring to the field of veterinary medicine.

I look forward to speaking with you again in the future – hopefully as a student at your esteemed institution.

Sincerely, Eric Fyres-Munch Duchelli Asphalt Abode Newcrest

beginning / previous / next

[zooophagous]

Artemis politely stirred her usual copious heap of sugar into her already milky coffee. Strauss sat beside her, close enough that their legs were touching. It was as close as he could politely get in mixed company. If he were to seek out further contact (however desperately he currently wanted it) it may arouse suspicion.

Truthfully, even sitting close enough to touch was a bit of a bold move with Ursula in the room. She sat near Vicar Martin, and handed him a mug of microwaved water with a cheap teabag in it. She didn’t offer him milk or sugar. He would drink it and like it.

The Vicar didn’t seem to mind. He was distracted. Not only by sitting so close to a vampire, but also by the clear plastic small animal carrier filled with white mice. They scurried over each other and around in small circles in their holding cell on the coffee table. He glanced at them curiously, and then back up to Artemis and Strauss.

“Is it prudent for Dr. Strauss to sit in on this if he’s technically a suspect?”

“It is our policy not to deprive Herr Strauss of any information pertinent to his stay at the Institute. It’s best he hears it first hand to avoid confusion.” She said with a smile.

“I see. Do the…mice need to be present?”

“They are my emotional support animals.” Strauss replied tonelessly.

“Alright then.”

Ursula let out a quiet snort of mocking laughter and sipped her watery tea. “Alright then, Martin. Since you’ve already let the cat out of the bag, go ahead and elaborate. If I’m going to help you with this investigation I need the where, the who, the what, all of it in excruciating detail.”

“This man has a cat in a bag?” Strauss tilted his head.

“It means to share something that was a secret.” Artemis replied, leaning into him.

“Actually, Ursula, I will have to respectfully decline your help for the moment. I’m trusting you not to run your mouth or do anything stupid with this information. You aren’t supposed to have it yet.” The vicar replied, taking a nervous sip of his weak tea.

“Nonsense. You can’t just tell me there’s been a vampire implicated murder ON MY HOME TURF and expect me to just sit here with the whole weight of the Van Helsing-”

“You will do nothing and say nothing until the official letters have been sent.” Vicar Martin said firmly.

Ursula huffed and puffed and crossed her arms in indignant silence. Artemis set down her coffee and folded her hands in her lap.

“We will of course follow proper protocol. We just want to be prepared to move in an instant. Can you let us know what’s wrong?”

“Yes. Well. There has been a murder.”

“Mmm. Yes. You mentioned.” Strauss replied languidly, and opened the little container of mice to scoop one into his claw. He let it climb over his fingers and rotated his hand to keep up with its movements.

“...Yes. A murder. Of course, if that’s all it was, we wouldn’t be here auditing you. This victim had a series of very particular injuries. Injuries consistent with what we would expect from-”

-CRUNCH-

The vicar paused. Strauss made an awful sound as he finished off his mouse, and graciously deposited the desiccated remains of the bloodless prey item into a napkin that he folded into his lap.

Ursula pinched the bridge of her nose. Martin gagged.

“I thought… those were emotional support animals?”

“I am an emotional eater.” Strauss replied flatly.

“Is that really necessary.”

“It is my feeding time. If you do not want to witness it, do not interrupt my schedule.”

Martin looked down and away and staunchly decided to continue. “Anyways. As I was saying before your friend decided to demonstrate for us, the injuries of the deceased are consistent with a vampire attack.”

Artemis leaned forward looking concerned. “These are very serious accusations. Can you be more specific?”

“Yes. The victim in this case was a young man. A healthy young man in his prime. He was found down by the banks of the river about four days ago. He appears to have died of a fatal stabbing to his neck. But that’s not all that was wrong with him. He had bruising consistent with being held by his wrists, a broken vertebrae, and most notably, he had been very nearly entirely drained of blood.”

“This may be a stupid question, but the blood is… missing, right? Not just spilled all over the scene?”

“It is presumed missing. We ah… aren’t sure just yet if the deceased was killed where he was found. His clothes did not have any blood on them.”

“Where did you find him?”

“The remains were discovered in Gooseberry Mound Park, near where the large storm drain tunnel opens into the river bed. Unfortunately this park is very well populated and he was found by a family with young children.”

Strauss frowned and reached for another mouse. “Out in an open area like that, if he was killed there, it must have occurred late at night, if there were no witnesses. What could have lured him to that place at that time?”

He idly stroked the small white mouse in his claw. “Or perhaps he was dragged.”

“Like I said, we aren’t sure. But the time frame in which he may have been killed was another sign it may be vampire activity. Along with the severe neck injuries that seemed to be caused by a pair of bare hands- This was not a small man. Like I said he was young, athletic, in his prime-”

-CRUNCH-

Strauss consumed his second mouse. He draped over the chair and folded one long leg over the other while tilting his head, pondering deep thoughts with the pink tail hanging from his mouth. He pulled it out by the tail and placed it in the napkin with the other spent carcass.

Vicar Martin blanched, and gagged again. “Can you please stop doing that?”

“Do we know anything about the victim? About who he was?” Strauss asked and completely ignored Martin’s discomfort and request.

“Not yet, it’s pending notification of next of kin. I cannot give you a name but suffice to say we know he was a student and that people are already looking for him.”

“So, not some random drifter, or some runaway that would not be missed. It is an unorthodox target for a vampire that is hunting for subsistence. Perhaps this was something personal.”

“That’s why we needed to interview you. There are very few vampires here we know of, and you’re the only one it’s really at all convenient to talk to.”

“Convenient to talk to? That may be the nicest thing you’ve said about me.”

“More convenient than trying to talk to Miss Pietra.” The Vicar muttered quietly.

Artemis cleared her throat. “I take it she’s the true prime suspect here.”

“Regrettably so. Unless there’s some new rogue entity stalking this fair city- but honestly they would be very stupid to set up shop next door to your group.”

“Unless they want to be caught.” Strauss shrugged.

“Did you want to be caught, Mr. Strauss?”

“Doctor Strauss.” Strauss replied darkly, with the emphasis on ‘doctor.’

“And, if you must know, no. I did not want to be caught. If you ask, Frau Harker can tell you I resisted and was quite a pest for quite some time. This conversation however, is not about me. Unless you still consider me some kind of suspect.”

“Well, you’re going to stay a suspect until the real perpetrator is caught, I’m afraid. I don’t think you did it, and I’ll say so in my report, but despite whatever preconceived notions you have about me, Doctor Strauss, I’m not the sole arbiter of your fate.”

Martin leaned in with an earnest expression. “Nor am I your enemy.”

“Is Herr Cunningham included in your list of suspects?”

“The lycanthrope? No. This profile doesn’t match for lycanthropy at all.”

“So you aren’t going to bother him, then?”

“No. Not unless you think I should.”

Strauss visibly relaxed back into the couch. “No. I am satisfied with that answer. He has been through enough on account of vampires.”

“Haven’t we all?” Ursula rolled her eyes. “I appreciate your candor with the Institute, Vicar Martin. Let me know as soon as I am clear to mobilize and your investigation will have the full power of the Van Helsing Institute behind it.”

“Many thanks, Ms. Harker. Let me know if you see or hear anything you think might be pertinent. And… as much as I hate to say this. Doctor Strauss, you should consider remaining on a curfew at this time. If you absolutely must leave the Institute, bring several witnesses and if possible a gps system of some kind. If anything else happens the church will want absolute proof you are not involved.”

Strauss nodded and got up and approached Vicar Martin to shake hands. “Vielen dank, Herr Martin. Do not worry about me. I can take care of myself.”

Martin shook Strauss’ hand, and felt something pressed into his palm. Strauss walked off, leaving the vicar with a folded napkin containing the husks of two spent mice. While Ursula saw to the shaken stranger, Artemis followed Strauss down the hall.

“What are your thoughts about all of this?”

“It is quite complex. Also quite fishy. That is the word in English, yes? The situation does not smell right.”

“Correct. And yes, I agree. It’s an awful situation but I can’t help but feel like the profile is off.”

“I want to see this crime scene. I want to see the evidence for myself.”

“Do you really think that’s wise?”

“Perhaps I can help. It ‘takes one to know one,’ as you’ve said before.”

“Maybe. It’s going to be a hard sell, though, getting you access to that information.”

“Yes, and it has a high potential to blow up in my face. But…”

“But we have to do something.”

“Right. I have an idea of where to begin, that does not require cooperation from the authorities. But, you will not like it.”

“What’s your idea?”

“I need to speak to Sylvain.”

[sostravelhouse]

Top Mice Companies in Delhi with Certified Tour Operator

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SOS Travel House is committed to being an excellent MICE organizer, and this means that every detail of the events that we are involved is carefully taken care of from the beginning till the end. They provide solutions in which makes them trustworthy MICE tour operators. This comprehensive approach assists the clients to concentrate on whatever they want to display at their event since everything else is managed by SOS Travel House.

In cases where someone is looking for ‘A MICE company near me ‘, SOS Travel House can be highly recommended because of their geographical spread and more specifically their branch in Delhi. They are not just operating an ordinary business of catering services, but they prefer to offer specialized solutions that conform to the requirements of their clients to allow an effective and memorable event to be held. Further More - https://www.sostravelhouse.com/services/mice-event

[studywgabi]

That Time When I Was 12 That My Mother Accidentally Took Me To A Burlesque Show

Mom's favorite book is The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, a classic tale of adventure, justice, revenge, love, forgiveness, and, apparently, nipple pasties. So when she saw there would be a play adaptation running for one night only in the Big City near Hometown, she was so excited that she immediately bought the tickets without reading the playbill too closely.

So, there we were: country mice on an awfully big adventure, off to Big City to bond over wholesome, family-friendly fun in manner of Gilmore Girls or similar. The bouncer (there was a bouncer) asked to see our I.D.s, I said I wasn't 21 and asked if I could still sit in the theatre since the bar (there was a bar) was in the lobby. The bouncer said she'd ask her manager, but my mom went all real housewife gangsta on her: "I'm her mom, and it's okay with me that she's here." She wasn't about to miss the show when she'd already bought the tickets and had to take the train to get here, and the bouncer knew that. I love my mom.

We found our seats and I read the program while we waited for the curtain to come up. We started out like this:

"That's so weird, I didn't even know this place was 21+."

"Yeah, that seems strange for just a normal theatre, like any other. But everyone here is, like, super old."

Then we got to:

"Oh, so this is like, a modern re-telling?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Oh, so it must be like Clueless or 10 Things I Hate About You or something like that."

"Probably."

Then:

"Wait, this theatre company is called Manustrip?"

"Huh. That's a weird name."

And eventually:

"Mamá, is this a burlesque show?"

She didn't get the chance to reply before the show started, but I got my answer from Fuschia Folds, Annya Neese, and Miss Trixie Vermouth soon enough. Incredible performances, the highlight was watching two drag queens gag Villefort with her with her own barrister's band and whip her for misbehaving while sitting next to my middle-aged Catholic mother in a very vocal audience.

Where you lead, I will follow.

[the-fiction-witch]

Brittani Songbird

Media The Last Legion

Character Romulus Augustus (Age Up)

Couple Romulus X Reader

Rating Sexy

I sat trying not to feel like a statue or a painting on the wall, this place had been my home for many years now my little villa far from home that looked and felt out of place. When Odoacer and the Goths attacked Rome unannounced my new leadership was nothing compared to theirs, they took over, killed my parents and made themselves the rulers of the empire my family had stood over for generations. I did my best not to feel like a failure but it wasn't easy. 

But so far Rome seemed to be alright not flourishing but not dying either at least from what I had heard. 

Odoacer was merciful to me, he knew I was merely a child thrown into a life I was born into but in no way prepared for. So he took pity on me, instead of killing me he sent me into exile. I could never return to my home. 

But I was given money and a home a small Rome-style Villa in a small place near the ocean a fair distance from San Foca, it was nothing like the places I grew up in but I was thankful to not be out on my ear on the streets. 

But I was forbidden to leave my Villa, I was unable to write or receive letters, I could not receive news of politics, I could not have visitors, so really I lived a life of imprisonment even if the cell is of silk. 

I didn't even have staff I could chat with, I had staff but they were mostly slaves who had their tongues removed or mutes. I had my own Baths so I never went to the local ones to see anyone, and whore's where off the table completely as Odoacer didn't want to risk the Cesar blood continuing after me even if after all these years in exile I'm pretty sure I even saw a woman I'd explode. 

It felt so cripplingly lonely, I had begun talking to myself and the cats around the villa that I kept mostly for the company but also because they keep rats and mice out of the kitchens, and I did love them so without them I'd have gone completely mad.

I sat watching the sun over the water and the bracing sea air, a little black cat I had named Shadow sat beside me on the window sill eating a fish he had found out by the beach, he was letting me pet his head and back giving him a scratch behind the ear trying to enjoy the only company I had. 

I sighed trying to think of something to do today when I perked up much like Shadow did. As we both heard the sound. 

A sweet mysterious song, I know those words... That- that's Brittanian, A Brittanian song? and that voice it... it was a woman's voice. Just at the prospect, I got excited! I listened to the song for a while trying to see if I could figure out where the singer was looking out to the water and the beach to see if I could see her but I watched as shadow jumped down and headed inside the villa, and I realized too... the voice is coming from, inside!

I got up and headed through the villa following the alluring song like a siren leading me to the murky depths but I didn't care! She can be a siren right out of the sea as long as I can talk to her! I was half following the voice and half following shadow as he too seemed to know where the voice was better than I did, he scampered out to the courtyard in the centre of the Villa. 

I held my breath and stepped out onto the stones and there she was...

A woman was knelt on the courtyard stones with a wooden bucket in front of her, she had a basket of laundry beside her and was working away scrubbing and washing the laundry while she sang her heavenly song, she wore light sandals laced up her legs and a light lilac dress, her hair in a long braid. 

I leant on the courtyard archway watching her as she washed and sang shadow going up to her and sitting by her feet, she chuckled dried her hand and gave the cat a gentle scratch behind his ears, 

I- I- I I uhhh... Oh, my gods... I think I'm in love!

I watched her for so long as she sang her gentle song and did her sweet work every so often when she would get up to her feet and peg the items she had washed on the various lines around the courtyard. And as I saw her I froze up... When she stood to peg the clothes on the line the sun would shine across her body bouncing across her sweet hair the sun shining through her which turned her lilac dress sheer and revealed the silhouette of her body below it, I could see everything!

Her neck, her torso, her breasts, her waist, her hips, her thighs! 

Ummmmm! It was enough to make me throb desperately for her I took in every inch of her watching her do the laundry savouring every moment when she would stand and the sun would turn her dress sheer. I knew I couldn't just stand like a creeper forever every time she glanced this way I tried to hide but my heart was beating, my erection throbbing my whole body screaming at me to- 

"H-Hello!" I yelled, 

I made her jump and she turned to see me as she stood hanging up a sheet, "Ohh? Hello sir." she cooed,

"H-He-Hello..." I cooed immediately feeling so lovesick I could fall on the floor, 

"Something I can do for you, sir?" she asked,

"I uhhh" I stuttered but I couldn't wait I bolted over and grabbed her hands, "Please, can we talk? I want to hear everything know everything, what's your name? what's your astrological sign? where are you from? I want to know everything about you and your family and your history Please just talk to me!" 

"Ohh ughhh" she stuttered giggling a little, "Ohh I'd be more than happy to talk to you sir."

"You will?"

"Of course,"

"Thank you!" I smiled almost crying, "What uhh what's your name?"

"Y/n."

"Y/n. that is the most perfect most beautiful name I've ever heard."

"Aww thank you."

"Why uhh why are you here?"

"Ohh the house keeper hired me as a new maid,"

"You're my new maid! Ohh that's perfect, that's so so perfect." I cooed,

"I suppose it is," she giggled, 

"The uhh the song you were signing that was brittanian?"

"It was,"

"So you're from Brittania?"

"Yes I am," she nodded,

"Awww that's perfect, you're perfect. I... I think I'm in love with you my little brittanni songbird."

"In- In love with me?" she jumped, "You know my name..."

"I know, but I don't need to know more to know I'm in love! I wish to learn everything I want to listen to you tell me everything you've ever thought I beg of you, do this for me and I swear I will marry you in the morning." 

"Ohhh Ughh alright I'd be happy too just let me finish my work and we can go sit in the study and talk romulus."

"No now." I pouted,

"well I only have a few more things to do," she smiled trying to get back to work but I'm not letting her get away that easily so I grabbed her and lifted her into my arms like a princess, 

"Come my brittanni songbird! I wish to hear your sweet voice for hours." I told her carrying her away to the study with me, 

[thealmightyemprex]

VOyage Through the Disney Canon(1950-1959)

Now we enter the 50's looking at films 12-16

5.Cinderella-While this fiolm has grown on me this is not a movie I love .I like Cinderella herself finding her to be a sympathetic chararacter,Lady Tremain is a subtle yet creepy villain with how manipulative she is ,Verna Felton is fun as the Fairy Godmother,Lucifer is a fun secondary villain and the animation is pretty ......Problem is I dont like most of the side character and unfortunately they take up most of the movie.The prince is barely a character ,the king is a psychopath who I find more frightening then funny ,and ogh GOD ,I cant stand the mice,they are so grating to me and they are in so much of the movie I kind of wanted the cat to eat them .I get their are people who love this film,glad you like it,but their are better Cinderella films to me

4.Alice in Wonderland :I debated how high to put this film cause I do like it but I dont love it like others do .I love Alice herself who is played brillaintly by Katheryn Beaumont ,the Mad Tea Party scene is one of the funniest scenes of the Walt era due to the animation and vocal performances ofEd Wynn and Jerry Colona ,This is a great showcase for Disney regulars ,like J PAt O Malley showing his range as Tweedledee and Tweedle Dum/Walrus and Carpenter ,Bill Thompson is wonderfully pompous as the Dodo ,Sterling Holloway is great as the Cheshire Cat,and Verna Felton is scene stealingly good as the Queen of Hearts .As a film it is fun to see Disney get weird with great visuals (Hasts off to Mary Blaire ).....However I dont like the songs ,I never liked this takeon the Carterpiller,and while Bill Thompson is great as the Dodo I never thought his voice for the White Rabbit worked .I also think as an adaptation of the Alice stories go,its just a good version and not my favorite (the 99 TV movie is probably the winner there )

3.Peter Pan:So this was one of my favorites as a kid ,then I had a backlash to it ,now I like it but acknowledge it is flawed .Flaws first,the depiction of Native American ,specifically their song is really cringy and racist .....But now that I think about it,that is my biggest issue.I used to have a problem with Peter himself ,findinhim too unlikeable.....But honest this maybe my favorite version of Peter,now that I realize Peter isnt supposed to be likeable ,and in fact I think Bobby DRiscoll does a fine job balancing being both impishly charming and being smugly arrogant ,and I love the animation of him,how he will just float around.Katheryne Beaumont grounds the movie as Wendy,and I kind of love that Tinkerbell who has become a mascot for the company is a murderous little sociopath .I love the character animation of Nana the Dog ,the action is great,Smee maybe bBill Thopmpsons best role and the film has many great jokes.The scene stealer of the film has to be Captain Hook who is one of my absolute favorite Walt era villains ,he is threatening,he is stylish,he is funny and he is marveolusly voiced by the great Hans Conried ,I love his scenes with Smee,his duels with Peter and the hilarious chase scenes between him and Tick Tock the Croc who wants to gobble him up .I'll admit part of me might be putting this film this high for a mix of the villain and nostalgia....But I really like it

2.Lady and the Tramp:This canine romance is higher then I thought it would be but I love this movie ,bioth Lady and Tramp are likeable ,I love the side characters like Jock,Trusty,Boris (Whos played by Alan Reed AKA Fred Flinstone ),Peg,Joe and Tony .The songs are all good,the animation is solid ,voice acting is good and yeah the speghetti scene is iconic.I dont like the fake out near the end and yeah Si and Am suck .However the main love story make this one enjoyable for me

1.Sleeping Beauty-....SO this is my second favorite Film of Walts era ,and might be my favorite of the Princess movies .I like the trivk it pulld by the film being basically about the fairies instead of the Princess .I actually like Aurora and Phillip ,I love the ballet score ,the art style is beautiful,the kings are funny,Once Upon A DReam is one of my favorite Disney songs and the final battle against the dragon is awesome .Maleficent is a MAGNIFICENT VILLAIN voiced wonderfully by Elanore Audley whose true plan is one oif my favorite evil plans ever and she is wonderfully designed and animated by Marc Davis .My favorite characters however are the heroes ,that is to say the fairies,Flora,Fauna and Merryweather who are so fun and lovable (Though Merryweather is my favorite )

Agree ,disagree,comment and share your oppinion

@ariel-seagull-wings @amalthea9 @theancientvaleofsoulmaking @princesssarisa @the-blue-fairie @makingboneboy @themousefromfantasyland @filmcityworld1

[floydsmuse]

Ya know Meggy?? I swore I was gonna wait, but when one thought/thot gets sent in, another one won't stop talkin (lol).

Rhett's always had a soft spot for the runts-of-the-litter. Proper animal care was something Royal instilled in him from a young age and caring for the smallest critters was no exception.

Now Royal was never a fan of the rodents, especially since mice got into the feed sacks, but there was one time when Rhett was caring for a little mouse who had a limp and a bad foot and it was always those instances when Royal had a much softer spot for the mice. He even helped Rhett make a tiny little splint to keep the foot stable and the mouse made a full recovery. Rhett even built the little guy a home and found him a mate, but the litter of baby mice that came less than a few months later kinda made Royal chuckle a little (lol).

It was also the case after you and Rhett got married that he kept up the critter care. The runt in a litter of piglets that had been born that spring, couldn't nurse properly from the sow because he was the smallest and seriously underweight. You and Rhett made him a little bed near the woodstove in the living room at the house and let him sleep there while you bottle-fed the poor little guy. You knew he was gonna need a name and what else should Rhett pick for a name but Wilbur (lol). Next thing you know, Wilbur ends up becoming the head boar with a sow of his own to keep him company for a long, long time.

Tiny and Willie, your house cats were a huge blessing too. You and Rhett had found them hiding under the truck after a bull-riding competition one night and both were in pretty rough shape, to say nothing of the fact that Tiny was very, very pregnant with a litter of kittens. Of course you took'em both to the vet to get looked at and the both of them and the kittens were fine. As soon as you had everything sorted out with the shelter, you brought them both home and funnily enough, Rhett's parents were the ones who gave the cats their names (lol). Cecelia swore up and down that her old cat, whose name was also Tiny, had come back, but Royal had picked the name of the male.

"Rhett, your damn cat smells like Willie Nelson's tour bus!" (lol).

Lo and behold just in time for Christmas, Tiny birthed her litter in the book barn you, Rhett and some family friends had built after your wedding. Amy was so excited that you guys had new kitties but Rhett told her not to pet the kitties without him being there. He was even the animal midwife who helped Tiny deliver her kittens (lol).

You and Rhett have helped raise lambs, baby goats and even a few baby ducks and chickies that were too small to be cared for on their own, but that was nothing compared to when Abigail came to the both of you. Abigail was a dairy cow that Cecelia had bartered from another farmer who couldn't and didn't want to take care of her, so she brought her home and she took to the herd and the head bull so well that she gained back the weight she had lost. That spring you and Rhett found yourselves awake at five in the morning, shoulder deep in a cow trying to deliver Abigail's twin calves, a male and a female who were just the cutest little thing you had ever seen!!!

Rhett and Royal absolutely can and do let the two baby calves nurse as often as they can which makes sooooo much less work for them having to milk poor Abigail in the morning. Don't get me wrong, you guys get all the milk, cheese and yogurt you could ask for, but if it means getting to sleep in just a little bit and not having to milk the cow at some ungodly hour, then all the better (lol).

Oh and when they're out in the pasture and need to be called in for the night, you learned how to use all the cattle calls that the Viking women used to do way, way back in the day. It almost sounds like singing and Rhett absolutely loves it! He knows it works too when he hears their little cowbells clanking and momma and the head bull coming up to the fence to follow you into the barn.

Meggy as always, thank you for taking the time to read these, writing for you is an absolute pleasure 🥰🥰🥰🥰. I did manage to find a video of the cattle calls and if you're curious to ever hear what they sound like, I'll leave the link right here.

hehehe your brain is truly amazing my darling! i can’t wait to read these Rhett thoughts :))

~ aweee! i love Rhett having a soft spot for the runts of the litter! i honestly think i could relate to this myself! i think it’s so sweet that Royal instilled this care & appreciation for the little ones in Rhett too :,) Rhett caring for a mouse is just sooo🥹 i’m just picturing this little thing being completely engulfed in this cowboy’s gentle giant of a hand & him stroking it’s little head with the back of his finger. them making a splint & house for him?! Mary i’m gonna sob, that’s so cute!😭

~ the piglet please!! i love that! i used to want a pig so bad growing up! i love Rhett & wifey taking care of the little guy, with a bed & feeing him when needed! Wilbur is so fitting & perfect! is this a reference to Charlottes web? if so, that’s awesome! i used to love that movie/book! hehe :) but anyways…the cats yes!!! i love Rhett & wifey rescuing them & getting them back to better shape! Tiny is such a cute name for a kitten :,) Willie is adorable too & i think it’s sweet that Cecilia & Royal gave them those names !!

"Rhett, your damn cat smells like Willie Nelson's tour bus!" (lol).

also this part made me chuckle !! hehe!

~ aww the babies being born in time for christmas is just sooo! also love Rhett being the midwife for Tiny! reminds me of our past thoughts shared about Miles being a midwife for wifey & the animals too :) they got em’ all! the lambs, the goats, chicks, & duckies! i love it so much !! aww Abigail! such a pretty name for a cow! love that wifey & Rhett took to birthing her babies for her & glad Cecilia took her home to be properly cared for. baby cows are sooo adorable! they’re all i’m gonna think about for the rest of the night now hehe :))

~ oooh! the cattle calls! the fact that viking women used to use them is just so cool !!! i didn’t know that! I’m just picturing wifey calling out to the cattle, they all come prancing over to the fence happily, & Rhett’s just looking at you proudly & trying to keep his smile at bay 🫠 he’s just mesmerized by you when you do these calls & just by you being around the animals in general!

oh Mary, it’s my pleasure! i get all giddy when you put thoughts/thots in my box! thank you for sending them in🥰 also thank you for the video too! i watched it & was absolutely amazed by it!! :) i look forward to see what you send in next! you are the best my love! 💗

[divinewill]

Capítulo Diecisiete: Persecution of the Masses

The news communicated my message to the police, who secured the suspects I apprehended, using a blindfold and noise canceling headphones to impede the senses required for any efficient use of their powers. Understanding that transporting them by police car would be too risky, they transported the two criminals on horseback. But none of that mattered to me now.

I asked the person on the other end of the text message who they were, and they confessed, “I am Madison. We go to the same homeroom together.”

I thought I recognized that name, and the sender confirmed my suspicions when they gave a follow up text, “We go to the same homeroom class.”

She was a rich kid who was spoiled sweet by her parents. We had talked a little, and she didn’t live anywhere near me, so I had no clue how she might have figured out that I was the Lolita Princess.

I tried to play it off and texted, “What are you talking about?”

She sent a video file and said, “Can I come over tomorrow to talk?”

My heart skipped a beat, and I opened the file. To my horror, the file was a night vision video of me exiting my window as the Lolita Princess.

At this moment, I was thankful that the 36th Amendment struck the word “unreasonable” from the 4th Amendment.

When the video finished playing, the file seemed to destroy itself through encryption. Even at our time, Quantum Computers never replaced traditional transistor computers. They were simply too unreliable to do so, and there had been no success in finding an error correction strategy that could resolve the issues which had always plagued them.

Much to my relief, it seemed Madison knew this, as the program she used generated a quantum key to scramble a file, then exploit decoherence to irrevocably destroy the key. Rendering recovery impossible by technological or cryptographic means.

I texted her back, “I’m willing to talk but idk if your mom will let you come over, given the situation.”

She texted back, “That won’t be a problem. She has already agreed to let me stay the night if you father would allow it. Which he did.”

This surprised me. “How on earth did you manage that?” I asked.

She revealed, “Apparently, our parents know each other. Their companies have done business collabs with each other.”

This was news to me. There’s a lot about my father and his relationships that I don’t know, but in fairness to him, there was no reason this would have ever come up in conversation.

I texted back to her, “Sure. We can talk tomorrow.”

Madison texted me, “Sleep well. I will be over tomorrow at noon.”

Despite her seemingly beneficial disposition in all this, I could feel my heart racing.

When I finally fell asleep, I suffered through a nightmare. As the Lolita Princess, I recalled the smell of burning flesh, the feeling of skin sliding off bodies as I gripped them, the bodies so mangled that no-one could tell where one man began and another ended, and other horrors only comprehensible to those who experience them.

During this hellish cacophony of despairing cries, putrid odors, and soul-crushing sights, I heard a voice gently call out, “Steel yourself!”

Something within me told me to trust the voice, so as I rummaged through the rubble, I tried to remember my breathing, and after much effort to calm down, everything became unnaturally still. Everything came to such silence that even the chirping of birds, the crawling of insects, the breeze, or the heartbeats of mice that were audible to my superhuman ears ceased.

My heart skipped a beat as I realized that something was off. As I looked about, I noticed that there was no one here. Even my penetrative clairvoyance could not find so much as a nanobacterium among this rubble. Something that I knew was impossible, and was a clear sign that, despite its appearances, I was no longer on Earth. That’s when I the world around me, rippling like images filtered through disturbed surface water, distorted then disappeared before me.

I suddenly found myself before a congregation of ghosts. Their identities concealed by a rippling shadow-like medium distorting their images and voices.

Below me was a reflective floor obscured by a white mist. Looking into the reflection, I noticed I was now in my true form as opposed to my superpowered alter ego. Somehow, I had transformed back without noticing it.

Above me was a nighttime sky unfamiliar to me, and around me was a seemingly endless expanse.

The leader of these apparitions, a bodybuilder dressed as a strongman standing 6 ft 3 in, 235 lb, introduced himself. “It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Trueman. My name is [Chōjin].”

As this all happened, I continued to be subject to that cognitive block that prevented me from understanding that I was in a dream. I thought it strange that something obscured the clearly spoken behind a language I could not understand. Though the matter of my location and how I got here was a more pressing matter.

I asked them, “Where am I?”

One spirit answered, “We are in your domain.”

I responded incredulously, “Where is that now?”

He explained, “That’s difficult to explain… It’s not in your world or ours, but it belongs to you, which is how you summoned us here.”

I asked, “I summoned you here?”

There was an almost awkward pause before the ghosts talked among each other, confused by my inquiry.

I clarified, “I don’t remember doing anything of the sort… That’s not a power that I have.”

Another of the apparitions explained, “You are mistaken. You did it sometime ago. Your subconscious reached out to us in a time of extreme distress, but before we could contact you, another intercepted and routed us.”

I asked, “Someone routed you? Who? And who are you people?”

Another spirit, with power drawn from six others, explained, “To answer your first question, I believe you’ve already met them. She goes by many names, but she probably introduced herself as Worldbuilder or the Author.”

I remembered that strangely ethereal dream after that horrible day.

I confessed, “I dreamed about someone named that…”

They could tell that I knew there was something supernatural about that dream. The appearance of the All-Slayer in the waking world was more than sufficient evidence of that.

These spirits seemed to key into this thought and introduced themselves sequentially-

The first to introduce themselves appeared to be a 6 ft 6 in (198 cm) tall, 640 lbs (290.3 kg), body builder wearing a cape, with wings where his ears should be, and a weapon like a mallet. “You are aware of the eldritch nature of our foe. So, let me introduce myself. I am [Raijin Ōteishin].”

A 9 m (29 ft) humanoid robot with a rather rectangular segmentation, introduced himself, “I am [Gyōtenjū].”

“I am [Taikū Chōjin].” announced a loincloth clad bodybuilder standing 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) tall and weighing 240 lbs (109 kgs), with an impressive sword sheathed at his back.

Another humanoid, with a cranial crest like that of a defleshed gorilla’s skull. He stood 40 meters (131 feet) tall and weighed 38,580 US tons (35,000 metric tons). His mouth did not move as he spoke. “I am [Chōjinryoku Haō].”

Uniquely, within this specter were two fundamentally distinct wills and natures nested within the same person.

A 6 ft (183 cm), 175 lbs (80 kg) humanoid male introduced themselves, “I am [Muteki Shōkyō].”

An athletic 5 ft 5 in (166 cm) young man with eight ghosts emanating from him. He introduced himself, “I am [Hokyū].”

Next was a childlike spirit, standing only 2ft 3in (68.58) with what appeared to be a rabbit ear-like bow on her head. She had long, flowing hair and the voice of a young girl. “I am [Kaka],” she said.

Next was a 5 ft 9 in (175.26 cm) tall woman, with an hourglass figure, and a form fitting uniform, although her hair was wavy with an ahoge protruding from the left side of her head arching towards the right side. “I am [Gamyeon Meikoku],” she said.

Finally, there was a 152 cm tall young woman with a gracile build in 3 cm heels, a microskirt, and hair tied into two buns with long tails. At her back were two massive wings at the shoulder and two smaller wings at the hips. She introduced herself as, “I am [Shō‘usagi].”

Shō‘usagi reintroduced their leader with, “And you have already met the Chōjin.”

I introduced myself in kind, “People have been calling me the Lolita Princess. This meeting is strange, so let’s cut to the chase. Assuming I did call out to you, what are your intentions for meeting with me? And what is this Worldbuilder?”

Raijin Ōteishin explained, “The Worldbuilder is a false God who seeks to cast a spell over all reality: to deconstruct reality and create a hyperreality replacement in their own image which they can eternally preserve.”

I asked him, “So, she’s a Hermetic god?“

Gyōtenjū expanded on this, “We do not know why, but this Worldbuilder is uniquely fixated on you.”

I asked him, “Any reason?”

Muteki Shōkyō answered for them, “It’s classified.”

This struck me as strange, but none of the other spirits spoke up.

I asked them, “What? Are you attempting to confer some kind of mantle on me?”

Kaka clarified, “No. You may be inheriting our fight, but not our mantles.”

Raijin Ōteishin explained, “We have all seen the anthropophagic nature of mantles.”

Shō‘usagi continued, “We have no intention of sublimating your personality to ours as a living sacrifice to our own egos…”

Gamyeon Meikoku continued, “We are not so prideful as to deconstruct another so that we can reconstruct them into our own image. There is far too much value in anyone to do such a cruel thing.”

Hokyū finished, “On the contrary, our goal is to help you cultivate your own potential, to become what you need to be… As others did for us.”

I asked them, “So you’re here to teach me?”

Chōjin confirmed, “Yes. We seek to teach you everything we know.”

I told them, “I am always eager to learn, but I have a question. Why can’t I see you?”

Raijin Ōteishin explained, “We have been prevented from making complete contact with you, both by the WORLDBUILDER themselves, yourself, and Shishi.”

I skeptically asked them, “And who might that be?”

Chōjin replied, “I believe you’ve met before.”

The ghostly image of a massive lion thence introduced themselves. “Hello, Will.”

Gamyeon Meikoku and the Chōjin bowed down to the beast and referred to it as, “Lord [Shishi].”

I asked, utterly flabbergasted, “Who are you?”

He said, “Do you not recognize me? We’ve met before, on the day you died.”

A statement that gave me pause. It was at this moment that I recognized this to be, in quality, like the near-death experience I experienced on my seventh birthday.

The lion told me, “It’s good that you do not simply trust any spirit that comes along, and that you have skeptically interrogated those that come before you.”

Shishi offered, “If you may, let me show you who I am.”

Shishi opened their mouth, and in it I beheld the entire planet. The image zoomed out, and I beheld the Earth, moon, and sun in alignment before the image receded past the Pluto-Charon double planet system and hitherto undiscovered worlds in the Kuiper belt. Receding further, the solar system became but a twinkling speck in the arm of a bar spiral Milky Way galaxy. Faster we receded to behold the Milky Way’s place in the Local group, then Virgo Supercluster, the Laniakea Supercluster, beyond our Pisces–Cetus Supercluster Complex, out to the very edges of the Observable Universe. Though it did not stop there. In sanity’s name, we receded at impossible acceleration to what seemed to be an ℵ₀ radius, which then itself receded into but an ever-shrinking bubble in a seemingly boundless sea of bubbles with ℵ₀ radii, until even this cosmic ocean filled with soapy superstructures became but a marble in the lion’s mouth. The fiery illumination circumscribing all this was beyond mortal comprehension.

There was something incomprehensibly frightful about this wild beast. But there was something else which engendered a peaceful awe within me.

I asked him, “I know you. Why have you come to me in this fairy tale guise?”

The lion told me, “The Worldbuilder has styled themselves as an author. A demiurgic storyteller who seeks to contort all of history into a metanarrative of their own working. She little appreciates the co-authorship of divine wonderworking and human freedom in history, and she is willing to co-opt the stories generated by the human heart or mind to accomplish this evil end. Understanding this, do you accept the mission we have entrusted you with?”

I told him, “Of course. I will stand in opposition to all false gods.”

Shishi confessed to me, “I would rather not destroy the Worldbuilder, if at all possible, but she will not listen to anything that comes from me.”

All the spirits voiced their mutual agreement. That, if it was at all possible, they would prefer that the Worldbuilder be saved as opposed to killed, though it was also apparent that most of them were highly doubtful that there was any other option other than killing them.

Muteki Shōkyō interjected, “That’s why you are key to this cosmic operation.”

Shishi revealed, “The Worldbuilder’s entire plan hinges on you.”

I asked him, “Excuse me, how can that be?”

Gamyeon Meikoku revealed, “Because she loves you more than anything in the world.”

I responded again with, “Excuse me?”

Shō‘usagi pleaded, “Remember back to when the Worldbuilder contacted you in your dreams? What feeling did they communicate?”

This struck a chord with me. I felt a surge of compassion and love when I was with them, but I left the encounter promising to save them because something deep down was telling me they were in a distress I could not yet fathom.

Shishi explained, “I need you to speak to her the words she will not hear from me.”

I asked him, “What words might those be?”

Shishi told me, “We love you, and that there is no sin, however great, which God cannot forgive.”

I asked incredulously, “Surely, it can’t be that easy?”

The Chōjin commented, “He never said it would be easy. In fact, it will be the hardest thing you will ever have to do.”

This piqued my attention, and the lion forewarned, “When you discover the name of your unknown enemy, your heart will break like nothing you have ever experienced before. And when you finally defeat them, you will, like Job, cry out to God in an awful rage. It will seem to you as if being itself were a cruel joke without a punchline, and you will be unable to see how there could ever be any happiness ever again. You will think to yourself, that you’d have rather danced this dance for all of boundless time than see how this story ends, and you will curse the name of the Lord of the Dance, but remember that you are not responsible for the decisions of others. Ultimately, you cannot save anyone who doesn’t want to be saved, no matter how much you love them… because sometimes, the people in need of your help simply want nothing you have to give.”

Raijin Ōteishin explained, “This is a lesson you’ll have to learn through experience, but you can’t always save the people you love.”

Taikū Chōjin expanded, “Though, even if they are not ours to save, they will always be ours to love.”

I responded, “You lot speak as if I should know this person…”

Chōjin foreshadowed, “You do… You did… and you will…”

I asked them incredulously, “So my mission is to defeat this enemy of yours who has taken an interest in me?”

Chōjin immediately corrected my misconception. “No. Strength, speed, intelligence, and power are all irrelevant in the face of this villain. They will amount to nothing in the face of the anti-God’s invincible power.”

Kaka revealed, “It’s not a matter of hax either. If it comes down to a conflict founded upon violence, you simply will lose. You could have 12,852,051,967,633,867 superpowers and it wouldn’t matter. The Worldbuilder has total mastery over spacetime, mass-energy, information, consciousness, sensation, form, modality, causality, and much more.”

Gamyeon Meikoku chimed in, “We’re counting on a miracle. A wonderworking with human hands strengthened by faith like a mustard seed.”

Shishi pleaded with me, “The only way for you to defeat the Worldbuilder, is to save them from themself.”

This was all extremely daunting, so I asked them, “How do you suggest I try to reach them?”

Shishi promised, “In due time, we shall teach you what to say.”

I heard the faint echoes of words in the distance. Words spoken in the past, the present, the future, and in unactualized possibilities.

From the noble beast I felt emanate a transcendent love and compassion far surpassing anything I had ever experienced on Earth, and infinitely greater than even that of the other spirits before me. It was an earnestness which feared not the ridicule of any other. An honesty which did not compromise behind a mask of irony. I felt their emotions flow through me, from some invisible reality which can only be known through abstraction, and my tears began to flow from experiencing a mere fraction of the beast’s compassion and mourning.

Shishi pleaded with me, “Daughter of God, please. Help me save them…”

I promised them all, “I already promised the Worldbuilder that I would save them. And to you I swear, on my soul, I will do all that I can to save them all.”

Shishi told me, “I will send to you the bear, beetle, bull, dragon, elephant, falcon, horse, mouse, rabbit, sauropod, serpent, tiger, whale, and the wolf, among many others to aid you in your mission.”

Chōjin asked, “Do you accept our offer?”

I told him, “Yes. For the greater good of God, I will accept any meritorious training.”

Shishi ended our meeting with, “Farewell, Daughter of God. Remember your mission and keep the faith.”

* * *

I woke up in a cold sweat, an hour before my morning alarm. Attempting to shrug off this strange dream, I tried to go back to sleep, but it quickly became obvious that I was too wired for that. Since I could not go to sleep, performed my morning exercises, took a shower, and went downstairs to prepare lunch. Although, as always, my father, ever the insomniac, was already up and in the process of making breakfast.

Passing by the photo of my late adoptive mother and my late adoptive parents, I made the sign of the cross, a gestural prayer, and told them, “Good morning.”

I heard my father, from the kitchen, say, “Morning, Will.”

Entering the kitchen, I asked my father, “Dad, can we buy some icons or statues?”

My father, not missing a beat while cooking, asked, “Saint William of Perth?”

I told him, “I was thinking more of Saint Anthony or Saint Jude.”

He told me, “I’ll print out a few statues and we’ll have them blessed next time we go to church, so write a list and I’ll get to it. We’ll find some icons later in the week.”

“Thank you, dad.” I told him.

My requests were purposeful. Saint Anthony of Padua is the patron saint of missing persons, whereas Saint Jude the Apostle is the patron saint of apparently hopeless causes. Even after salvaging so many bodies from the G² Impact, the number of missing persons was still staggering. This terrible list, which was still being compiled, included people who were most likely cremated if not vaporized within the fireball of the explosion, but also counted bodies and survivors not yet identified, and therefore unaccounted for.

I figured that a devotion to saint Anthony would become important to the life of a superhero, especially given the novel incursion of kaijū and the mass devastation they can cause. My thoughts of saint Jude were similarly pragmatic. As I promised in the dream, I wanted to save everyone I could, including of whatever rogue’s gallery that might come my way.

Father told me, “By the way, Will. I already texted your tatarabuelo. He wants us to call him at 15:00 hours.”

I lit up at this revelation. “Alright, I can’t wait! But why so late?”

Father told me, “A business friend is leaving the country for a time, and they asked to leave their daughter, one of your classmates in fact, in our care. They’ll be here at noon, but considering their father works on military time, that’s 15 minutes prior, so after we eat, we’ll need to do some cleaning. I’ll have your Saint Anthony and Jude statues printed before they arrive.”

This wasn’t a laborious task, as cleaning up after us was a core value of our household.

Father’s promise was true. He downloaded a beautiful model of saint Anthony holding the infant Jesus, as well as one of saint Jude, and the 3D printer sculpted and then painted them with wonderful precision. He also printed a statue of Saint Michael the Archangel, the patron saint of warriors and poor souls and the Guardian of the Catholic Church, with the devil underfoot. Even throwing in a statue of Saint William of Perth, the patron of adopted children. They were all lovingly designed by digital sculptors whose skills paralleled Michelangelo.

We discussed where to place the home altar.

Fifteen minutes prior to noon, as dad predicted, Madison arrived.

My father greeted them at the door, “Hello, Mrs. Sakurada (桜田). Please come inside.”

I stayed out of sight, eavesdropping on the conversation.

Madison’s mother told him, “I’m sorry, John, but I have deeds to perform and simply cannot stay for pleasantries.”

I heard Madison say, “Het spijt me for the intrusion, meneer Trueman.”

My father was a polyglot, like me. Something necessitated by his work in managing talents across multiple countries and multiple languages. He wasn’t as fluent in Dutch as he was in Korean, neither of which have I studied before, but it didn’t take a linguist to understand that “Het spijt me” was an apology.

Madison’s mother told him, “My husband and I leave our daughter in your capable hands. You behave yourself, now, Madison.”

“I will, mother.” Was the young girl’s sendoff.

My father told Mrs. Sakurada, “Godspeed on your mission, ma’am.”

“Will, come to the door.” My father requested.

Madison entered the house, and her mother departed for reasons unknown to me.

I entered the room and there she stood. A beautiful half-Japanese and half-Dutch girl with a striking face. She primarily took after her Yamato father as opposed to her Caucasoid mother, but the organization of her inherited physical characteristics generated a striking appearance. Her facial structure was clearly that of a gracilized variant of the Manchu-Korean type, though her pale skin, fine, blonde, ankle length hair, moderate freckling, and heterochromic eyes: with the left eye being green and the right eye being blue, betrayed her admixture.

She styled her hair into twin tails. Her attire was a fashionable yellow blazer, a black undershirt, a yellow knee-length dress, black tights, black flats, a blue scarf, and sunglasses. In addition, she brought along a wheeled-suitcase, a large backpack, and a purse.

Madison was a peaceable girl, but there was a reason I preferred to hang out with boys. I never appreciated the backbiting, gaslighting, and petty trivialities which often came along with feminine company, but Madison never engaged in such behavior. At least, to my knowledge, anyway. Rather, she, like me, was often the victim of such foul falsities from peers of our own sex. From what I understood, we both endured these laughable claims with long-suffering grace.

My dad explained, “I’m sorry, Will. I wanted to introduce you to Mrs. Sakurada, but she’s got humanitarian work to do… Madison’s gonna be spending the next few weeks with us.”

I asked, “Humanitarian work?”

Madison explained, “My parents are going overseas to oversee for a humanitarian project to help the people in Japan.”

Madison gave a momentary bow, explaining, “It’s nice to meet you, mevrouw Trueman.”

Dad told her, “There’s no need to be so formal. Will, why don’t you show our guest around the house?”

I obeyed my father and gave Madison a tour of the house, showing her the library, the gym in the basement, the storage attic, etc. She seemed nervous of the presence of bladed weapons and firearms, but this seemed to stem more from an inexperience around these things than any negligence on our part. After all, they were all secured within an appropriate safe.

During this chaotic period, despite the relative peace in our town, my father always remained strapped. Just in case there was a disturbance that merited an immediate and decisive response. Not everywhere was like our town, though. In many cities around the world, panic drove the people to riots and looting, leaving entire towns ruined.

“This is my room. Come in, please.” I told her, showing her the last room of the house.

She entered the room and said, “Pardon.”

Though, she said it with a Dutch pronunciation as opposed to a French one.

Now, with both of us standing alone in my room, I asked her, “What did you want to talk about?”

Madison confessed, “Well, I want to get to know the girl in my homeroom, who turned out to be a magical girl… and I wanted to thank you for what you did the other day. You saved many people, including a cousin and friend of mine.”

She committed an extreme bow, and this made me extremely uncomfortable.

“Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.” She said.

I nervously informed her, “There’s no need for this, Madison.”

I touched her shoulders as she looked at me, and I told her, “There’s no need for this.”

She looked at me, and I encouraged her to stand back up as I told her, “I’m glad I was able to save your cousin and friend, but I didn’t do that for praise or admiration. I did it because I have a responsibility to help people in need.”

Madison clearly didn’t know how to respond to this, and I used this opportunity to make a request, “Now about my secret…”

Madison assured me, “As I promised, I have absolutely no intention of telling anyone about your secret identity. I assure you, I quite understand the importance of secrecy in a magical girl’s work.”

I extended my hand, and when we shook hands, I told her, “It’s nice to officially meet you, Madison.”

Madison responded, “It’s nice to officially meet you too, Ms. Trueman.”

I asked Madison, “So, do you have any hobbies?”

She seemed eager at the prospect of this subject.

Pulling out her phone, she told me, “My hobby is animation. My father bought me a bunch of programs for digital art, 3D modeling, image editing, video editing, audio editing, postproduction, and I even have an AI to help me speed up the process!”

She presented me with her phone to show me the channel シャボン天城 (Shabon Amagi), on Popom, an instance on a federated video hosting service. Despite her age, she had already created highly complex and innovative AMVs, an amateur documentary on the history of her mother and father’s individual companies, two animated short films, and many complex animatics in between these. This was all quite impressive, and she struck me as a bit of an auteur in the making. That is when I learned Madison was a cinephile and took great joy in the creative processes of video editing and animation.

I asked her, “So, how did you animate this?”

She explained, “I got the idea from rotoscoping. I built some 3D models and used Fight.ai to generate a series of fights. Once I found the ones I liked, I spliced them together to my liking. Then I experimented with cinematography and once I got what I wanted. I then redrew the whole thing, using the original fight choreography as a reference.”

The amount of detail in this scene was truly impressive. There were several details that most animators would miss because of difficulties with camera angles and a general lack of experience with the art of grappling, which were perfectly replicated in the animation.

I asked her, “Did you consult with someone to help choreograph this fight?”

She told me, “Of course, I consulted with the head of the MMA club at our school in order to come up with this.”

I vaguely remembered seeing the two talking to each other a couple of months ago, and while I thought it strange, I never investigated it. Figuring they might have an odd but delightful friendship.

It was clear that she did not let the AI create the works. Rather, she used it as a tool to help speed up and refine the artistic process. Like a magician who knew the incantations to move clay or sand into useable configurations that she could further manipulate with her own creative spirit. After all, there were things that an AI, performing its myriad of calculations, could notice that a human brain never could; though conversely, there were a myriad of things that a transistor computer could never see that would be immediately discernable to a trained human mind.

It was at this point Madison asked me, “So, I have a favor to ask related to this.”

I looked at her and told her, “Shoot.”

She told me, “I would like to document the adventures of a magical girl through animation.”

I was at a loss for words, but she assured me, “I don’t mean to pry into your personal life. Rather, I’d like to consult you for finer details that news footage might not capture. To better represent not just you, but the various men and women of virtue who might arise in the coming years. I want to understand you, what motivates you to do what you’ve chosen to do, and I aspire to communicate this understanding to others. So please, let me document your excursions.”

I reluctantly gave in to her pleading grue eyes, “Alright. I’ll be your consultant. Though keep in mind that the reasons I’ve done what I’ve done are more important than myself.”

Madison told me, “Thank you, Ms. Trueman.”

Then she requested her phone back, “I have something else I’d like to ask you.”

She showed me an article titled, “DistribuTube Channel Unearths Lost Treasures: Rare Media Resurfaces Online.”

I had never heard of this. DistribuTube, was another instance on a federated video hosting service. When I pressed the link, it took me to the channel MediaRecovery, and we found the article’s claims were true. Scrolling down I also found that they alleged to have uploaded Japanese-made King Kong (1933), Bulgasari (1962), Batman Fights Dracula (1967), Alam Ara (1931), Kalidas (1931), The Life of General Villa (1914), Young Griffo vs. Battling Charles Barnett (1895), and Dingjun Mountain (1905). All 97 lost episodes of Doctor Who were apparently on this channel as well.

This account had been flying under the radar for the past one thousand four hundred days and had uploaded fifty videos a day. While we obviously could not watch all the seventy thousand videos hosted, everything we saw was hitherto lost media videos.

Madison asked, “Is it possible that the owner of this account is a metahuman?”

I looked at her with some skepticism, but the thought crossed my mind. How could one person possibly come into possession of so many works that had vanished off the face of the Earth? Especially from such a wide variety of sources. Some of these appeared to have been things which should have been lost via the old practice of wiping tapes for reuse. Others would have never been salvageable because of the deterioration of nitrate-based film reels. Hell, some of these appeared to be lost VODs from vtubers my great grandfather might’ve watched. My father’s detailed files on the history of vtubers included a file on someone called Pikamee, who graduated on March 1, 2023. Fifty-two years ago, and yet here were unarchived VODs belonging to her in this library.

After momentary consideration, I answered, “I’m hesitant to say so, but the more I think about how such a collection of lost media might be compiled and uploaded by one person… the more it seems to be the only plausible answer.”

Madison agreed with me. “I thought so.”

I asked her, “Is there a reason you asked me?”

Madison revealed, “I figured, since you’re a metahuman, you might know more about this stuff than I do.”

I politely told Madison, “I’m not that much more knowledgeable than you are. The first time I’ve ever met a metahuman was during the G² Impact relief efforts I helped with. Outside of that, my only familiarity with metahumans is in fiction.”

Madison simply said, “I see…”

After a beat, I remembered Madison could speak Japanese and Dutch, and I asked her about the strange encounter the other day.

“Hey, Madison… What does ‘Wiru-chan, okā-sama’ mean?”

Madison looked completely befuddled by this phrase and she asked me, “Where did you hear that?”

I confessed, “I crashed into a Japanese girl, and she said that after she saw me.”

Madison asked, “Are you sure that is what they said?”

I told her, “I have an eidetic memory, so I’m pretty sure that’s what she said.”

Madison explained, “It’s an extremely unusual phrase, and it doesn’t sound like something that a native speaker would ever say.”

I asked her, “Noted, but what does it mean?”

Madison told me, “It’s an inherently paradoxical, if not intrinsically contradictory, description. ‘Okā-sama’ is the polite address for your mother, while ‘-chan’ is an honorific mostly used to refer to young women and children. ‘Wiru’ on the otherhand is a Japonization of ‘Will’. So, it means something like, ‘Will-chan, mother’. It’s not a proper sentence.”

This puzzled me, but Madison hypothesized, “Was this girl a Hāfu, by chance?”

I told her, “Yeah, she had a Tamil surname.”

Madison suggested, “It sounds to me as if she thought that you had a striking similarity to childhood pictures or videos of her mother.”

I expressed my doubts about this. “I don’t think that’s the case. If she’s half-Japanese and her surname is Tamil, then it’s almost certain that her father is Indian. Which would mean that her mother is Japanese. Even if it were the case, I’m clearly half-Bantu and half-Sinitic, so I don’t exactly look like a Dravidian.”

Madison asked me, “What’s a Dravidian?”

I told her, “One of the ethnic groups of India.”

We sat around and discussed many things, and played a few party games, including an American variant of Mensch ärgere Dich nicht with a pop-o-matic center to roll the dice. Madison’s luck was consistently more favorable than mine, by the way.

When the time came, my father and I called my tartabuelo and introduced him to our new friend. Madison was polite as ever and we watched some of the show that my father suggested, which we all found greatly entertaining.

After the call, my father turned on an independent news channel and we saw something unexpected.

It was video footage from the city of Hong Kong twelve hours ago. Someone attacked the police department, and while they killed no one, it was clear the strangely unarmed police were in an abject panic. The cameraman, filming out of an apartment window, focused on something in the air.

A young man standing upon a Hellenic aspis. Orbiting around him was an arrangement of rifles and ballistic shields in a spherical grid around him. The longitudinal and latitudinal rings revolving independently around him.

He spoke in English into the loudspeaker, “For too long have we Hongkongers been under the thumb of the Communist Party of China! The Party has destroyed our culture, robbed us of our sovereignty, rewritten our history, corrupted our language, subverted our religions, and stolen our identity! We will no longer tolerate such abuses! Me and my allies will stake our lives to secure the independence of Hong Kong from the Party! Whether we shall be a city state or shall return to the Commonwealth Realm shall be left for future consideration, but for now, we have an ultimatum! If you will not vacate our islands peacefully, we will expel you by force! The Party has 24-hours to respond! Fuck around, and you will find out!”

There was an almost sadistic glee in his face, like that of a man whose reservation was pragmatic. As if he was, in his core, almost begging for someone to throw the first swing, so that he could release his inner chimpanzee and rip them to shreds.

He then repeated this same announcement in Cantonese and Mandarin.

I realized immediately the danger this could pose to the people of Hong Kong. Even if they had metahumans with great power or comprehensive hax, the sheer number disparity between the small islands and the mainland was horrifying. If they did, in fact, have the right metahumans to secure their independence from the mainland, the bloodshed required to do so was nothing short of nightmarish. As much as Hong Kong independence appealed to me, I did not want to see a massacre of Hongkongers or Chinamen.

The Chinese Communist Party had long since turned the mainland into a techno-Maoist dystopia, so these counterrevolutionaries would have to go up against the various artificial intelligence programs monitoring everything in the country and the massive manpower granted by the Stalinist doctrine of quantity is its own quality.

It took a bit before I realized I had become so lost in my thoughts that Madison became worried and tried to snap me out of it.

Madison reminded me, “It’s not your job to save the world. Focus on helping those you can locally first.”

I confessed to Madison, “You don’t understand. Overseas, I met another metahuman who explicitly told me that my actions, in revealing metahumanity to the world, emboldened people to use their powers more readily. No one was using their powers like this before I stepped in and…”

Madison reminded me, “That doesn’t matter. What other people choose to do is their own responsibility. Not yours.”

After some time, it was time to go to sleep.

Before heading to bed, when dad was working on something in the studio, I summoned my alter ego for night patrol. Once more, five hundred meters away from the house and in the air.

Madison wore an adorable set of pajamas with a rose pattern.

Madison asked me in a whisper, “Are you not going on patrol?”

I whispered, “Since you saw me, I learned how to summon my alter ego at a considerable distance.”

She asked me, “What?”

I quietly told her, “I don’t have to transform into the Lolita Princess. I could always bilocate as myself and her.”

Madison couldn’t help but lightly say, “Verbluffend!”

We turned the lights out, Madison politely objected to my insistence regarding who sleeps where, “You know… I don’t mind sleeping on the floor.”

I adamantly responded, “Well, I care about you sleeping on the floor. Which is precisely why I demanded that you sleep in my bed.”

Madison pointed out, “My sleeping in your bed doesn’t mean that you have to sleep on the floor.”

I explained, “I don’t know how much you toss and turn in your sleep, so I don’t want to crowd you, as I toss and turn.”

Madison apologized for the apparent imposition, and I honestly told her it didn’t bother me. I was quite glad to have spent this time with her.

Before we dozed off, I asked Madison, “Hey, Madison. How long are your folks going to be away?”

Madison told me, “My parents plan to be away for a year, but considering the state of the country as it is now…”

There was a pause as if she had to compose herself, “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about their safety… The thought that I might never see one, or both, of them ever again has crossed my mind as a horrible possibility, but I understand why they left and why they had to leave me behind.”

I told Madison, “I’m sorry, Madison. I know what it’s like to lose a family member, so I’ll keep your family in my prayers.”

Madison told me, “Thank you, Will. I appreciate that very much.”

I confessed to Madison, “I failed Sakura.”

Madison’s silence invited me to explain.

I confessed, “When the news of what happened came out, I didn’t know what to say, how to comfort her, or what she needed… so I avoided going to go see her. I want to see her, or at least call her, but the school’s lockdown and her absence from online activities have made it very difficult to get into contact with her.”

Madison told me, “Did you know Sakura is a Roman Catholic?”

I confessed, “No. I didn’t.”

Madison told me, “That’s why her parents named her Sakura. In honor of the Blessed Mother, or at least that’s what I was told.”

I revealed, “I was unaware of that connection.”

Madison told me, “Her parents are still missing, but you’ve been praying for all the people who’ve been affected by the G² Impact, correct?”

I told her, “Of course, and I’ve made specific petitions for her parents.”

Madison suggested, “Don’t you think she would appreciate that? She is a sweet girl. She will forgive you for not knowing how to handle the situation and making a good faith error in judgement. Don’t dwell on it too much. I’ll help get you two together to talk when I can, but till then, please be patient.”

There were tears flowing from my eyes, and my voice cracked ever so slightly when I said, “Thank you, Madison.”

Madison told me, “No need to thank me. It’s what friends do. Now go to sleep.”

That night, Madison woke me up from another nightmare, which had caught the attention of my father as well.

With the lights on, I could see the look on Madison’s face. While my father was calm and stoic, Madison was taken aback by the apparent severity of the night terror I had just had. Her eyes communicated more than words ever could. It was then she understood the stakes at play in my being the Lolita Princess.

I apologized to both, and both assured me that there was no need to apologize. My father attempted to inquire about what caused this and I told him that current events had me profoundly stressed out, which, while not a lie, was not wholly true either. We all went back to sleep.

[nukenai]

So like. I've wanted a chinchilla for 22 years. That's not even an exaggeration. I started doing research on them when I was 10 years old but never got one because they were expensive and needed huge cages and etc etc.

I've gone through a lot recently. In the past month I've lost 2 pets (Yarrow and Barnaby) and rehomed my female mice bc my passion for them is kind of gone, and their bin cage took up a lot of space. They're with my friend who is crazy about mice so they're doing great.

Imagine my surprise when someone is rehoming a chinchilla pretty near me, with all his stuff. ...I was even more surprised to get a response text from this person that they had my number registered in their phone. We'd met up before because I sold them something (a reptile mister).

So I met up with this lady and she's super cool. Big animal person. TLDR there was a very tragic accident where she had 2 chinchillas, but one got out, and her dachshund got him. These things happen. But she thought it would be best to rehome the one to prevent any other accidents. She said she definitely wants chinchillas again someday, but needs a slight break after the accident. I'm the same way about mice after losing Cube.

So, long story slightly shorter, I took him home with me today. A 22 year of mine has come true today and I plan to do the absolute best for this little man. I got him a 14"+ metal wheel for half retail price and nice metal ledges to replace his plastic ones. Turns out there was a lady near me who had an ENTIRE CHINCHILLA SUPPLY COMPANY and is liquidating it all due to her health. She invited me to her FB group where she's slowly selling everything, and told me to reach out if I had any care questions.

It all just feels really serendipitous and sort of meant to be, as corny as it is. Some of the best things in my life have happened because I told myself "this seems as close to Fate as it could be, let's go for it".

The only problem now: I've been struggling to find a name for him for about a week. Suggestions welcome! His name right now is Snowball and like... lol 😆

[haefileika]

RP Info: Rjvn Rakhar

The Basics ––– –

Name: Rjvn Rakhar

Age: 43

Birthday: 17th Sun of the Fourth Umbral Moon (17 August)

Race: Viera (Veena)

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Relationship Status: Widowed

Physical Appearance ––– –

Hair: Midnight black, always worn long and often bound in braids

Eyes: Lambent violet

Height: 6′4″

Build: Slim

Distinguishing Marks: Rakhari clan marks on either side of her nose, a beauty mark near her lip

Common Accessories: She has a large collection of silver jewelry, earrings often mismatched, and a bone necklace carved in the shape of a swan

Personal ––– –

Profession: Medicine woman, mage for hire, occasional mercenary

Hobbies: Candlemaking, herbalism, cooking, embroidery

Residence: A departed sinner’s cottage, concealed by powerful glamours in the North Shroud.

Birthplace: Rakhar Village, Golmore Jungle

Religion: Irreligious, pays lip service to the ancestors

Patron Deity: Queen Rakhara, the Sentinel

Fears: Mice, love, death

Relationships ––– -

Partner: Haenkryst Hwyzneynsyn, Shan Djt-dvre (mate, deceased)

Children: Raza Ranniwesfv

Parents: Ruuja Rakhar, Tjo Ubmuawesfv

Siblings: Rana Rakhar, Raja Rakhar, Revka Rakhar, Rjrn Rakhar, Rjta Rakhar

Other Relatives: Lilja Rakhar (mentor/adoptive mother)

Pets: Rokkur (morpho familiar), Kex, Nammi, Köku (courier crows)

Traits ––– -

* Bold your character’s answer.

Extroverted / In Between / Introverted

Disorganized / In Between / Organized

Close Minded / In Between / Open Minded

Calm / In Between / Anxious

Disagreeable / In Between / Agreeable

Cautious / In Between / Reckless

Patient / In Between /  Impatient

Outspoken / In Between / Reserved

Leader / In Between / Follower

Empathetic / In Between / Apathetic

Optimistic / In Between / Pessimistic

Traditional / In Between / Modern

Hard-working / In Between / Lazy

Cultured / In Between / Uncultured

Loyal / In Between / Disloyal

Faithful / In Between / Unfaithful

RP Hooks ––– –

Demands of the Wood - Native Viera may have heard of Rakhar Village as a home to a clan with bizarre, warlike customs and an unfriendly populace. Old tales of Rakhari witches abducting children and practicing dark magic can sometimes be heard in western Othard.

Temptation Lieth in the Forbidden  -  Rjvn has had years of study of several lesser known and often forbidden magical disciplines, and would be willing to part with these ancient secrets if the right student came along.

Dark Passenger -  Rjvn makes her residence deep in the Shroud, and must always be under the effects of powerful enchantments to obscure herself from the Elementals. Those on the fringes of Gridania’s society may find common ground with her, or allies of the Seedseers may be seeking to bring her to justice for her sins against the forest.

Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts -  Rjvn can be called upon for courtly advisement, her arcane expertise far exceeding that of most buttoned up scholars and prostrating conjurers.

Song of Thorns -  In a company of heroes, Rjvn offers the voice of pragmatism, always willing to commit repugnant deeds that others refuse in pursuit of a greater good.

Mysterious Mist - Rjvn’s aether is highly volatile, described by some as resembling a shattered mirror, endlessly reflecting unto itself. Any aether sensitive character would be able to sense something amiss with her.

Contact Information  ––– –

My preference is usually to RP in game, but I am perfectly willing to make accommodations. I generally prefer more adventure/intrigue focused RP with this character, but some casual slice of life to get our characters acquainted is always welcome. Please note that this character is not available for sex or romance under any circumstances, and I do not prefer to write extremely graphic violence.

Feel free to contact me here on Tumblr, or on Discord at Valla#9870.

Thank you!