#rooftop solar for apartments

[apollopowersystem]

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Rooftop Solar Solutions

[reasonsforhope]

"Passed in February [2024], a massive subsidy program to help Indian households install rooftop solar panels in their homes and apartments aims to provide 30 gigawatt hours of solar power to the nation’s inventory.

The scheme, called PM-Surya Ghar, will provide free electricity to 10 million homes according to estimates, and the designing of a national portal—a sort of Healthcare.gov for solar panels—will streamline the process of installation and payment.

The program was cooked up because India had fallen woefully behind on its planned installations for rooftop solar. In many parts of the subcontinent, the sun is absolutely brutal and relentless, but by 2022, Indian rooftop solar power generation topped out at 11 gigawatts, which was 29 gigawatts under a national target set a decade ago.

Part of the challenge, Euronews reports, is that approval from various agencies and departments—as many as 21 different signatures in some cases—was needed to place a solar array on your house. Aside from this bureaucratic nightmare, the cost of installation was often higher than $5,000; more than half the average yearly income for a working Indian urbanite.

Under PM-Surya Ghar, subsidies for a 2-kilowatt solar array will cover as much as 60% of the installation costs, falling to 40% for arrays 3 kilowatts or higher. Loans set at around 7% interest rates will help families in need get started. 750 billion Indian rupees, or $9 billion has been set aside for the project.

Even in New Delhi, which can be covered in clouds and smog for days, solar users report saving hundreds during summer time on their electricity costs, with one apartment shaving $700 every month off energy bills.

PM-Surya Ghar is also seen as having the potential to cause a boom in the Indian solar market. Companies no longer have to go running around for planning and permitting requirements, and the government subsidies ensure their customer base can grow beyond the limits of household income."

-Good News Network, April 10, 2024

[bamsara]

Wireless Behavior

You are often reminded that your animatronic friend turned roommate by unspeakable circumstances is, indeed, a robot, and they are well aware that the world is a very different place outside the pizzaplex.

Sun jumps over a moving car, stops a burgaler from breaking into your apartment, Moon shields you from the cold, is recognized as the DCA outside, and your living room gets destroyed as Eclipse is sitting on your rooftop. Just domestic moments.

One-Shot |Wordcount: 6,229 | Post-Fire, Domestic (mostly) Contains Suggestive-Humor, contextual spoilers for Solar Lunacy. Romantic-Leaning

[apod]

2023 November 24

Stereo Jupiter near Opposition Image Credit & Copyright: Marco Lorenzi

Explanation: Jupiter looks sharp in these two rooftop telescope images. Both were captured on November 17 from Singapore, planet Earth, about two weeks after Jupiter's 2023 opposition. Climbing high in midnight skies the giant planet was a mere 33.4 light-minutes from Singapore. That's about 4 astronomical units away. Jupiter's planet girdling dark belts and light zones are visible in remarkable detail, along with the giant world's whitish oval vortices. Its signature Great Red Spot is still prominent in the south. Jupiter rotates rapidly on its axis once every 10 hours. So, based on video frames taken only 15 minutes apart, these images form a stereo pair. Look at the center of the pair and cross your eyes until the separate images come together to see the Solar System's ruling gas giant in 3D.

∞ Source: apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231124.html

[jbbuckybarnes]

How Peter Parker would comfort and care for a depressed loved one

(don't mind me, just some self-indulgence I wrote when I was in the trenches of depression)

• "No, no, no, what we're not gonna do is feel guilty. This world is a depressing place when the rest of you isn't stable. And the world loves making people unstable."

• He'd meal prep for you, wake you up on time to keep your rhythm in check, bring you sleep tea, watch movies with you on particularly bad days.

• "What's your current take on going outside? Vitamin D might do you good." He'd ask cautiously.

• You'd tense up at the idea of spending more energy than you had but knew it was needed to get better.

• "I can...carry you to the rooftop?" He'd raise his brow.

• You'd do grabby hands at him from the bed.

• You'd chill on the sunny rooftop for 45 minutes every now and then, not talking much, just existing.

• "What are your thoughts on therapy?" He'd mumble a few weeks down the line.

• "The only thing my insurance covers is CBT. I fucking hate CBT."

• "What if we figure out a way to pay someone you can choose?"

• "I don't wa-" "Na-ah, friends help friends survive."

• Please imagine Spider-Man making a couple extra bucks by helping people install solar panels and carrying heavy stuff.

• He'd sit down next to you with a laptop and you'd search for therapy options.

• "DBT. IFS. EFT. The other EFT. Hypnotherapy. Logo Therapy. Integrative Therapists for Psychedelics. Somatic Experiencing." Even he was overwhelmed with the option.

• "IFS. Hypnotherapy. Maybe Logo Therapy." You mumbled and he decluttered the tabs.

• You landed on a woman doing both IFS & Hypnotherapy. Both things that intrigued you.

• "I mean if nothing else works...drugs still exist." You'd shrug and he'd smirk at that.

• He'd bring you to your first appointment giving you the biggest hug before you went in.

• The woman would explain to you that you needed to get mentally resourced first and that she'd try with a specific type of hypnosis to see if that helps.

• When Peter saw you get out of the building he'd instantly put his arm around you while walking.

• "I'm so tired." You'd mumble leaning against him while walking, trusting him to lead the way while you were spacing out, "Gonna tell you about it after a long sleep."

• You'd wake up the next morning with energy. Still depressed, but not quite as depressed as the previous days. He slept over to make sure there were no weird aftereffects.

• You would look at him sleeping and get up to make yourself something simple to eat.

• He'd peek his eye open before both of them were wide open seeing you standing in the kitchen.

• "Woah." He mumbled before getting up and hugging you.

• "How was it?" You paused for a second, "That's what he said."

• You told him what the hypnosis felt like and that you went back to the origin of your depression and did some inner child work thing. And the hypnosis took a lot more out of you than you expected. And now you had more energy and hoped it wasn't short-form placebo.

• "Even if it is, she can still do the other work with you." You nodded.

• "Can we go for a short walk?" He'd eagerly nod.

• Over the weeks you'd get better and better at coping with your symptoms and connecting to your inner parts. You'd figure out your triggers and how to calm yourself out of them.

• He'd love to see you flourish and take you on little friend (👀) dates all across New York City the more energy you'd have.

• He'd make sure you'd keep seeing the beautiful things in the world. He'd program your TV to not show news. He'd actually send you good news deliberately.

• "We should live together." You'd suggest.

• "If you can handle the feds searching the apartment at some point." He'd giggle.

• "I'd be good with that. I'd hide little things making it awkward for them." You both laughed.

[unchataparis]

Iris Verdi

Liladrien Week 2024 | Day Six: School

Adrien has started to call neo-Françoise Dupont the ‘green school’, although this probably wouldn’t make much sense to anyone else.

After all, to specifically attribute such an adjective would usually mean that the place stands out for it. No one would call a Haussmann terrace in the middle of Paris the ‘limestone house’ and no one would describe a specific cow among a black-and-white pasture as the Holstein-Friesian cattle.

Neo-Françoise Dupont is surrounded by buildings just as frondescent, just as sustainable, just as solar punk. Ink-dark glass panels installed upon rooftops, slanted on both sides, to catch every last drop of UV light. Lively lavender and frog-green ivy climbing up brick façades, low buildings, and a community garden in each apartment park – appropriately named because with the rise of interest in human-centred, hands-on community hubs, each residential area in Paris is now built around children’s playgrounds.

Still, when Adrien bikes to school this morning, waving hello to neighbours and fellow students – bikes because there are no longer any needs for individual cars and he lives too close to the school to rely on the entirely electric mini buses –  he pulls up to a Françoise Dupont that seems a cut above the rest of regenerated Paris.

Apple and tangerine trees planted in the courtyard bloom generous fruit in the height of spring, a warm breeze ruffles the verdant leaves. Colour-coded bins are clearly marked Déchets, Recyclage, and Compost. Stickered rainwater tanks decorate corners and crevices. 

Members of the student council and volunteers are manning the morning breakfast program. Fresh juice, waffles, cereal, yoghurt, eggs, and bacon are divided in catering trays and sampled freely by hungry students bearing wooden plates and metal cutlery.

In Adrien’s new homeroom, manned by a newcomer to the school named Madame Beaumont, most of his classmates are already gathered and they cheer to see him.

“Morning, Adrien!” Kim bellows across the room. He’s wearing a recycled polyester and cotton-blend hoodie with thrifted jeans. Beside him, Max dons a tunic weaved from hemp linen.

“Morning!” Rose chirps.

“You’re almost late!” Alya teases.

“Hey, guys.” Adrien looks down at the front row where Marinette is sitting. Hair tied into pigtails with gingham ribbons, lids and lips tainted with cocoa-butter-based cosmetics. She beams, clearly waiting for him and demurely pats the seat beside her. Adrien drops his canvas satchel and blows a gentle kiss towards his girlfriend. Marinette’s cheeks darken even further, already adorably flushed, and although she trembles, she doesn’t panic. Adrien is so proud of her. Marinette is growing over her fears admirably, conquering past trauma bit by bit like a champion.

“Alright, class!” Madame Beaumont announces, clapping her hands together to rein some control over her raucous homeroom. 

Nathaniel is doodling in a kraft paper sketchbook and Mylène is showing off her homemade bead jewellery to Juleka and Ivan. In the row behind them, Alya and Nino had leaned over to start talking to Adrien and Marinette about plans for the weekend. The Seine is crystal-clear and smells of salt and algae, perfect for swimming in. And afterwards, how about a picnic at the Jardin du Tuileries?

“Class!” Madame Beaumont repeats sharply. “Please – your attention, please!”

Voices settle down and rears are fully planted down on benches.

Madame Beaumont clears her throat before the classroom’s interactive whiteboard. Adrien sees the plans for today’s lessons floating there: agriculture lectures and an introspective analysis of Dead Poets Society.

“I’m very happy to announce that we’re going to have a new student join our class today,” Madame Beaumont says. “Her name is Iris Verdi and she hails all the way from Italy. This is her first time in France and she’s still getting a little used to the language. So, please give a very warm welcome and a friendly greeting to our new friend!”

Adrien claps along with the rest of the class as Madame Beaumont gestures for someone outside the classroom to step in. Adrien claps along with the rest of the class as an unusually tall girl saunters her way beside Madame Beaumont. Adrien stops clapping when the girl turns to face them with a smile that borders on a smirk, but no one else does.

The rest of the class continues clapping for this girl. She has long, nearly-yellow blonde hair twisted into a low chignon. She wears a red wool beret and matching blazer, a smart grey vest, a pleated black skirt, and polished leather boots. Her eyes are vixen-like and rimmed with black, her lips are pouty and glossy with the colour of ripe apricots.

“Bonjour, everyone!” she says in a sweet, melodic voice. Her nails are almond-shaped and painted the same colour as her lips. She has slung upon one shoulder a brown leather schoolbag. “It’s so nice to see you all.”

“Hi, Iris!” the class choruses.

Adrien looks behind him to see all of his friends beaming at Iris with nothing but geniality and sociable curiosity in their eyes. Adrien looks to his right to see Marinette nodding at Iris with warm welcome.

“As Madame Beaumont told you all,” Iris says in an accent that is different to the one she used when she came to their school as a new student last time. Less high-pitched, more sensible. With an undercurrent like trickling water. “This is my first time in Paris and French is a third language. Please forgive me if I make any errors.”

“Nonense!” Rose cries. “You sound fine.”

Everyone chants in agreement.

Iris’ eyes curve with her smile, her hands coming up to cup her mouth in faux overwhelm. 

“Oh, you guys are so kind!” she coos. “I can already tell I’m going to have the time of my life here!”

“French is your third language?” Marinette asks. “What’s your second?”

“English,” Iris replies easily. “Although that’s only because I’ve spent half of my childhood growing up in California.”

“California?” Alya says, perking up as she always does whenever anyone makes the slightest mention of the U.S. 

“Isn’t that where Hollywood is?” Nathaniel remarks.

“Yes!” Iris says. “Actually, I lived with my uncle just on the outskirts of LA where he owns a vineyard. It was a super cool place to grow up, because you get to meet the fanciest people and celebrities who come to tour.”

The class whispers their excitement to each other.

“How exotic!” Madame Beaumont says.

“If everyone’s willing,” Iris says, unclasping the magnetic flap of her bag. “I could show you all some pictures–”

“Excuse me,” Adrien says, speaking up. He feels as if he had been submerged in a dream-like trance where he was nothing but a helpless and doomed witness to pre-destined events. He listened to the inane conversation and if he himself lacked a mouth to speak with and a will to act with. Adrien snapped out of his stupor because Iris’ act of opening her bag reminded Adrien intensely of her opening her bag when she showed Adrien her faux-Fox Miraculous almost exactly one year ago. “But aren’t you Lila Rossi?”

Read the rest on Ao3 here.

[ask-phoebespengler]

phoebe!! hi!!! :33

did you watch the eclipse??

Hello! And yes, I did watch the eclipse.

Trevor helped me set up camp on the rooftop of the firehouse while our mom tried to find those solar viewing glasses - it was… phenomenal.

I was 8 when the last solar eclipse happened, and I begged my mom to let me watch it - but sadly our Chicago apartment hardly had a suitable place to watch it properly.

[itmeansiris]

The Solar System Legacy Challenge: Good days and Bad Gen 1 pt.44

After their second day at the Newcrest office Kason changes and tries to leave in a hurry, but Paris catches him on the way out.

Paris: Tinker Station set you on fire?

Kason: What?

Paris: You seem like your in a rush. Hot date with your phone and a hotel room?

Kason: Really Paris.

Paris: I'm kidding. Your being so boring, always cooped up in that room.

Kason: Goodnight Paris.

She folds her arms and smiles.

Paris: Have fun!

Mercury true to her word, takes the kids to San Myshuno to visit with Winter and Peyton. Adrianna and Crimson take the triplets to play while M, Winter and Peyton talk in the Livingroom.

Peyton: How's life without the tinker fairy?

Winter: Peyton shut up. M how are you feeling?

M: Its okay. I told you my mom and dad came over and the kids have been good, Things are fine...

Winter: Then why do you look so sad.

M: I don't know....its just the trip..

Winter: And?

Peyton: That girl from Kason's office. The one he's been complaining about for weeks. He was pissed when Greg gave him the kid as a trainee.

Winter: That's what your worried about? M there's no way. Kason would never cheat on you!

Peyton: Come on M this is my brother were talking about. Even I know better than that.

M: You guys have it all wrong. I'm not worried he's going to woohoo her or anything. I just...miss him you know. We've never been apart like this, he's working and I don't want to get in the way. It's silly

Winter: So its not about leprechaun Paris?

That gets a laugh out of both Mercury and Peyton.

M: No. I trust Kason. That thought never even crossed my mind. Plus he hates her more than I do. I'm just feeling lonely I guess.

Winter: I'll take care of that. Peyton watch the kids for a bit. I'm gonna take M for a drink at the POLA Rooftop Bar @ The Seno

( @lesmana-enterprise-ltd )

While Uncle Peyton played babysitter Winter and M went out for some much deserved best friend time.

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[creative-author]

I'd love to hear more about your story! Especially how Maze Runner and the Inheritance Games helped inspire it but I'd love to hear anything you're willing to share

Hi!

I saw your ask and just brainstormed a few things about it because many things are just "normal" for me now.

I don't know how much you know about my story, so if you got more questions, ask away! (You can find a little summary here)

(and I am willing to share very much, I try to keep this short)

Maze Runner:

The catastrophies are heavily inspired by tmr. The world where my story takes place has had many different catastrophies in the past few years. In tst, Brenda tells Thomas something about why the world is now how it is and a part that stuck with me were the sun storms/solar flares. So I began with that. I added many more things like heavy thunderstorms, hurricanes and even asteroids crashing near Japan and all over Europe, all over the span of three years, causing the USA to build "Safety Zones" (a bit like Denver in tdc but with a huge dome over it), where some people can live, when they can afford it. Like tdc it looks much better on the outside than the inside (but there are no zombie-like people)

I have two other stories, that are inspired by maze runner! Both are very old and on hold right now. One is called "Escape" and is about a girl named Abigail Blair Cleary that is accused of murdering the president's son. Now she flees alone, trying to not get caught, and has to get through a big dessert (like the scorch). But she isn't that long alone, because she rescues two people who follow her without knowing who she is. The other one is called "Forgotten" and evolves around a school, where the kids are pretty much alone, besides a few adults. One group tries to rebel against the adults and go behind the barrier, just to realize that there a hundred small machines that try to kill them.

The Inheritance Games:

The Inheritance Games have a very small impact on this story. It's mostly one personality of a side character that is inspired by her bubbly personality.

Also, one of the main characters (Dean) tries to help everyone. In my first draft, he tried to rescue a boy while the building was falling apart (the boy is well, but Dean needed time to recover after almost being buried alive). It reminds me a bit of Nash

I have another WIP, where the inheritance games is a much bigger influence. The WIP is called "Swords of Friendship" and currently put aside, so I can work on two other projects. Its about two best friends and one of them gets chosen to rescue the world. Two young men, who were trained their whole live to be chosen, are disappointed but then help them, while uncovering a lot of secrets about the "chosen ones"

One last thing I want to share, because I remembered a few hours ago: I have scenes planned, that are inspired by the Disney parks. One scene would have the group sit on a rooftop and watch a firework from a safety zone nearby. One of them would tell them, how safety zones would use compressed air to shoot the fireworks higher and how some zones would use drones for some parts.

[kiaroscuro]

Warnings: descriptions of violence, major character death

Rating: Mature

Main Pairing: Ren Amamiya / Arsene

Main Tags: post-canon, zombie au, angst, hurt / comfort, road trips

Warning: the end!

· · ─────── =^.^= ─────── · ·

Three days later finds Ren laying on his back in the observatory on the highest floor of the Sunshine 60 skyscraper, enjoying both the view and the little green the artificial grass provided. Arsene is sitting next to him, clad in more comfortable-looking clothes than his battle gear, paging through a booklet one of Futaba's lackeys had given them. Mitsuhiko, or something. After a whirlwind of a first day, being over-run by much more people he knew than expected -- along with his remaining thieves, some of his confidantes had made it to the Sunshine City: Takemi, Iwai and Kaoru, Yoshida and Lala-san. And Sojiro, thankfully, who'd also given Ren a bear hug once they met.

(If he was crying, then no-one but the two of them needed to know.)

Apparently Sae and Hifumi were holed up in another community with a handful of acquaintances that Futaba's made, their group having split apart or been forced to. The Sunshine City has established something of a working electrical grid with solar panels and a handful of workers and engineers who knew their way around, aided by a few shadows. The rooftops and most of the space between the buildings has been converted into gardens, some floors had been turned into pens for chickens and other poultry, and even an in-door aquarium has become a breeding ground for schools of fish. There were dedicated people who maintained them to provide food. It was quite the contrast to Ren's usual hunter-gatherer approach, but he couldn't exactly go hunting for fowl in the city, so he supposed it made sense.

Keeping everyone and everything in order was no easy task, though, considering that the settlement had something close to six hundred people of all shapes and sizes -- an incredible number. Apparently Sojiro had been shoehorned into a position of power in the beginning, up until Toshiro Kasukabe and Erina -- Eri Natsuhara -- arrived with members of the actual Tokyo MPD, who quickly created order amongst Futaba's well-intended chaos gremlin survival mode Sunshine City's had going. His thieves had been able to wrangle order into the first month of the apocalypse, and Inspector Megure of the MPD seemed to mostly defer to the thieves' expertise when it came to the shadow-related part of the settlement. Futaba had ended up working with the local engineers who'd barricaded themselves in, found once they arrived, setting up the power grid while the other Thieves had continued to fan out and support nearby settlements.

(Interesting for Ren was the settlement Sae Niijima was stuck in, all the way in Ekoda with quite a few other familiar faces, and Sunshine City and Ekoda's main settlement were officially allied, Makoto and Yusuke commuting between the two with resources every month or so.)

Ren's already met the (self-)appointed leaders of the settlement: next to Juzo Megure, Ninzaburo Shiroatori and Miwako Sato from the police had stepped up. Asahise Kato along with Takemi as the medical representative, Riko Fujimoto, Haru and Kuki-Hime as representatives of the workers. Toranosuke Yoshida and Toshiro Kasukabe were chosen for the politicians, with Erina, Junpei Iori, Yatagarasu and Futaba as the voices of the regular people, human and shadow alike. Sojiro, to Ren's amusement, bowed out of a leadership role the second other people became available, though he apparently sometimes crashes into the meetings to support the workers.  

Out of those people Junpei Iori stands out as another persona user, of Hermes Trismegistus, who is a baseball coach for a little league and who, more importantly, managed to set up Futaba with his navigator friend Yamagishi, all the way in Tatsumi Port Island in the north. The two navigators could talk with some difficulty over a relay channel, and Yamagishi was their only intel on what was going on in the northern part of the country, though some of the other emergent persona users inside Tokyo were navigators as well, all of them in some form of contact. They had no idea about the south, until Ren started to relay what he could about the land and the people, and going over a map revealed that the influence of nature on -everything sunk exponentially the closer one was to Tokyo. They didn't know if this meant that Tokyo was the epicenter or not, but it was good to know.

More importantly: Juzo Megure was Zenkichi's contact in the city, and the older inspector had hugged Ren once he'd heard that Zenkichi was doing well. Which also lead them to today's agenda:

With a sigh, Ren stood up from his resting place, brushing over his lighting scar, the skin feeling numb from whatever salve Takemi made him apply. It was supposed to soften down the harsh edges, smooth out the pattern. "Are you ready, pigeon?" Ren asks, Arsene falling into line next to him. Hm? He asks, even while they make their way down from the observatory to the communications office a few floors below. Pongo greets them, the dalmatian-shaped shadow one of the heads behind the noise-based morse communication before he let Futaba take over, many other dog-shaped shadows acting as relay and messengers akin to the angels of the Choir.

Fitted to their electrical grid is Arsene's little handheld radio, merrily blinking away. They'd long lost the frequency this far away from the Bay, though Necronomicon had promised that it'd try and boost the signal, so here they were; later Megure, Shiratori and Futaba would join them, but for now Arsene was trying to fine-tune the thing. Pongo stayed next to them, head tilted in interest, and Ren really had to keep himself in check before he did something as disrespectful as pet the shadow's head. Or boop the shadow's nose. Pongo eyes him, expression deadpan.

"You would not be the first to simply touch me," he says. "I look enough like a common dog that it keeps happening."

"I'm sorry," Ren flushes. Pongo tilts his head, but his tail's wagging, so Ren seems forgiven. The others arrive shortly after, crowding around Arsene while he turns the dial to reach get rid of the noise. They start talking, and then Ayumi Yoshida enters the room with furrowed brows.

"Ai-chan's sent a message from Ekoda--" she says, and suddenly everyone's attention is on her, even Arsene's. "Yusuke-kun's requested to go back because they've been getting more fire-affinity infected again, and Naoto-kun's uncertain if they'll manage on their own. Ai-chan also says that Professor Agasa wants to send over some prototypes for the reworked stunners."

(No relation to his Sun, despite their shared surname.)

"...stunners?" Ren asks, interested, shelving everything else for later.

Ayumi-san nods; she's only a few years younger than him, two or three, maybe. "Yeah. Amamiya-kun, was it? Professor Agasa and Ai-chan are working on weapons that are effective against the infected shadows specifically -- he's designed a watch that's able to dispense narcolepsy-inducing needles, and the design's started to be updated over the past few months." She shows her own watch, a rather bulky thing. "They saved our lives in the past, so the professor started refining them once everything calmed down some. Now they work more like short-term stunners. " She smiles, grimly. "Shooting at a mutated with a dart doesn't alert other nearby ones, so it's objectively safer. The watch is one of a handful of power-enhancing accessories of his."

Ren stares, but it is Arsene that speaks up next, voice reluctant, hand dragging over the casing of the handheld radio. "...if the settlement in Ekoda has any shadows with access to attacks such a Dream Needle --" He flexes his own wings, ready to continue, when the radio static clears:

>>Hello?<<

Everyone falls silent, even Ayumi-san crowding into the room and closing the door, eyes fixed on the radio like a hungry cat. Arsene turns back to it with a frown. I accidentally turned the dial, this shouldn't be the Tsu frequency, he murmurs. Ren shrugs. The voice is still overlaid by static, but it could be Cassandra. "This is Ren and Arsene; we've arrived safely in Tokyo, and I've made contact with Inspector Megure."

>>Tokyo--!<< The voice balks. It falls silent for a moment, before continuing. >>...this is Richard Atkins of the OH:MU cross-communication and surveillance channel. We are a joint UN-NATO operation intent on helping the people of Japan. Do you copy? I repeat: the world is here to help you, Japan. We are here, do you copy?<<

First <<

[ashton-ryder]

TIMELINE REPORT - FROM DAY 0 OF OUTBREAK. // REPORTEE: RYDER LAST DATE OF UPDATE: MAR 20

supply list library of astrophysics books, university staff and student pass, laptop, mid-range telescope, physicists tools, laser pointer, circuit board scraps, mini solar power generator, tactical flashlight, compass, M18 handgun & 9mm bullets & handgun silencer, M27 rifle & 5.56×45mm NATO & rifle silencer and scope, military combat knives, old dog tag, water bottle, regular supplies from a lived in apartment slowly dwindling away.

1st Nov - Ashton had finish teaching his physics lecture for the undergrad students that morning, with nothing else to do on campus after that, he brought his thesis work from the labs back home (alongside a birthday gift or two from his graduate mates), rather avoiding the evening rush hour if he stayed. He buried his head in his research until he hears the screams, the crashes, the gunshots, and he looked up and out towards the direction docks and the colour drained from his face. He called his mother who was in Minnesota alone, letting her know he was alright, that everything will be alright. And that's the last he heard from her. he didn't sleep that first night.

2nd Nov - He pulled out the handgun he had locked up all these years, stepping in to join the group that was looking to help the caretaker secure the building, more than happy being at the front lines pushing back the zombies.

3rd Nov - ashton's birthday :c

4th-15th Nov - ashton goes in and out between helping organise their new normal, helped Rosie sort out the garden, continued his thesis work, tried contacting his mom again to no avail. Tried reaching his university, silence. Tried reaching his own military contacts, silence. He started volunteering to go outside and do recons, find survivors, and just do something to figure out what the fuck was going on. it wasn't always approved but when he did, he tried to bring back valuable information on the zombies and any survivors.

16th Nov - after the crash, Tobias shared the radio they found in the ambulance with Ashton to take a look and see what can be done. He devotes more of his time in fixing the radio, as well as trying to make contact with the military. He starts monitoring horde movements from the rooftop daily, helping map out safe routes for scout and recon missions. They were left to fend of themselves, losing hope for help to come anytime soon, so scavenging, raiding and looting had begun. He does his best to bring back what some of the residents request on scouting and scavenging missions. still in denial and working on his thesis when he has nothing else to do.

17th Nov - Sweet potatoes that had been growing over the fall originally meant for scientific research, had been harvested before winter came. The residence now have a large amount of sweet potatoes curing away some to be used early on and others to be kept for the long term months away.

18th Nov - Ashton turned on his phone again, hoping for something different, hoping to contact his mother, or just even send a text to make sure she's okay. Still no service. No signal. No hope. Ria joins him at the diner for their meal before the chaos struck. He last saw Courtney a day or two ago on the roof, she performed a beautiful piece in front of him, and now she's chomping on someone else. They were too far from the action to be useful but Ash went to go track down those bitten and escaped, with Nat and Ria taking down the poor old lady that once shared tea with him when he first moved in.. and then he went off to get his gun to clear out the higher floors, making sure no infected was left, checking in on the residents, putting the poor guy that hid in his apartment and died and turned all alone out of his misery. When everything went quiet, no more groans and screams, he did a sweep before meeting Zach by the staircase helping lift the last of the bodies into the second floor Atrium where they did a head count and mourned for the dead. He couldn't sit around and not do anything and be useless and so he brought out the radio once more. He was missing something he was sure, and he knew it'll click sooner or later. With Zach and Nat's help, they finally figured out the radio and Ash fixes it with a sharp crackle into the first joys of audio they've heard from the device.

21st Nov - Ashton spent the past few days preparing for their trip to the ship after the decision was made to find answers at the start of the outbreak. The radio had hinted towards something on the ship that had made it on but shouldn't have, that it wasn't just a cargo ship. He and Zach departed at daybreak the moment the hordes thinned out, taking the 2 hour trek to the ship and found out that Korea had created immunity test kits in order to find suitable immune antibodies to create the vaccine. The immunity test kits on the ship were meant for global distributions to reach and warn the world while they still could and find a wider pool of immuned antibodies. Zach and Ash grabbed as many as they could in case the ship ever goes under one day. He aggravates an old injury from his left shoulder in the process of escaping the ship but ultimately comes back safe and sound, if you don't count dying a little bit inside coming back with Sada in tow as well.

22nd Nov - After the 24 hour quarantine, Ashton went to Tobias to get his shoulder checked, considering that he was the one to operate on it in the first place, no better time for a check up. His shoulder was wrapped up as a bandage brace and given a few days to recover by itself with the aid of ice, heat, and anti-inflammation pills. The men also then reported in their findings before the decision on what to do with the test kits was made.

23rd Nov - Thanksgiving dinner was nice. Ashton thinks about his mom and tries to reach her again.

2nd Dec - Ashton spots a familiar face of his old marine comrade Kang coming towards the building letting him and his fellow scientist partner in.

12th Dec - After decisions were made, preparations were done to set the whole building up for the test kits and today was the morning Mr Wexley decided to make the announcement. Ashton awkwardly stood beside him with Zach during the announcement. (not important but he just wanted to note down he felt awkward :/) Ash volunteers to be the first resident to demonstrate the test, proving everything was alright and alleviate any fears or doubts people had. He and Zach then went out for a quick run that morning, keeping his promise to Charlie and picked up cigarettes for Jeremiah.

13th Dec - Ashton receives his results of delayed immunity (bummer). He still immediately puts him name in for the supply run, as if it was as easy as taking a walk. Mr Wexley seeks him out to ask a favor from him to take charge of leading the residents, strategizing and assigning the supply runs and giving them safety briefings before heading out for the first time. Ash also offers to teach self defense to anyone heading out.

16th Dec - Ashton had been at the diner that morning later than usual, otherwise he could've been dead. All seemed normal until Charlie came rushing down with an unconscious Skyler in tow. The Carbon Monoxide gas leak hit them all in the morning and Ashton volunteers to start going through and evacuating the residents from their apartments alongside the rest of the others braving through the gas. Ash and Mr Wexley found the source of the leak and worked to clear it out together. With the crisis averted, most came out unscathed except for one, and of course it's Sada's fault, who else. Ashton felt the affects of the gas for the next few days but nothing time and some actual oxygen can't fix.

23rd Dec - Ashton and Zach spent the days leading up to this prepping the teams for the big supply run, everyone pitching in to be divided into teams and focus on various supplies they needed to get before the snow hits them in the face and they need to tide over the winter. All hope was practically lost to be saved and their focus was only on survival at this point in stead of rescue. Ashton has tried to plan out for all worst case scenarios, exit plans, and yet, the worst just couldn't even be thought out well enough, or maybe Ash had just lost his edge from his time away from the marines. His own team should've been a small quick team, in and out. And everything had gone wrong, he should've seen it coming. Losing Skyler there and then had been heartbreaking and coming back to a shit storm everywhere else.. just fuck.

24th Dec - 2nd Mar - The events from their supply run pulled Ash back into a familiar place, a dark place, of leading and letting people down, people dying because of him and his decisions. He focused his efforts on surviving, keeping everyone alive, nothing else. He continued to trudge through the snow to search for the missing residents that never made it back, they were strong hardy people, they can survive, Ash just needs to find them. Till then, he found it very hard to look at people in the eye, especially Charlie. Losing Skyler, sending both her brothers out there for them to not come back, they have to come back. Charlie couldn't lose JP and Jer, and honestly neither could Ash. He never told anyone of his solo runs outside, finding more supplies that they never managed to get and hoping to find their people. He got caught once or twice, but perhaps no words were needed to justify why he was doing it, why he was trying to make it right. Winter came and finally went, at least they've survived the worst. And Ash hopes to continue to look for the rest of the Wexley residents again. ..It can't get any worse. ..Right?

4th Mar - Spring was coming and that meant the snow was starting to melt away, giving Ashton more chances to head out, by now getting full approval from Mr Wexley to do his runs, with his own self condition to at least make it back with supplies and make his trips to search for their people useful. Today his managed to find rice, one of those staples that just never expires, perfect find for them to have carbohydrates and make it last long. He came back first with the spoils straight to Charlie to offload supplies before quarantine. Charlie gave him the news that JP made it back, Ashton instinctively hoped to head back out immediately to avoid the 48 quarantine, taking it as he never came back instead. And that was the first time Charlie yelled at him like at. He would've fought with her if he wasn't so exhausted, hurt by her words enough for him to cave in, promising her that he'd stay in the Wexley for a few days and just be there for her.

4th - 9th Mar - In the last few days, Ash stayed in the building, resting, sleeping just reconnecting with their people again. He checked in with Val, finally spoke with Beau again hoping he'd feel better, made sure Mal was okay, looked for JP once their quarantines were done, it was actually really nice. A soft reminder for what they still had despite what they've all lost.

9th Mar - …Five days constitutes a few days, right??? Ashton was always one to keep his promises, rarely a man to ever break them. But the lack of work to do had him itching again, needing something to do in the building. He started off with the retcon work he hasn't done from the rooftop since the snow hit, observing the activities of the city from the roof and tracking them down, human and non human. He didn't expect to have spotted a Ziggy shaped human on the streets from above. Ash broke his promise to Charlie in that instant to save his friend and bring them back home.

12th Mar - Ash thought that would be a one and done promise break, Charlie wasn't too mad at him considering a life was at stake and it wasn't far. But the next one perhaps was what hurt the most. Ash never had any intentions of heading out that day, he already spoke with JP hoping to dig some information that could help them find Jeremiah. But with the lack of information, that was a thread Ash swiftly dropped, not wanting to force JP into a dark headspace remember the time of their run. So he did not expect to see JP anxiously knocking on his door, wanting- needing to go out and find his older brother. Ash didn't have the highest hopes but he did trust JP and he was definitely not about to let him wander out there alone just as he finally made it back. Ash, JP and Oscar went out for the day, looking in the area JP thought would be the best bet. They came across a raider, at first almost ready to fight when they mentioned they're just looking for someone that fucked them over, a description matching the oldest Rose, the group led the raider astray into a wayward direction, at least inklings of the fact that Jer or someone that looks like Jer is alive somewhere. Ash forced them to end their search by dusk, not about to let them stay outside overnight and upon coming back, it was almost unbelievable to hear Jer had made it back home. Ash couldn't find himself to believe it and he broke protocol just to make sure it was true before he accepted his 48 hours.

15th Mar - coming out free from quarantine once again, Ash caught up with the recent changes and news from everyone, Val's new quarantine protocols to be put in place starting today. Ash preferred quarantining in the comfort of his home but he understands the need for this.

9th - 20th Mar - Charlie hasn't spoken to Ash ever since :(

20th Mar - Birdie makes her back to the Wexley with survivors and Roman's kid, June, in tow and intel to the brim of the outside world and most pressingly, a call for help. Ashton joined in as one of the volunteers to join the journey in saving the survivors on the boat stranded in the waters, raiders prowling around waiting to jump on them. Charlie hasn't spoken to Ash since the day he came back with JP, he wanted to give her the space she needed from him, letting her be as mad as she wanted to be with him. Jeremiah had chosen to head out too and he might as well go outside and look out for the other brother like he did with the middle Rose. But more importantly, Roman was still out there trying to save these people, Charlie can be mad at him all she wants, but this felt like the right thing to do, if it meant helping get Roman back to his family and Charlie. The volunteers of Jeremiah, Eric, Zach, Oscar and himself gathered that very same day, got further information from Birdie and began working out a plan for the next day.

---- to be updated

[kassymalone]

Well, it must be the time of year that I have no time or energy to write, because I have SO MANY IDEAS.

Fuck it, IDEA DUMP

A KISS Side Story: Coffee Snob

Moving back to the city to be closer to work, Black is living on his own for the first time. Aside from being a little lonely and burying himself in his work, he manages just fine. Plagued by an extra intense dose of his usual insomnia, he uses his restless nights to find the best coffee in the city.

Discovering an unassuming hole-in-the-wall that's open 24 hours, he discovers the single best coffee he's ever drunk in his life, and forms an unlikely friendship with the late-night worker. As their relationship starts to build beyond the constraints of the after-hours serving window, Black starts to wonder if there could possibly be more to his life than just work and family.

Let Me Be Soft

The barrier is broken, the vicious monsters are free. With everything he ever fought for in his hands, Edge is realising that he doesn't know who he is any more. With nothing to aim for and no royal guard to serve, he's adrift in endless possibilities that he can't grasp. Taking a temp job helping out a new human friend of Toriel's, his world starts to grow as he explores new, softer sides of himself, finding fulfilment in arts and crafts and a gentle relationship that he never even imagined for himself before.

The Rooftop

You thought you were the unluckiest person alive when a broken leg trapped you in your flat a few days after you moved to Ebbott, but when a mysterious plague struck and wiped out most of humanity, it turned out you were the lucky one. While monsters are immune to the plague, they're still isolating to protect their human friends and neighbours, including the guys in your building.

Initially contacting each other by the small buildings group chat, you get to know each of guys in Skeleton Skelton Hall very well, meeting in person when restrictions relax and helping each other through the start of the end of the world.

After The Fall

Its the end of the world. Literally. Well over 99% of the worlds population is gone, and everything is falling apart. As night falls, you duck into a relatively intact building to wait out a storm, only to find something you didn't expect - a working animatronic. Moon seems to be just as lonely as you are, trapped in this rotting shell of a building alone.

Using what little engineering skill you possess, you rig him up a portable solar panel to change his batteries, and the two of you take off in a refit security van to find what's left of humanity. Finally out in the sunshine, it turns out Moon wasn't quite as alone as it seemed, and now you've got another uncontrollable friend to explore the end of the world with.

A Smile Like the Devil Himself

You only went on the damn dating show to stop your mothers incessant nagging. When you got to the beach resort, it became pretty obvious that you were the foil - the plain looking one only there to contrast the literal instagram models that made up the rest of the 'cast'. The most gorgeous of all is the nearly seven foot tall bronze god with wild red hair, Ganondorf, who mostly just seems confused by everything going on.

Unimpressed by good looks and shallow affect (because the Gerudo women were the most beautiful in the world, apparently), he ends up spending most of his time with you, much to everyone's shock. Even when the show ends, the two of you stay friends as you help him adjust to life in your country and find a wife, which is apparently a rite of passage where he's from.

At least, that's what you thought you were doing. Turns out that your new 'friend' has a very different idea of courting than you do, and he's very keen to introduce you to his mothers in Hyrule.

Whether you like it or not.

[asirensrage]

😩😩😩 I had the cutest idea. Well, kind of.

Kyojuro wakes up on a modern-day rooftop, gasping like he resurfaced from a thousand-year-old slumber. He has no idea how he got there. And he should be dead, shouldn’t he? Yes! He died back then. He was pierced through his solar plexus. There was no way he could’ve survived that.

So why is he…breathing?

He glances down, mouth agape. He doesn’t understand why he’s wearing such strange clothing, nor does he recognize the voice shouting in his ear for him to get up. He rips the accursed device from his ear, foot bumping against the hilt of his katana. Huh…well, at least his blade looks the same, but his hands are covered in leather gloves and…i-is that blood?

On cue, his body pulses with pain. With grit teeth, Kyojuro glances down at the source of it. A nasty gash on his abdomen glares back at him while his strange, white shirt colors with warm crimson. He hauls himself up, dizzy and rapidly losing blood. The buildings, lights, and the cacophony of city sounds don’t help his plight.

It’s dark. Kyojuro is dehydrated. He doesn’t know where or when he is, nor does he understand how he got here. But his instincts scream for him to move, so he obeys the call despite his injury.

Kyojuro winces, clutching the site of his pain. Catches himself on a brick wall before ducking down into a stairwell. A fire escape with iron-wrought rails, his unsteady steps echoing across the apartment complex. He makes it to the foot of the stairs, yet his injury reminds him of its existence.

He grasps his side, biting back a wail. Eases himself into an alleyway, where he doubles over in pain, crashing into a pile of stuffed, black trash bags. It hurts to breathe; hurts to move. As he leans against a textured wall, the flame in his eyes flickering and exhaustion seeping into his bones, he hears footsteps.

Panicked footsteps race toward him, accompanied by a muddled voice asking if he’s alright. He can’t fully make out the features of the person clambering to his side, his vision blurry and his mind foggy from the blood loss. He reaches for them, drawn to the source of that melodious voice like a beacon.

And then, you’re pressing your hands against his to staunch the bleeding. You tell him to hang tight, your voice coming out like milk and honey despite the severity of the situation. You tear your gentle hands away from him, fiddling with a strange pack strapped to your side. He’s bereft of the warmth and tenderness of your touch. If his voice worked, he would tell you so.

But as you turn back to him, producing whatever you fished around for, his sight fades to black.

Ooooo I love this. I want to know everything lol The mass confusion, not only his but when others realize he's not who he was (is he possessing someone? Is it like an alternate universe? A reincarnation of himself?). The way he then seeks you out because you're a soothing balm in this strange world, comforting and encouraging. Maybe they think he's hit his head along with his injury, maybe they don't but you allow his presence at your side and the more time passes, the more you enjoy spending it with him. I wonder if you knew who he was before and if so, was there a relationship there? Was there not and now these changes are welcoming and consuming? (you can tell I instantly go the angst route in this lol)

[apod]

2022 December 3

Stereo Mars near Opposition Image Credit & Copyright: Marco Lorenzi

Explanation: Mars looks sharp in these two rooftop telescope views captured in late November from Singapore, planet Earth. At the time, Mars was about 82 million kilometers from Singapore and approaching its opposition, opposite the Sun in planet Earth's sky on December 8. Olympus Mons, largest of the volcanoes in the Tharsis Montes region (and largest known volcano in the Solar System), is near Mars' western limb. In both the images it's the whitish donut-shape at the upper right. The dark area visible near center is the Terra Sirenum region while the long dark peninsula closest to the planet's eastern limb is Sinus Gomer. Near its tip is Gale crater, the Curiosity rover's landing site in 2012. Above Sinus Gomer, white spots are other volcanoes in the Elysium region. At top of the planet is the north polar cap covered with ice and clouds. Taken about two days apart, these images of the same martian hemisphere form a stereo pair. Look at the center of the frame and cross your eyes until the separate images come together to see the Red Planet in 3D.

∞ Source: apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap221203.html

[yutafrita]

The Eternal Tragedy- CHAPTER THREE

⋆☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆⋆｡°✩🪐°. ⋆ ･: ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆☾ ﾟ｡⋆⋆｡°✩⋆ ･:

CHAPTER One/ Two/ Three/ Four/ P / B

SEE YOU COWGIRL, SOMEDAY, SOMEWHERE!

Pairing(s): Mafia!Yuta x Reader, Mafia!Sungchan x Reader Reader Pronouns: She/ Her Genre: Angst, Sci-Fi, Fantasy Chapter Word Count: 9.4K Warnings: GRAPHIC depictions violence, GRAPHIC depictions of death, a LOT of blood towards the end of this chapter, alcohol use, mentions of a fraternity, suggestive scenes (?idk how else to describe this one it's like 3/4 in)

Masterlist

⋆☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆⋆｡°✩🪐°. ⋆ ･: ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆☾ ﾟ｡⋆⋆｡°✩⋆ ･:

It was odd to see Shotaro in the daylight. He had insisted on taking you and the waitstaff out for breakfast before your last day as a waitress, and while you and the rest of the waitstaff would get together on occasion, seeing the young man smiling out with all of you was definitely weird.

“I expect a whole parade when I leave,” Seulgi teased, her mimosa swirling in the glass in her hand. Shotaro had selected a rooftop restaurant in the fashion district of Neuvo Seoul, giving you all a view of the bustling city below.

“I don’t think you should participate in a parade at 100 years old,” Chaein taunted, earning laughs from everyone else.

“Are you excited?” Jisung asked you. He had been relatively quiet this morning, likely feeling nervous that he would soon be taking your place as a part of the waitstaff full time.

“Well, I’m excited to go to Mercury,” you lied, your smile still forced. ��I just need to brush up on my accounting skills.”

“Being an accountant is just counting money, right? I do that everyday,” Irene sent you a reassuring smile. She was the most helpful when you told the staff about your robbery and that you would be taking the new job, even offering to go with you whenever you were sent to other planets for work.

According to Sungchan, the files and information you would need are in different places of the solar system as the syndicate never kept its information online. Since you would also be expected to… play with some numbers, you would need to visit the syndicates legal venues to help you do so. 

“There’s this really cool theme park there, I highly recommend going to it if you have free time,” Shotaro added.

“What is with you and theme parks, man?” Jisung questioned, seeming to be annoyed by his supervisor.

“Hey, life’s short! Let the man go to his little theme parks,” Goeun chided. She glanced your way, and you sent her the somber smile you had been wearing all morning. You liked your job. You liked your coworkers. Hell, you even liked your syndicate supervisor. The thought of not being able to work alongside them made your chest feel a heavy weight.

“You’re not dying, we’ll all still be bothering you,” Seulgi jumped in, catching the look you still had on.

You smiled again, “none of you guys could ever really bother me,” you shot a glance over to Jisung, “not even the little mouse.”

“They’re supposed to be rat ears,” Jisung sighed, his hands reaching up to cover the tiny mouse ears on his head. You all laughed again, watching a red heat rise on his ears.

Shotaro lifted his glass, “well, this is not a goodbye, this is just us wishing you good luck.” 

Luck, something that seemed to not be on your side lately. For the past week since your break in, you had been staying with Goeun and her younger sister, choosing to crash on their couch rather than be alone in the apartment. Sungchan, much to your dismay, put Yuta in charge of upgrading the security system of the place, and while it was certainly safer, the little nagging part of your brain could not get over the fact that your place had been violated. You even tried calling your mother afterwards, ready to swallow your pride and beg for her financial help, but she wouldn’t even answer your plethora of phone calls.

But, you need to be an adult again. So, after brunch and before your final shift for work that day, you went back to Goeun’s to pack up your small backpack.

“You can stay one more night,” Goeun pleaded, watching as you shoved your sneakers away. Her younger sister, Dosie, was unable to hide the joy she felt watching you pack, though. You loved her like she was your own sibling, but she made it very clear to you that she was unhappy with their current arrangement.

“Let her be, Goeun. Do you need any help packing?” she offered, removing the water bottle you had left on the floor without a proper coaster.

You shook your head, standing up as you finished gathering your things. “Thanks you guys, I’ll see you tonight Goeun.”

The sisters lived in a complex two blocks over from the Sosa subway station, so you started your walk over. Neuvo Seoul was fully alive now, and you melted together with the crowds of citizens and tourists alike moving about their day. You and Goeun both grew up on the other side of the planet in Paris-York, and while they certainly had their differences, you were convinced that large cities were all the same. All overstuffed with people, mostly a lack of regard for fellow pedestrians, random patches of town that smelled like piss, and a disinterested upper class.

You took your time getting through your commute, trying to bide your time and delay the inevitable. You wiped the sweat off the palms of your hands onto the bottom of the floral dress you still had on from the morning, nervous as your complex came into view. Stealing a glance at a newspaper stand, everything around you seemed the same. Your entire sense of self was crushed within a few brief moments, but not a thing around you seemed to have changed. 

You entered your apartment complex, waving hello to neighbors you passed on your way in. You moved up the steps at a sluggish pace, staring intently at your feet as you did so. 

“Ah, look who's back,” the cheery voice snapped your eyes up. Yuta was leaning against your door, his tail wagging once he saw the surprise in your eyes.

“What are you doing here?”

“You really thought Sungchan wanted to leave your place unguarded after a break in?” Yuta scoffed. 

You furrowed your eyebrows, “I haven’t been home since the break-in.”

“Believe me, I know.”

“Have you been staking out in front of my apartment for a week?” you whispered, moving closer to the fox. 

“Me and a few other people,” Yuta shrugged. You resisted the urge to facepalm, already fighting off a headache at what your neighbors had to think. “Still haven’t found the robbers yet, sadly.”

“I know, Sungchan has been texting me that same message like every hour,” you grumbled, taking your keys out from your pocket. “Am I allowed to go into my own place now?”

“I guess I can allow it,” he sarcastically bit, moving to the side for you to quickly enter your place, “I’ll be out here if you need anything.”

“I won’t,” you bristled, shutting the door behind you. Alone in your apartment, any strength you felt was gone as you assessed your space. After the break-in, Sungchan had a few syndicate members help put your apartment back together as best as they could since the robbers also decided to break a few cups and picture frames on their way out. There was a faint echo in the space as you padded to your room, and an ache in your chest formed as you saw the empty wall which formerly held a painting your grandfather made.

A couple of earrings. Your favorite pair of heels. Several dresses. All of your vintage movies. Your grandfather’s painting. All of your flowers. All of your money.

It was an eclectic assortment of items to steal to say the least. You assessed the syndicate members' attempt to hang up your broken picture frames, frowning as you glared at the photo of you and your parents at your high school graduation. You went to your community college for two years before transferring to a university in Neuvo Seoul, but you remember how much this annoyed your mother. You wanted to save money, but she wanted a daughter she could proudly flaunt to her rich friends.

As the day progressed, you started mindlessly making dinner, watching the clock as you did. Then, you remembered the man outside your door.

Releasing a sigh, you cracked the front door open, “do you want ramen?”

Yuta happily took up your offer, perching himself on the chair in your kitchen island as you quickly served the two even plates. It was eerie. The peeling red paint of the apartment complimented the man very well: accenting the designer blood red suit he wore and his red fox ears and tail. He knew that your apartment wasn’t perfect, but his face still held one of fascination as his eyes scanned the kitchen.

“It was my grandparents. They bought it in 2060,” you don’t know why you decided to tell Yuta this. Maybe it was the way his eyes grew wide as you spoke, and how he quietly observed and listened. “My grandpa moved in with my parents a few years before he died, but he still had the lease to this place and left it to me.”

“Where do your parents live?” he asked, slurping up the ramen. You picked at your noodles, your elbows leaning heavily on your kitchen island.

“Paris-York, I moved here when I went to university.”

“Hm, Sungchan’s from Paris-York,” Yuta noted, and you raised an eyebrow in response. “He moved here when he was much younger, but I’m pretty sure that’s where he’s from.”

“It’s a… fine city,” you shrugged.

“Are you excited to go to Mercury?” he prompted. You noted that within a few minutes he had nearly finished his bowl despite you hardly even beginning to poke at your own food. You forced yourself to take a mouthful of noodles as you thought over his question. While you told the waitstaff that you were excited, you felt that you couldn’t hide the pit in your stomach anymore when it came to flying to Mercury.

“I guess. It’ll be my first time visiting another planet,” you admitted, your lip twitching. You felt too old to admit this. Most people have visited other planets and interplanetary travel had become extremely safe, yet you couldn’t shake the anxiety it made you feel.

“Are you afraid of ships, angel?” Yuta caught.

You frowned, “humans weren’t meant to travel between planets like this.”

Yuta pointed his chopstick at you, shaking his head as he did so. “You see, that line of thinking is what stops human innovation.”

******

Your last shift as a waitress in the garden was surreal. Taeyeon had given you a free dandelion tea, you were tipped supremely well working the bar, and you laughed with a smile brighter than ever as you walked back home afterwards with the rest of the waitstaff.

“I’ll see you guys soon,” you chirped. The girls all tugged you into a group hug, and parted ways from you. You lingered outside your complex for a moment, watching the group of girls chat and finish the short trek to the subway station. A shadow you had felt since you left the club now hovered your shoulder. 

You sighed, “what time do I need to report to the ship station?”

“Sungchan’s having a car pick you up, angel. I think 1000 should be fine,” Yuta’s voice chimed, not even phased that you hadn’t turned back to face him.

“I told you to stop calling me that,” you grumbled, fiddling with the keys in your bag before you let yourself into your apartment building. Yuta slinked in behind you, humming as he did so.

“I like how much it bothers you,” he replied, and you didn’t even have to look at him to know that he wore a devilish smile. You pinched the bridge of your nose once you stood at your front door.

“Why don’t you just… go home? And rest? I think I’ll be fine on my own for a few hours.”

Yuta shook his head, “no can do, angel.”

You frowned, opening your front door. “Do you want to just sit inside then?”

A look of fear crossed Yuta’s face, and you saw him glance behind himself as if someone was listening to you two. You rolled your eyes at this.

“I’m not asking you to fuck me. I just feel bad at the thought of you standing out here in the cold for hours.”

Yuta pressed his lips into a tight line, seeming to weigh his options. You sighed, stepping one foot into your apartment before you glanced back at the fox man, “the door’s unlocked, if you decide to come in.”

It had taken Yuta about a half an hour, but he quietly entered your apartment as you were packing your suitcase. You were perched on the edge of your couch, nodding once you met his gaze. You had changed into decidedly more comfortable clothing that was vastly different from what you typically wore at work, but Yuta didn’t bat an eye at your sweats.

“You should be sleeping by now,” he commented, his back pressed against your front door.

“I could say the same to you. Seriously, when was the last time you slept a full eight hours?”

Yuta looked up, mulling over a response as you chuckled. 

“Before my initiation, I think.”

“Ah, of course,” you hummed, folding the last of your clothes. Shutting the suitcase, you set yourself on top to help press it together and make it easier to zip up. The center part of the luggage was refusing to close, and you hunched over it as you tried to shut it. 

So quiet you hadn’t even noticed he moved, Yuta had crossed the kitchen and living room to kneel in front of you, his hands meeting yours to quickly shut the suitcase without any hesitation. 

You flopped back onto the couch, sighing in defeat. “Thanks.”

Yuta stayed kneeling for a moment before moving to the furthest corner of the couch. “It’s no problem.”

“You know I don’t bite, right?” Your eyes were drooping, exhaustion already starting to take over as you stared up at the popcorn ceiling.

“I know you don’t.”

You yawned, “and you know I’m no one's property either, right?”

You heard Yuta sigh, as if this was an internal debate he had been dealing with already. “I know.”

“Then why are you even afraid of sitting near me?”

Yuta was quiet for a while, and in that time your eyes slowly started to shut, your breathing slowly evening out.

“I dreamt about you,” Yuta’s soft voice forced your eyes back open, your eyes meeting his. “It’s silly to put so much weight into dreams… but it was just so surreal.”

“Mmm,” you grunted, your eyes meeting his. “I dreamed about you too, but I’m not being weird about it.”

He chuckled then, shifting himself ever so slightly on the couch so that he could be closer to you. “You’re right.”

“I know,” you replied. Slowly, you began drifting off to sleep, the hum of your apartment lights sending you deep into your dreams.

Now, you stood on the top of a hill, a strong wind pushing your hair and dress around. The fresh air was powerful, filing your lungs as you stared up at the big, blue, open sky.

“I miss this,” a silvery voice next to you spoke. You glanced over. Sungchan stood with his hands in his pockets, the wind wrapping his hair around the horns on his head and fluffing the feathers on his wings. 

“No other planet in this solar system is quite as lovely as earth,” he turned his eyes to meet your gaze, “nor is any face as lovely as yours.”

“Even my dream version of you is overly flirty and… weird,” you sighed, “earth’s been uninhabitable since 2062 ”

“... it’s cute that you dream of me, even if it’s only after you dream of Yuta.”

“At least you aren’t covered in blood.”

“I’ve been on earth before,” he interjected. You glanced back over to the young man, watching as his jaw clenched tightly.

“We’re here now,” you replied, seeing the clouds roll over in the sky. 

Sungchan sniggered, “this version of you is adorable.”

“The dream version of you is weirder, actually.”

His arm wrapped around your waist, and he tugged you closely to him. You braced your arms, placing your hands on his chest in an attempt to push yourself off to no avail. Sungchan tightened his grip, pulling you closer despite you fighting against him.

“As long as you still think this is a dream, I’ll treat this as one,” he set his chin on the crown of your head, his voice vibrating against his chest and your cheek that was pressed against him.

“This is not what I’d want in a dream,” you huffed, dropping your arms in defeat. Sungchan’s hand hooked under your chin, lifting your eyes up to see him. “Let go of me,” you whispered.

“You’ll have to kill me first, for once.”

******

Your first day in Mercury, Sungchan had left you alone to deal with mountains of senseless documents at the syndicate's beer garden. Santiago de Mercurio was the capital of the planet and prided itself in being “classier” than other big cities in the galaxy, which really just meant more stuck up, brighter lights, and an underbelly you had to go digging for. In Neuvo Seoul, it was easy to just stumble into syndicate dealings and even easier to turn a blind eye. Here though, the Mercurio Beer Garden held an air of seriousness that The Garden you had known and worked at all these years, would never touch.

Johnny, the man you had met while training Jisung and also the night Sungchan had you pose for him, was the man in charge of the Mercurio Beer Garden. He had shown you the office filled to the brim with disorganized papers while wearing a sheepish grin.

“When was the last time you had someone managing the finances?” you asked the tall man.

He scratched the back of his neck, thinking this over. “I wanna say about four months?”

Johnny had set down what he deemed “necessary paperwork” in one corner and asked if you needed anything else. He seemed kind, and stood out to you from the other syndicate members you’ve slowly been acquainting yourself with, although his tattoo was just as prominent as everyone else’s. It was his lack of accentors that took you back. They were such a sign of wealth and status in the solar system that seeing someone as visibly well off as him not having any still surprised you.

“How’s Yuta, by the way?” Johnny asked you before he left you to your own devices. You brought out your calculator and reading glasses, already focusing on your task at hand.

“He’s fine, I think. I haven’t spoken to him since I left Mars,” you replied blankly. Johnny nodded, seeming content with this news before he stepped out of the office and left you alone. You did miss the fox man’s presence. You found him annoying sometimes, but other times, you found him comforting and kind- you liked speaking with him. 

Speaking with other members of the syndicate was difficult.

The interplanetary ship you were all on made you sick most of the time, and when you did try to be sociable to the two other people on board who were not Sungchan, they often hardly looked your way. Kun, the former accountant and the one currently piloting the ship, hardly says so much as a good morning if you weren’t asking him about previously filed paperwork. Ten, Sungchan’s general syndicate right hand, would only speak to you if he wanted help locating Sungchan.

Sungchan was true to his word when he said you only had to work thirty hours a week, but in the week you were on Mercury to avoid being cornered by the man you often kept yourself busy with overtime. It’s not like you had nothing to do- the numbers were a mess and made no sense. But, being alone with Sungchan still made you nervous, especially when at night, you would hear him and Ten having to deal with some potential traitors or snitches.

It was your last night in Mercury, and you shut the binder on your last updated financial information for the Mercurio Beer Garden. Most of the papers Johnny had shown you were next to useless and you ended up spending several hours shredding paperwork. The office was much more organized, and you were hoping that when you passed by next quarter, Johnny would properly maintain the information in the format and… style you had.

There was a knock at the door and you absentmindedly told them to enter. You had expected it to be Johnny or possibly even Sungchan.

“Working hard, or hardly working, angel?” the stupid nickname had you pause. You glanced up from the chair, blinking quickly to confirm that it was, indeed, Yuta.

“What are you doing here?” you laughed, hoping the smile you wore would offset any potential bite your question held. Yuta was dressed in a more casual manner with a designer long sleeve and sweatpants to still indicate his wealth.

“Johnny asked me to pass by Mercury for the weekend,” he moved and set himself on the chair in front of you, whistling as he examined the state of the office. “How did you manage to clean this up?

You two spoke casually for a few minutes. The club was doing well, he said, and that Jisung had picked up the slack surprisingly quickly.

“Oh, and we’re still monitoring your apartment. Not 24/7 but enough.”

“No updates on the robbers?” you asked, holding out a bit of hope that you’d get your money and painting back. Yuta shook his head, looking away in shame. “That’s all right I guess… I just want my grandpa’s painting back.”

“... I promise I’ll get it back,” Yuta affirmed, his eyes rounded as he looked at you with a seriousness that took you by surprise.

You shrugged. “At least I still have his apartment.”

You spoke for a few minutes smiling and leaning over your desk as you did so.

“Can I try something?” he asked suddenly, and you raised a curious eyebrow.

“I guess,” you went to reach for one of the binders, assuming that’s what he meant. His hand steadied under your chin, and your eyes widened in shock before the softness of his lips met yours. It took you by surprise, and you didn’t have much time to register it before he moved away from you just as quickly. Your mouth was agape in confusion, and Yuta chuckled at your expression.

There was a knock at the door, and in bursted a chuckling Johnny who didn’t seem to notice the tension in the air.

“Yooo, man you have to come out here! Ten and Kun’s game of darts is getting intense!” Johnny cheered, shooting you a small smile. “Leave the little lady to finish cleaning the books.”

“Yeah, I’ll be out there soon,” Yuta nodded. Johnny left the two of you alone with a shut door, and you watched as Yuta took a blank sticky note from the desk, snatching the pen in your hand to scribble something down. “If you ever need me for anything,” he set the pen back down, “call me, and I’ll be there.”

He moved towards the door before he turned back to you, “I would have beaten myself if I didn’t try that at least once. So, thanks.”

Quickly, and without thinking, you grabbed Yuta’s hand to stop him. He paused, looking back at you with surprise. Hesitating, you leaned over the desk, and met your lips to his again, this time fully kissing the man you had been thinking about non-stop for the past few months.

His lips were just as soft as you had hoped they would be, and he kissed you back without hesitancy, his hands cradling your face. He broke from the kiss, his forehead leaning against yours as his breath fanned over your lips.

“I gotta go before you get me into trouble, angel.”

******

You hated Mercury and Venus. Maybe it was the fact that on each planet you spent hours sifting through wordless, senseless documents that barely helped you in fixing the syndicates books. Maybe it was the fact that one room over in every hotel room you had to hear Sungchan or Ten “taking care of problems” that happened to crop up on both planets. Or, and this was what you figured was most likely the issue, was that intersolar traveling always got you sick.

Hunched over the toilet on the ship, you vomited out the contents of your stomach. Sungchan let Ten take a break from managing dinner for the night, and decided to cook everyone's steaks. It was surprisingly good, but no matter how good the food has been, your stomach has refused to hold any food while flying between planets. 

“Fuck me,” you muttered, crumbling back down to the floor, your back pressed against the metal bathroom wall. There was a slight shift in the air, and you opened your eyes to see Sungchan standing at the open door of the bathroom, holding on to a towel and a small bottle.

He looked up as if in thought, “maybe not right now, but later.”

You would be snippy if not for the fact that you felt like such utter shit. Sungchan sighed and sat next to you, offering you the towel. This was not the first time he had seen you hunched over the toilet. Everytime you found yourself sick from the centripetal force of the ship, Sungchan seemed to also find himself next to you with a towel and an awkward attempt to comfort you.

Blowing your nose on the towel, you noted the pill bottle in the man’s hand.

“What’s that?” you asked, coughing. The burn in your throat wasn’t helped by the throbbing in your head.

“Ah, Jaemin finally got his hands on some proper nausea medication,” Sungchan paused, seeing the furrow in your brows, “Jaemin is our medic.”

“Ah.”

“One of the possible side effects is sleep walking, though.”

“If it keeps my stomach inside my body for one more day, I don’t care,” you reached your hand out to grab the pill bottle, only for Sungchan to pull his hand away, keeping it out of reach. “Please?”

“It’s not wise for you to sleepwalk around a ship in outer space. You’re staying in my room tonight so I can at least keep an eye on you.”

“I am not sleeping with you,” you hissed before your stomach turned again, knocking you back over the toilet bowl. Sungchan’s hand was placed on your lower back, sending a chill down your spine despite the bile coming out of you.

The interplanetary spaceship had two levels. The bottom level had the kitchen, tiny living space, and meeting room. The top level contained the hanger bay for the smaller ships as well as a mediocre living quarters. 

There was a small shuffling of footsteps and you looked up from the toilet, your eyes stinging as you saw Ten glaring at you from the doorframe. He was a high level member of the syndicate and besides managing the food on the ship, when he was on land he served as the ears of the group, you learned. Ten’s head was tilted down at you, the shadows of the dim bathroom lighting making his ram horns look more eerie than usual. 

“Listen, I know you still aren’t used to interplanetary travel, but this is our only toilet and I have to take a shit.”

The mucus covered towel in your hand vanished and in a moment was tossed at Ten’s annoyed face. 

“Fuck off,” Sungchan muttered, leading to a disgruntled Ten.

“Fine, I’ll take a dump in the bucket- again. We’ll just have Kun manage yet another interplanetary sanitation fine,” Ten shuffled away from the bathroom, his feet echoing against the metal.

Sungchan turned his head back towards you, his hand shaking the pill bottle. “I’m not sleeping with you,” you repeated.

“You’ll be on the bed, I’ll be on the couch. I’m a gentleman.”

“You beat the shit out of a frontdoorsman for pronouncing your name wrong.”

“Do you want to stop throwing up or not?”

You curled up in the smallest corner of the large bed, your back to the open window. You hated looking out at the stars and seeing where you all stood in the empty void of a universe. You hated everything. You were miserable. Just two more planets to go and you’d be back on Mars, closer to getting that stupid deed.

“How’s your stomach?” Sungchan asked, breaking you from your train of thought. You glanced over. He was laying on his back with his arms tucked under the back of his head, his body visibly too long for the couch as his legs dangled off the arm.

“It’s… fine. Look,” you sighed, annoyed by your conscience, “let me take the couch. Or let me be in my own room.”

“You wish,” Sungchan chuckled, staring up at the ceiling. Sungchan was typically aggressive and irritable with even the highest members of the syndicate, yet with you, he was nothing less than doting to an unfortunately obsessive degree. He was difficult to read. “I’d kill Jaemin if you sleep-walked out of this ship.”

“I believe you. But you don’t even fit on the couch,” you noted. Sungchan wagged his toes, still chuckling to himself. “I’ll be fine.”

“I can fight, if you try anything.”

“I know.”

“Okay.”

“Goodnight.”

“Good night, Sungchan.”

******

You were in love with Titan- or more specifically, Titan’s city of Jikanopolis. Titan was a moon of Saturn that humanity had managed to properly colonize. The buildings weren’t soaring like the ones in Paris-York, and the public transportation was better than what Neuvo Seoul offered. You loved the patches of greenery shoved into as many corners of the city as possible. You didn’t even mind the fact that technically the entire city was located under a ginormous greenhouse dome.

Sungchan noticed your sudden change of mood that first evening on the planet. You decided to have dinner in the patio of the bar the syndicate owned rather than staying holed up in the office as you had chosen to do these past few weeks at the other establishments. The night air was crisp, and while there were other patrons on the outside patio, you didn’t mind as you stared up at the deep golden night sky.

119 Bar and restaurant was at the heart of Jikanopolis on a gorgeous rooftop that overlooked the city. The Mercurio Beer Garden was high brow and certainly fancy- but the view and energy of 119 was miles ahead of anything on Mercury. 

“You look happy,” Sungchan stated, his blazer strung over his shoulders. You shrugged, looking back down at your nearly empty plate. Even the syndicate members of 119 were completely different from their other counterparts throughout the Solar system- all kind, boisterous, and easy going. Wonbin, the chef at 119, instead of greeting you casually, asked what your favorite meal was. Hours later, when you had originally planned to step out to grab take out, the man had fully prepared the meal for you, smiling brightly when he saw the joy on your face. 

Sungchan stood out like a sore thumb here in Titan.

“It’s… nice here,” you decided to reply, glancing back up. Sungchan removed his blazer, hanging it on the plastic chair in front of you at the table before he sat himself down. He leaned his elbows on the table, staring intently at the plate you were still working on. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and while he seemed to zone out, you fully stole a glance at his dragon tattoo. Having to be around quite a few syndicate members these past few weeks, you’ve seen how they all distinguish themselves in their rankings. Yuta, Ten and Johnny were the only members you had seen with black ink for their dragons, small lines of red accenting the mouth. Jisung and a few lower level members had blue ink used as the primary colors on their tattoos. A few mid level members like Kun and even Wonbin’s tattoos were a blend of red with green accents.

Sungchan was the only member you saw with his tattoo to be made up only of one color- red.

“My eyes are up here,” Sungchan waved his hand in front of your face, and you blinked quickly in embarrassment. “Saturn, god what a bastard.”

“Huh?” you raised your eyebrow. You weren’t sure why you bothered humoring him- Sungchan randomly speaking cryptically around you was something you should be used to by now. 

“Sometimes I just think about the namesake of the planets… humanity named them after their roman counterparts, not even their Greek counterparts.”

You mulled over this, “Mars just has a better ring to it than Ares.”

“Jupiter has a better ring to it than Zeus I guess,” he hummed, and you physically felt a chill rush down your spine. “Are you cold?”

“I’m fine,” you replied briskly. “Saturn… which God is that one?”

Sungchan let out a deep sigh, leaning back on his chair and staring back up at the night sky. “He was the Dad of Jupiter, Neptune, Pluto, Vesta, Ceres, and Juno. God of time, generation, dissolution, wealth, liberation… he ate up all his kids except for the youngest one,-.”

“Jupiter,” you finished, meeting his gaze. He nodded. “I guess that makes sense as to why Saturn’s moon is named Titan.”

“I think you know the rest of that myth.”

“Yeah yeah yeah- Saturn ate a rock that his wife gave him, Jupiter kicked his ass and everyone lived happily ever after.”

Sungchan cracked a smile, his eyes not leaving yours. “That’s one way of putting it.”

“Here’s that drink you wanted, Sungchan,” one of the staff members approached, his nodding at you as they set down the alcohol he seemed to have asked to be sent there.

You looked back up at the night sky. The light pollution of the city was so minimal compared to the other planets you visited, that you were able to clearly make out stars and the planet of Saturn from where you sat. You hadn’t been able to enjoy the view of them so much on the ship on account of you trying to not throw up from motion sickness, but being able to see them from here from the comfort of a moon made you smile. A genuine smile you hadn’t felt in what seemed like ages.

“You love Titan, don’t you?” Sungchan’s voice was calm, and when you looked back at him for a moment, it seemed like a pained expression flashed on his face before being replaced with his usual stillness. 

“I think so,” you admitted, looking back up, “the stars are just so lovely from here.”

“You do look quite lovely, even if it’s on Titan,” Sungchan grumbled. 

******

You and Ten were the only ones at the hotel for a while that night.

Sungchan and Kun had stayed behind at 119, and you decided to watch the large TV in the living room for the time being. You were half listening to the TV, half glancing out at the window behind the TV, taking in the night sky in the comfort of your PJs. There was a shift on the couch, and you looked over to see Ten, frowning at the screen.

“Why are you watching the news?” he judged, crossing his legs on the couch to get comfortable.

You shrugged, “I guess I just wanted to see what goes on around here.”

“It’s Titan, it’s like, the lamest place in the solar system.”

“Mercury was pretty lame,” you countered. The news channel was a local one, discussing fun activities occurring in the area over the upcoming weekend- simple. You loved it.

“Oh please,” Ten leaned forward, grabbing the remote from the coffee table. “Titan does have one good thing I’ll admit,” he flipped through a few channels before settling on a grainy film, “this channel only runs on this planet due to some weird copyright law. It’s all the old movies and shows from earth that managed to survive time.”

Your eyes focused on the screen, listening to the over exaggerated voices, the awkward laugh track, and the fascinating dynamic between the wife character and her husband.

“How did you even find this?” you asked, settling in on the couch now.

“Yuta talks about it all the time, he’s from Jikanopolis,” Ten answered before laughing along with the cheesy punchline. 

You had been tempted to call the fox-man several times since getting his phone number, but each time you began to write the number out on your phone, you’d panic and clear it out. You tried and failed to get the feeling of his lips on yours out of your mind to no avail.

Titan. Maybe you could start the conversation about his home? You frowned at yourself, feeling embarrassed about your overthinking.

“What? You don’t like I love Lucy?” Ten snapped.

“Huh?”

“This show, you don’t like this show.”

“I wasn’t paying attention,” you admitted.

Ten then chuckled, “I mentioned Yuta and you immediately zoned out.”

You scoffed, “I’m just tired- your organization has horrible management when it comes to its paperwork.”

Ten was about to reply back with something witty before the hotel door opened. You two turned around on the couch, watching a chuckling, close-eyed Sungchan leaning on an annoyed Kun.

“Ten, help,” Kun grunted, struggling to handle the taller man who was muttering incoherently. Kun set his hand on Sungchan’s horns that were blocking his vision, pushing the young man’s head to lean forward instead of on Kun’s own shoulder, squishing Kun’s swan wings in the process.

“Mmm…Mhhh,” Sungchan muttered, his eyes struggling to open. “More… beer.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sure buddy,” Ten sighed, leaping over the back of the couch to help Kun guide their boss into his room. “How did you manage to be the one to lead us again?”

“Kick… Kicked his ass,” Sungchan giggled, smiling an infectious smile that made even Kun’s lips twitch.

“Sure, man. Let’s get you to bed,” Kun and Ten started through the foyer, half carrying, half guiding him to his room. 

Besides some small shuffling, you didn’t hear much else as the duo got Sungchan into his bed. In the moment that they were in Sungchan’s room,you quietly moved into your own room, shutting the door silently as you did.

As tired as you were from interplanetary travel, you found yourself sitting in front of the floor to ceiling window in your room, staring out at the night sky again. The stars twinkled brighter here. The planet felt more complete than any of the other ones you visited. Even though in the sky you would catch glimpses of other ships, it never bothered you to see them like they would on Mars.

You felt like you were in a daze as you stared at the stars and the passing ships. Drunk by the soft sky and dazzling flecks of light. 

“I thought you’d be sleeping,” his softened voice surprised you. You stood up quickly, stunned to see Sungchan looking at you solemnly, his gaze illuminated solely by the light bouncing off of Saturn onto the planet.

“I thought you’d be sleeping,” you repeated, trying to keep your voice steady. Sungchan had shut and locked your bedroom door when he entered, this much you could tell from where you stood. He had his blazer slung over his shoulder and wings, his hooded eyes watching you closely. “What are you doing here?”

“I missed you,” he pouted, tossing the blazer onto your bed.

You glared at the loose garment before looking back, “you should get back to sleep.”

Sungchan burped before he replied, “dance with me.”

“Wha-?” Before you could properly be confused, Sungchan closed the small steps between the two of you, wrapping you in his embrace and moving to guide you. “Let go of me,” you sighed, trying to push off of his chest.

“Humor me,” he whispered, resting a hand on the top of your head. You hesitated, before moving your arms awkwardly to your side, allowing Sungchan to sway your stiff body side to side. You inhaled carefully, afraid of moving too much and Sungchan retaliating in some way. Instead, the stupor you felt while staring at the night sky seemed to return in full force, as his ambrosial scent filled your lungs. 

You had been so close to Sungchan that you noticed his smell, but as you instinctually wrapped your arms around him (stopping at his wings) you found yourself enraptured in thoughts of him. Imagining you and Sungchan running through fields like the ones in your dream, sitting in libraries and sharing wistful gazes, wrapped endlessly in each other's arms.

You tilted your head upwards at Sungchan in an odd attempt to stifle the sudden yearning that flooded your system. His eyes were half shut, a sad smirk on his face.

“Dance with me,” he repeated, his voice now hardly above a whisper.

“There’s no music, and I have two left feet,” your voice surprised you. You were staring so deeply into the young man’s eyes, it was a wonder to you that you even managed to utter any coherent sounds, let alone an actual response.

“You’ll be just fine,” and with that, he swiftly laced his fingers through your own, guiding you. “This is a waltz,” he explained. It was strange, at his note, you found yourself almost perfectly matching his footing and hand coordination.

You chuckled at the absurdity, “I guess I’m a natural.”

“You always were,” he sighed, spinning you quickly before you faced each other again. The silent song that only Sungchan seemed to hear was enchanting to you, as you stared up at the tipsy man and matched his movements.

“You haven’t known me for long,” you pointed.

“I’ve known you for much, much longer than you think,” he continued leading the dance despite his eyes training so intently on you. 

Sungchan had stopped the dance, holding you tightly to him in a suffocating hug. Again, your brain went to different fantasies with Sungchan, each more surreal than the last: the two of you on earth at a bar, the two of you on earth riding bikes, the two of you on earth riding horses. You buried your nose in his shirt, earning a chuckle from him as you tried to get to the root of these invasive fantasies.

“You’d think you were the tipsy one,” Sungchan’s voice vibrated through his chest and against your face. His hand brushed against your neck, sending a chill down your spine as his fingers then trailed along your jaw, moving to tilt your chin upwards to meet his gaze. “What’s on your mind?”

Am I drunk? What the hell is wrong with me? Your brain was fighting itself as you stared up at the young syndicate leader. You had felt nearly nothing but contempt and fear of him, yet, despite him waltzing into your room announced, you felt hypnotized by just the thought of him. Being near him now, you felt your knees shake as his thumb grazed your bottom lip.

“I should leave,” he muttered, although he made no moves to do so.

Shamefully, you knew how he must see you in this moment- vulnerable, wide-eyed- and you relished in this. Sungchan had been doting on you without reason since the first time you met him, and now, in the silence in the penthouse on Titan, you saw briefly what everyone else actively saw- the head of a crime organization looking down at his prey.

You swallowed the nervous lump in your throat, and raised your own hand to hold up the one he had under your chin. His thumb stopped its circular motions of your bottom lip, and Sungchan stared with open eyes as you slowly parted your lips, sinking his thumb into your mouth and onto your tongue.

Even in the dim lighting you watched his pupils dilate, his entire body tense in surprise as your tongue swirled his thumb in your mouth.

“What are you doing to me?” He didn't seem to expect an answer, rather choosing to watch you with great intrigue as you released his thumb, moving to then insert his pointer and middle digits into your mouth instead. 

Taking in Sungchan’s euphoric aroma was one thing, but it was another to have a piece of him dancing on your tongue. He had stopped passively letting you maneuver as he did before, and had his fingers instead grace themselves however he saw fit in your mouth, pulling them out slowly afterwards in awe.

Sungchan brought his fingers back to his own lips, his eyes meeting yours as his other arm tightened its grip on your waist, keeping you as close as possible to him as he took in every bit of your saliva from his fingers to blend with his.

“You’re gonna get yourself killed,” he whispered, his now drenched fingers moving to tuck your hair behind your ear. 

You motioned to speak, before Sungchan’s eyes shut, his entire body slumping over your shoulder. You let out a small yelp, realizing that the literal head of the syndicate seemed to just… pass out on your shoulder. 

The heat on your cheeks and between your legs made you let out a frustrated groan as you struggled to move the man off of you. He was tall, firm, and was fully putting his entire weight on your body. 

“Shit!” you muttered, crumbling to the floor with the man on top of you, snoring loudly as his wings acted as a makeshift cage around your body. “You’ve gotta be kidding me,” you whispered.

You poked at the man's cheek in an attempt to wake him, only making him cuddle into your crushed figure as he muttered nonsense. 

“Terra… I’ll let you go… Terra.”

*****

It was 1999, and Sungchan pounded another vodka shot. He had been invited to yet another New Years Eve Party, and after having to endure hundreds of them in different mortal bodies, he had gotten tired of them. The only good thing about being twenty-two yet again, was that he still hadn’t grown a proper tolerance to alcohol. When you were all originally cursed, it was stipulated that he would be the only one to retain all of his memories, making sure that even when he was reborn, his infant brain would still remember who he truly was, and further torture him with the mind of a God, in the body of a useless mortal body.

It was 1999, and the humans around him at this shitty house were partying like it was the end of the world. Venus slung his arm over Sungchan’s shoulder, howling with joy at the sight of the younger man’s two empty vodka shots in his hands.

“It was just vodka, Johnny,” Sungchan sighed, waiting patiently to feel the familiar buzz. He still hadn’t encountered you in this lifetime, and while he was overjoyed to know that you were still alive (that this curse could be broken), he wasn’t holding his breath. So, he drank.

“Remember when a sip of beer had you on your ass? Little Bambi is all grown up!” Johnny fake cried, earning the attention of their nearby fraternity brother. Sungchan had joined a few in different lifetimes, and he figured he’d collect as many collegiate letters as possible- like a fun game for his miserable existence.

“Uh uh! He’s not a freshman anymore- can’t call him Bambi!” Pluto slurred, earning a laugh from Johnny.

“I don’t mind being called Bambi,” Sungchan sighed, glancing over his shoulder once a round of hollers were heard from the party crowd behind them. The party was at the fraternity house and the trio stood near the foyer, so Sungchan was staring up in awe as he saw you on the stairs making out with Mars. “Oh my Gods.”

Yuta furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, and craned his own neck upwards to chuckle, “oh yeah, that Jaemin’s ‘best friend’.”

“I knew they’d fuck eventually,” Johnny took another sip of his drink, “he kept swearing they were just childhood pals but.. I mean- that tension is insane.”

Sungchan was staring up at you two without any shame, his mouth hanging open as he fought every urge to rip Jaemin off of you and whisk you away.

“You’re gonna catch flies,” Yuta teased before manually shutting Sungchan’s jaw. Sungchan sent a glare to Yuta, earning a collected laugh from the pair. 

For the rest of the party, Sungchan hovered nearby, forcing casual conversation with other fraternity members or party goers around him to not look suspicious, and hoping that Jaemin would leave you alone long enough for Sungchan to speak to you… just once. 

You could break the curse this time. He knew it. You just needed a push.

“... have to grab something,” Sungchan’s ears perked up at Jaemin telling you this. He couldn’t hear your reply over the blasting music, but he could hear your small voice whine. Sungchan covered his mouth, fighting the small smile he found wanting to cross his lips- you were just so cute. From the corner of his eye, Jaemin passed Sungchan, and he quickly took this as his cue to pass through the string of people blocking his path in the hallway, landing directly in front of this new version of you. Before you could respond, Sungchan handed you a soda can of your favorite soda.

“Uh… thank you? How did you even guess that this was my favorite soda?” you cautiously took the drink from his hands, leaning against the wall as you popped the can open.

“Lucky guess. So, what guy left you alone here?” Sungchan knew better than to tell you that he knew everything about you- your favorite drinks, your favorite flowers, the type of books you liked to read, your favorite places to be touched. He’s tried that before- and it never went well.

“Jaemin- but he’s gonna be right back,” you added quickly, your lip tugging in the way it did when you were unsure about something.

“That’s a shame.”

“How so?” you were curious, furrowing your brow as you sipped on the soda that had gotten warm from Sungchan hanging onto it for so long.

“Well, if it were me, I wouldn’t let you out of my sight.”

You scoffed, but he caught the small blush forming on your ears. “You’re Sungchan, right?”

This caught Sungchan off guard. While he had known Jaemin for about two years now, he had never encountered you- this he would remember.

“I… I’ve seen you in Jaemin’s frat yearbooks,” you seemed embarrassed, and if Sungchan wasn’t holding back he would pinch your cheeks and hold you closely to him. Instead he cleared his throat and looked away, catching Jaemin’s head at the end of the hallway and struggling to maneuver through the throng of people.

“I have a yearbook from the 50s- do you wanna see it?” Sungchan took your small nod as a yes, and gently took your hand, guiding you down the hall and to his bedroom. It was a generally small space and didn’t have much in it beyond stacks of books and a neatly made full sized bed.

“This is the cleanest guys room I’ve ever seen,” you giggled, standing in front of the shut door as the music from downstairs was now muffled.

“I’m not a huge fan of messes,” Sungchan untucked the yearbook from his shelf, sitting on his bed to open it up. He glanced up at you, watching you hesitate. “You can stay standing, but I’m not gonna touch you or anything you don’t want.”

This seemed to quell your nerves as you sat next Sungchan, the bed creaking slightly at the new weight. He quietly flipped through the yearbook, and landed on the page he thought you’d like.

“Gosh those football uniforms were so terrible,” you giggled, leaning so closely to Sungchan that he stopped breathing. He could feel your breath fanning over his arm, your heat radiating off of you, and his mind nearly started spinning. Your hand then brushed over his as you turned the page over, gushing over the sweethearts page.

“I bet most of these people's kids are in this frat now,” you noted, your fingers tracing the hearts over the page.

“I think Jaemin’s one of them,” Sungchan noted, looking up to meet your gaze. This seemed to strike something in you, and you pressed your lips tightly together. Sungchan tilted his head, “did I say something wrong?”

“No… No. Um- did you see us…” your voice trailed off, looking away from Sungchan as you tried to piece something together.

“You guys making out for everyone to see? Yeah,” Sungchan chuckled despite the fire this caused in his chest. You scratched the back of your neck, sighing as if you were defeated.

“Can I… tell you something?” You asked, and Sungchan nodded, closing the yearbook. “I know you don’t know me-,” Sungchan held back a snort, “but… I've wanted to kiss Jaemin for years but… it didn’t feel as right as I hoped it would.”

Sungchan whistled, knowing that this was a very heavy topic to you. “That sounds rough. Maybe you should kiss someone else and compare?” Sungchan made sure it sounded like a joke, and you giggled, slightly punching his arm.

“All of you guys have been telling us to get together for years, so I doubt anyone here would-.”

“I would,” Sungchan cut you off, this took you aback, and you both looked towards the door as the music was cut off. “They’re probably gonna start the countdown soon,” he slid the yearbook under his bed, intending to stand up then until you grabbed his wrist.

“... have we met before?”

Sungchan froze, and sputtered out, “not in this lifetime.”

You laughed then, Sungchan’s favorite sound he mentally noted as he admired you.

“Kiss me,” this boldness surprised Sungchan, and while he didn’t smell any alcohol on  your breath he still asked. “Gosh, just be a normal frat guy and kiss me,” you taunted, hooking your arms around his neck and pressing your lips to his. 

Sungchan wrapped his arms around you, laying you down on his bed and earning a small gasp from your lips. You were addictive, Sungchan’s head was swimming as he swiped his tongue into your mouth, taking him deeper into full ecstasy as he tasted more of you. 

He knew this feeling. He knows it too well. He couldn’t stand it- he could fight it.

Your hands trailed from his face slowly moving past his chest and moving towards his waistband. This woke Sungchan up, and he jumped off you, accidentally rolling off of his own bed and landing on his back.

“Oh my god! Are you okay?” you moved to the edge of the bed, worry striking your features as you studied Sungchan’s dazed expression. Sungchan swallowed deeply, looking up at you as the same feeling that took your life over and over again began to cloud his judgment.

“Kill me,” his voice was so quiet that you didn’t even hear him.

“Come again?” you asked, leaning closer to the edge of the bed. 

Sungchan leaned himself up on his elbows and your noses brushed against each other before he repeated, “kill. Me.”

You laughed, thinking he was making some weird joke.

“Falling off a bed is embarrassing but not enough for you to die over it,” you chuckled, reaching out and lightly tapping his shoulder. You glanced back at the door, sighing, “we should probably go and join for the countdown.”

Darkness. Sungchan’s senses all vanished again, the same way it had all these past times. He was trapped, truly, for whoever knows how long. He was in the darkness.

His sense of touch came back first and he immediately recoiled, his hands coated in something warm, his knees to the ground. There was a burning along his arms and neck, and he knew they were scratch marks. Then, his sense of smell returned, the reek of blood swarming and overwhelming his senses along with the saltiness of the tears streaming down his face. His hearing followed then, the silence in the room and the countdown starting from ten downstairs already confirming what his vision did shortly thereafter.

Your body had been yanked down from the bed, and your throat sliced by Sungchan’s broken lamp shards. Sungchan sobbed quietly, lifting your dead body to his chest in agony at having to see you dead, again, in his arms, by his own hands.

CHAPTER FOUR: SLEEPING BEAST

Taglist! @nini0620 @maleegayuh @projectxdemons @deakyspuff

[cartoonfanaticmonsterrobotalien]

Solar Opposites in Mighty Solars Issue #48: “Monster Mayhem Pt. 1” Ch. 5

Later that night, Marissa follows Black Mirror to her hideout while Luke follows inside. Then, he sees Black Mirror giving orders to the KaIju Teen Witches.

Sister Sisto/Black Mirror: This it ladies! Tomorrow at dusk till dawn, you monsters are gonna help me take back what is rightfully mine! Soon, those pathetic Mighty Solar Fucks, will have no choice to surrender, because once I have the control of their precious leader, this world will be mine!

As Black Mirror laughs evilly, Marissa and later Luke bust in there with disdain in their eyes towards the ghostly villainess.

Sister Sisto/Black Mirror: I knew she would betray me! Girls, attack!

Luke thinks fast and uses his cyclone blast at the transformed beasts. The Five Teen KaIju Witches then attack while Luke tries to help, but then Marissa shoved him over and flies over to the girls while laughing wickedly.

Marissa: Eat this!

Marissa then uses dark magic on the five witches as they scream in pain, but then Luke punches Marissa out of the way to so save his girlfriend and her friends from anymore pain.

Marissa: Ggggrrr! What are you doing-

Luke: No! I will not let you hurt Will-

Suddenly, Black Mirror takes ahold of this situation and creates a powerful mind rape over Luke as he screams in pain.

Sister Sisto/Black Mirror: Even if they can't beat you, Marissa, they can block you. Now give in!

Marissa: Or you’ll do what?!

Black Mirror smirks.

Sister Sisto/Black Mirror: Or I'll drain every last ounce of his precious life.

Marissa gasps. Then, she gives in as Black Mirror laughs evilly.

Sister Sisto/Black Mirror: Hold your tongue, your Marissaness!

Meanwhile…

Stacy G was texting Jesse as she blushes.

Jesse Solar-Opposites: text message KORVO IS IN TROUBLE! BRB BB 😘 XOXOX 👩🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👩🏽

Stacy G sighs lovingly.

Stacy G: texting LOVE YOU TWO SWEETHEART XOX🥰💖

Suddenly…

Stacy G: Ow! Fuck! looks at a glowing pink spike in her shoe

Stacy G gasps.

Stacy G: Whuh?

Suddenly, a billboard falls as Stacy G screamed, when suddenly, her hand become armor in darkish magenta as she gasp.

Stacy G: Woah…

Then, it starts shooting glowing magenta spikes out of her arm.

Stacy G: Woah!

Then, her body fully becomes a body armor as she grows amazed by this. Suddenly, she started glowing.

Stacy G: What the hell?

Suddenly, in a huge glow, Stacy G was gone, and she was replaced by a new superhero vigilante teenager with a magenta luchador mask as she heads up the rooftop and watches down on the city as she witness the people turned into monsters treating the down town apart.

Stacy G/???: Showtime.

To Be Continued…

Special thanks to @avaveevo, @asikreading, @themagicwolf6677, @king-of-squishmallows and all of my watchers for their support.