#av lumi

[artificergorgug]

Riz has always had a Baron. So long as he can remember, so long as he lives.

They were playing MASH in second grade. He gets an apartment. He was going to live in Bastion City. He's going to be a garbage collector. And he's going to marry Cynthia.

Cynthia was... cool, he guesses. She had springy brown hair and dark green skin. An orc.

Riz remembers another girl in his class, Rose something, whisper loudly that he had a crush on Cynthia. He didn't contest it. Why would he, what did he know about crushes? Crushes were assigned, won in a game of MASH. Fate interwove them into a spiral that you call out stop to.

He swings next to her once on the swing set and when their rythym sinks up, Rose something shouts that they're married. He hops off the swing and Cynthia moves to Dune Fort that summer. He doesn't really notice she's gone.

---

Lumis and Riz have never share a class, but Riz sits with his back to him in the lunch room every day for two years. He hears how Lumis' friends laugh and his witty remarks and how interested he is in birds and trees and fossils.

In fifth grade, Riz gets switched last minute into Mrs. Goldhelm's class because Talindra signed up for classes late and Talindra isn't allowed to be in the same class as Riz anymore. Not since she pushed him into a trash can last year and told everyone he bit her.

Fate is funny like that. Send a bully to nudge you toward a crush. Riz's heart pounds and Mrs. Goldhelm points him to the empty seat next to Lumis.

The fire genasi smiles and Riz smiles back and they whisper about trilobites in between reading and math.

When he goes home that night, Riz writes in his Clues Journal new cursh on L?

A month later, Talindra spreads a rumor that Riz likes boys though and after that Lumis doesn't want to talk about carbon dating so much anymore. He doesn't want to talk about anything. Crushed in a different way, Riz stops writing in that journal.

---

Most of Riz's classmates go to Oakshield Middle, but Riz has a plan. He begs and makes presentations and leaves flyers until his mom agrees to let him transfer to Caskstone Middle. Aguefort's feeder school.

There's a lot of wannabe wizards and fauz fighters, but in the grade above him is Penny Luckstone.

She makes convoluted jokes in theives cant and Prestidigitates smeared chocolate on their bullies' pants. She wants to be a Master Rogue and Riz is definitely in love.

He knows it because he doesn't mind her 'babysitting' and he gets excited to tell her about new mysteries he uncovers and because he's devastated when she goes to high school and can't hang out as much anymore.

His mom says she's glad he has a friend, but he knows it's something more. Even if he doesn't 'feel butterflies' or 'want to kiss' or 'live in the same house as her.' It doesn't matter. He has a crush because he says so.

When she goes missing, it's like his whole world shrinks. He ignores the background relief that he will never have to hold her hand or ask her out.

---

Baron's name slips out before Riz can think of a single classmate he's interacted with in the past year who isn't in their party.

Aguefort has a pretty strict rule about inter-party dating (you have to spend a whole hour talking with Jawbone about your feelings and Riz doesn't have the time to give). He doesn't want to tempt Fate on the off chance that whoever he mentions having a crush on actually wants to date him.

Riz is too busy for dating. It's sophomore year and Riz can't handle another thing on his plate.

AV Club is already bogging him down. Adaine is gone this week and for whatever reason, Skrank gets on the topic of dating. Riz fight or flight reflex (the butterflies?) activates and he blurts out the first thing that comes to mind.

Baron.

No, Skrank doesn't no them. Yes, they're long distance. Yes, they're definitely dating. No, Baron isn't coming here anytime soon. Yes, Baron is from the Baronies.

The lie sinks deep in his stomach in a way Cynthia, Lumis, and Penny never did. Adaine's casual ponderings over the summer about being asexual cycle through his head. Kristen mentioning that the only partitioner at the Church of Yes? is aromantic swirls around him.

He ignores them, digs in deeper. When asked where he's getting his kisses in, at least he has an answer now.

---

When Baron manifests themself the first time, Riz almost feels vindicated. Riz is so alloromantic that his made up crushes become related. Nevermind that most alloromantic people don't actually know the term because most alloromantic people don't spend hours taking Fantasy Am I asexual? Buzzfeed quizzes.

When Baron manifests themself in the Nightmare Forest, Riz feels arrested. He can't move, can't breath. Surrounded by images of futures that he can't fake his way to. Confronted by the reality that he doesn't love people like he's supposed. But comforted by the truth from his dad that he doesn't need to love people any differently.

When Baron manifests themself tumbling through his briefcase, Riz feels ready. This shame he's tangled himself up in for so long chases after him and he prepares for it to slam through him just like always. But Baron doesn't overwhelm him. Just quietly insists that he's a part of Riz. And Riz accepts that. Baron is a part of him. Just like Cynthia and Lumis and Penny, he is part of the myth that Riz has created about himself.

But unlike his previous 'crushes,' Baron isn't going away. In everyway, they are Riz's romance partner. There is always going to be a part of Riz that wonders what he's missing out on. That will look at crumpled up notebook page with a MASH game scrawled onto it, a journal entry asking new cursh on L?, a photo of him and Penny in detention, and ask what he knew then that he doesn't know now.

Baron is firmly embedded where Cynthia and Lumis and Penny once were and because Baron isn't real, he never needs to be replace. Riz is free to never love anyone the way he thought he had. Riz is free to love himself as he is.

[ashspecter]

Phic Phight 2024 Master Post;

I participated in Phic Phight this year on Team Ghost!

Please see the links to all my fics below.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Once you click on a fic, please read the tags! Some themes may not be suitable for some. Trigger Warnings are provided.

Total Words: 62k+

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ONE

@pennerjones's prompt: Clockwork tends Pariah Dark’s wounds after a hard battle.

All We Wanted (CW patches up PD's wounds) || Tumblr; Ao3

TW: needles, wounds, etc.

TWO

@ashesoriley & @underforeversgrace's prompts: A look through Mr lancers eyes as he tries to figure out what's up with the Fenton kid (&) Lancer notices Something is up with the Fenton kid and intervenes.

Didn't You Know (Mr. Lancer Helps Danny) || Tumblr; Ao3

THREE

@lavendarlily's prompt: Who knew Danny Fenton was so agile? Paulina makes it her personal mission to get him on the cheer squad.

Gonna Make You a Star (Cheer AU) || Tumblr; Ao3

FOUR

@aggressivelyclueless's prompt: Backstory: pick your favorite ghost and flesh out their history a little. How did they die? What do they miss most about being alive?

All Boxed Up (Crack fic about BG's death) || Tumblr

TW: character death

FIVE

@greatbigolhampuckjustforme and @bellsandmischief's prompts: Danny is a merperson who has always been fascinated by humans (&) Danny, but make it Disney prince/princess.

The Little Phintom (Mer AU) || Tumblr; Ao3

TW: Dark Magic, Body "Horror" (Danny gets legs), Body Modification

SIX

@duchi-nesten's prompt: Danny’s been enjoying spending time with Nocturn lately, even with the unfortunate side effect of his skin being replaced by stars. That’s… probably fine, right?

Becoming (Mentor Nocturn AU) || Tumblr; Ao3

TW: Body Horror, Body Modification

SEVEN

@fangirlwriting-stories, @xscarletsakurax, @summerssixecho, @46-reasonable-hamsters, & @ikiracake prompts (I'm not going to post the prompts here lol):

I'll Be Your Hero (No One Knows Except Dash AU) || Tumblr; Ao3

EIGHT

@greatbigolhampuckjustforme and @bellsandmischief's prompts: Danny is a merperson who has always been fascinated by humans (&) Danny, but make it Disney prince/princess.

J.O.Y. (Just One Yesterday) (Vlad Time Travels) || Tumblr; Ao3

TW: False Hope

NINE

@currentlylurking & @duchi-nesten's prompt: Nobody really knew anything about how the Ghost King was determined, but that didn’t change how sure they were that Danny Phantom would be the next king. It didn’t change how wrong they were, either. (&) Who knew being the ghost king included having to hold a tea party for all the still-existing, previous ghost kings? Surely not Danny.

Peace of Mind (Ghost King Danny) || Tumblr; Ao3

TEN

@jackdraw-spwrite & @ave-aria's prompts: There are more rooms in Clockwork's lair, Danny thinks, than he could find in a week of looking. So he opens doors, flies through windows. Explores. Clockwork lets him, and that means he can't get in too much trouble doing it, right? (&) "Someone once told me you can bring a person back to life just by remembering them."

A Haunting Melody (CW has a painful secret) || Ao3

TW: Implied Child Loss

ELEVEN

Chrysanthemum, @sidewalkgloom, @scarletsaphire, @hannahmanderr, @ghostlyhabato's prompts (I'm not going to post the prompts here either lol):

Boundaries & Baggage (CW has a curious past with PD) || Ao3

TWELVE

Dekalkomania, @kinglazrus, Saphir, @raaorqtpbpdy, @TourettesDog, @littlebadger, @fangirlwriting-stories, Lumi, @fentoaster, Ghxstkids, & @Anguished-Lurker's prompts (not posting prompts here):

Lightning In a Bottle (Danny is dying slowly) || Ao3

TW: Heavy Angst, Anxiety, Trauma, Abandonment, Character Death

THIRTEEN

@aggressivelyClueless & @bloggerspam's prompts: "Backstory: pick your favorite ghost and flesh out their history a little. How did they die? What do they miss most about being alive?" (&) Danny and Ellie Parent Trap a Fighting/Divorced Johnny and Kitty:

Fate Deals In Bad Luck || Tumblr; Ao3

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If links are broken or incorrect, please let me know! I'll fix them right away!

[luminousbeings-crudematter]

Babes!!! Land Softly!!! Girlie I am hooked!!

Ghost doesn’t say a word, but it’s like Johnny can see his entire frame melt.  It starts up at his shoulders, makes him uncross his arms which fall down to hang limply at his sides.  It’s like the entire tough demeanour falls away to the side, while he watches the lights of the tree and the decorations in the front room, and when he inhales, it’s shuddery.  He appears shaken up by what he sees, and Johnny can’t even begin to guess why.

Omfg. So precious 🥹🥹🥹 Ghost Christmas Tree Lover Extrordinaire!! I am going to scream. Please Lumi! I need your version of Ghost to be real!! Hand him over!!

It’s hypnotising, mesmerising,  Johnny finds, watching Ghost and his movements.  It’s surprising how none of it is surprising to Johnny—not the action, not the fact that Ghost is outside in a snowstorm to do it—but Johnny finds himself unconsciously holding his breath and clenching his fists while he observes the movement of Ghost’s body as he does it.  

There’s nothing lean about his body. 

He’s all powerful, rippling muscle under a healthy layer of fat, his chest gorgeously broad, expanding under a black hoodie that strains and relaxes under the movement.  Even from two storeys up where Johnny looks down at him, nothing about Ghost fits in.  Nothing about him looks like it belongs in this picturesque scene, and nothing about him can be glanced over.  He demands Johnny’s absolute attention, even when he doesn’t know it.  Especially because he doesn’t know it.  

I’m so sorry but this whole piece right here. This wonderfully descriptive, amazingly structured, beautifully written paragraph. I am in love with it. And them. And you for writing it.

“Ye got me right pished,” Johnny accuses, finger pointing to where Ghost’s form doubles and triples in front of him. 

“Only so I could ‘ave my way with you.”  The completely deadpan response he receives sets Johnny off, and only the crinkles around Ghost’s eyes make the ugly snort that leave his mouth worth it. 

AHHHHHHH!!!!! 🙀🙀🙀 I am literally screaming!!! Ohhhhh when the time comes!! I am going to flip!!! I am on the edge of my seat!!

Also I wanted to say that I love that you gave Soap a sister!! I love her! I have never bought into the whole “Soap has no family” propaganda. Yeah right 🙄 That man has family. I just don’t buy it any other way.

In conclusion, you’ve written yet another series that I am falling deeply, deeply in love with. I am so glad you decided to share it with us, like I’m going to be thinking about it for the rest of the week. I cannot wait to see what happens. You continue to amaze me with your work and I just wanted to drop into your inbox and share my thoughts because you know I can’t resist reading your work without them. I hope you’re doing well and having a wonderful week 😘💕

my love thank you sooo much holy shit ILY???!! I genuinely cannot say when the next part of this will come out, because work is doing me dirty at the moment and I LOVE SPIN BUT MY BACK IS IN TATTERS BECAUSE OF IT, but I am chipping away at it a little at a time...

Soap having sisters is my personal canon, I will NEVER accept anything else. the man has family absolutely (his family is kind of central to the plot!!) and he is a devoted family man. no backsies

[pollonegro666]

2022/11/12 En la plaza de la virgen encontramos la escultura de un señor que mereció tal mérito, una fuente neoclásica inspirada en el río de la ciudad y un ángel soldado.

In the square of the virgin we find the sculpture of a man who deserved such merit, a neoclassical fountain inspired by the city's river and a soldier angel.

Google translation into Italian: Nella piazza della Vergine troviamo la scultura di un uomo che meritò tale merito, una fontana neoclassica ispirata al fiume della città e un angelo soldato.

Google Translation into Portuguese: Na praça da virgem encontramos a escultura de um homem que mereceu tal mérito, uma fonte neoclássica inspirada na ribeira da cidade e um anjo soldado.

Google Translation into French: Sur la place de la vierge, on trouve la sculpture d'un homme qui méritait tant de mérite, une fontaine néoclassique inspirée du fleuve de la ville et un ange soldat.

Google Translation into Arabic: في ساحة العذراء ، يوجد تمثال لرجل استحق الكثير من الجدارة ، نافورة كلاسيكية جديدة مستوحاة من نهر المدينة وملاك جندي.

Google Translation into German: Auf dem Platz der Jungfrau befindet sich die Skulptur eines Mannes, der so viel Verdienst verdient hat, ein neoklassizistischer Brunnen, der vom Fluss der Stadt inspiriert ist, und ein Soldatenengel.

Google Translation into Albanisch: Në sheshin e Virgjëreshës ndodhet skulptura e një njeriu që ka fituar aq shumë merita, një shatërvan neoklasik i frymëzuar nga lumi i qytetit dhe një engjëll ushtar.

Google Translation into Armenian: Աստվածածնի հրապարակում այնքան արժանիքներ վաստակած մարդու քանդակն է, քաղաքի գետով ոգեշնչված նեոկլասիկական շատրվանն ու զինվոր հրեշտակը։

Google Translation into Bulgarian: На площада на Богородица има скулптура на човек, спечелил толкова много заслуги, неокласически фонтан, вдъхновен от реката на града и ангел-войник.

Google Translation into Czech: Na náměstí Panny Marie stojí socha muže, který se zasloužil o tolik zásluh, neoklasicistní fontána inspirovaná řekou města a anděl voják.

Google Translation into Slovak: Na námestí Panny Márie sa nachádza socha muža, ktorý si zaslúžil toľko zásluh, neoklasicistická fontána inšpirovaná mestskou riekou a anjel vojak.

Google Translation into Slovenian: Na trgu Device je skulptura moža, ki si je prislužil toliko zaslug, neoklasicistična fontana, ki jo je navdihnila mestna reka, in angel vojaka.

Google Translation into Suomi: Neitsyt-aukiolla on veistos miehestä, joka on ansainnut niin paljon ansioita, uusklassinen suihkulähde, joka on saanut vaikutteita kaupungin joesta ja sotilasenkeli.

Google Translation into Greek: Στην πλατεία της Παναγίας υπάρχει το γλυπτό ενός ανθρώπου που έχει κερδίσει τόσα πολλά, ένα νεοκλασικό σιντριβάνι εμπνευσμένο από το ποτάμι της πόλης και ένας στρατιώτης άγγελος.

Google Translation into Dutch: Op het Mariaplein staat het beeld van een man die zoveel verdienste heeft verdiend, een neoklassieke fontein geïnspireerd op de rivier van de stad en een soldatenengel.

Google Translation into Norwegian: På Jomfruplassen er det skulpturen av en mann som har tjent så mye, en nyklassisk fontene inspirert av byens elv og en soldatengel.

Google Translation into Polish: Na placu Marii Panny znajduje się rzeźba człowieka, który zasłużył na tak wielkie zasługi, neoklasycystyczna fontanna inspirowana miejską rzeką i aniołem-żołnierzem.

Google Translation into Romanian: În piața Fecioarei se află sculptura unui om care a câștigat atât de mult merit, o fântână neoclasică inspirată de râul orașului și un înger soldat.

Google Translation into Russian: На площади Богородицы находится скульптура человека, заслужившего столько заслуг, неоклассический фонтан, вдохновленный городской рекой, и ангел-солдат.

Google Translation into Swedish: På Jungfruns torg finns skulpturen av en man som har förtjänat så mycket meriter, en nyklassisk fontän inspirerad av stadens flod och en soldatängel.

Google Translation into Turkish: Meryem Ana Meydanı'nda bunca liyakat kazanmış bir adamın heykeli, şehrin ırmağından ilham alan neoklasik bir çeşme ve bir asker meleği yer alıyor.

Google Translation into Bengali: ভার্জিনের স্কোয়ারে এমন একজন ব্যক্তির ভাস্কর্য রয়েছে যিনি এত যোগ্যতা অর্জন করেছেন, শহরের নদী দ্বারা অনুপ্রাণিত একটি নিওক্লাসিক্যাল ফোয়ারা এবং একজন সৈনিক দেবদূত।

Google Translation into Chinese: 在圣母广场上，有一个获得如此多功勋的人的雕塑，一个以城市河流和士兵天使为灵感的新古典主义喷泉。

Google Translation into Korean: 성모 광장에는 많은 공로를 쌓은 사람의 조각상, 도시의 강과 군인 천사에서 영감을 받은 신고전주의 분수가 있습니다.

Google Translation into Hebrew: בכיכר הבתולה יש פסל של אדם שזכה לכל כך הרבה כבוד, מזרקה ניאו-קלאסית בהשראת הנהר של העיר ומלאך חייל.

Google Translation into Hindi: वर्जिन के वर्ग में एक ऐसे व्यक्ति की मूर्ति है जिसने इतनी योग्यता अर्जित की है, शहर की नदी और एक सैनिक परी से प्रेरित एक नवशास्त्रीय फव्वारा है।

Google Translation into Indonesian: Di alun-alun Perawan ada patung seorang pria yang telah mendapatkan begitu banyak jasa, air mancur neoklasik yang terinspirasi oleh sungai kota dan seorang prajurit malaikat.

Google Translation into Japanese: 聖母の広場には、多くの功績を収めた男性の彫刻、街の川に触発された新古典主義の噴水、兵士の天使があります。

Google Translation into Malay: Di dataran Perawan terdapat arca seorang lelaki yang telah memperoleh begitu banyak merit, air pancut neoklasik yang diilhamkan oleh sungai bandar dan malaikat askar.

Google Translation into Panjabi: ਵਰਜਿਨ ਦੇ ਵਰਗ ਵਿੱਚ ਇੱਕ ਆਦਮੀ ਦੀ ਮੂਰਤੀ ਹੈ ਜਿਸਨੇ ਇੰਨੀ ਯੋਗਤਾ ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤ ਕੀਤੀ ਹੈ, ਸ਼ਹਿਰ ਦੀ ਨਦੀ ਦੁਆਰਾ ਪ੍ਰੇਰਿਤ ਇੱਕ ਨਿਓਕਲਾਸੀਕਲ ਝਰਨੇ ਅਤੇ ਇੱਕ ਸਿਪਾਹੀ ਦੂਤ।

Google Translation into Pashtun: د ورجن په چوک کې د یو سړي مجسمه ده چې دومره وړتیا یې ترلاسه کړې ، د ښار له سیند څخه الهام اخیستی یو نو کلاسیک چشمه او د سرتیري فرښتې.

Google Translation into Persian: در میدان ویرجین مجسمه مردی وجود دارد که شایستگی زیادی به دست آورده است، یک فواره نئوکلاسیک با الهام از رودخانه شهر و یک فرشته سرباز.

Google Translation into Tagalog: Sa plaza ng Birhen ay naroon ang iskultura ng isang lalaki na nagkamit ng napakaraming merito, isang neoclassical fountain na inspirasyon ng ilog ng lungsod at isang sundalong anghel.

Google Translation into Thai: ในจัตุรัสของพระแม่มารีมีรูปปั้นของชายผู้ได้รับบุญมากมาย น้ำพุสไตล์นีโอคลาสสิกที่ได้รับแรงบันดาลใจจากแม่น้ำของเมืองและเทวดาทหาร

Google Translation into Urdu: ورجن کے اسکوائر میں ایک ایسے شخص کا مجسمہ ہے جس نے اتنی قابلیت حاصل کی ہے، شہر کے دریا سے متاثر ایک نو کلاسیکل فاؤنٹین اور ایک سپاہی فرشتہ ہے۔

Google Translation into Ukrainian: На площі Богородиці є скульптура людини, яка заслужила стільки заслуг, неокласичний фонтан, натхненний міською річкою, і ангел-солдат.

[lostacelonnie]

Oh hello holy shit i didnt realize that was gonna be such a soon thing for you welcome back. They can try to make aether canon all they want but for me lumine always will be. She has better smug expressions & the game is better with her. I finished the major 3.4 quests & jeht is still so gay for lumine. Same with ayaka during the event. I do not understand faruzan but she's the only 4 star i dont have currently & i want her. Even if she is wanderer support. Fish hangout is the one we deserve along with amber hangout. Monafish is so good i love that fischl is so comfortable with mona & sometimes makes her food. Fischl deserves so much she's my original genshin fave. Dr did irreparable damage to my brain but it was a fun time. My friend group cannot say the correct name anymore we just toss out random mixes of words that start with the same letters. Cryo hypo bad fight its the equivalent annoyance of monstadt's talent domain to me. I cheese rifthound with yoi/xingqiu/albedo/geo grandpa because i hate grinding it. Yo that all sounds so fun! Im jealous you got to see the lights ive always wanted to see them but they dont drop south enough here. Ahh thought that may be so. Avery seems cool i am simply bad at talking to people because social anxiety. I dont. Think i saw a eula ad but i saw her & the cryo ladies have so far been a weakness for me so. Bianka is worth it she's so good. A local used bookstore near me had up to book five of rangers apprentice so i decided to buy them because i can. Love those books.

ahsjfgkgjksfjjk fair. FOR REAL it just feels... Right. ik its supposed to be the same experience no matter which twin u play as but lumine is the superior one. i havent done the quest after the dirge of bilqis yet but yeah she is VERY gay for lumi. ooh havent seen the event yet so if its finished ill probably just check it out on yt. i dont have a BUNCH of 4 stars [xingqiu im sorry my son] but faruzan is interesting. OH MY GOD AMBER HANGOUT SO TRUE.... tho well probably never get it cos she has a story quest T-T but yessss they are so important to me. YEAHHH DANGANRONPA IS. something. but it IS very fun and some chars still kinda live in my brain rent free. fair lmaoooo. also god yeah. mondstadts talent domain is my Enemy. and very understandable, honestly. rifthound worst genshin boss frfr. addhfjkhn it WAS very fun!! and rip, tho im sure youll see them someday !! and yeah i also have social anxiety, but fortunately me and av have known each other for a. Long time irl. and realllllll actually pretty ladies are a surprisingly common reason for me to join new fandoms. bianka my beloved, not only is she pretty meta rn but i also additionally power her by my love. i got into rangers apprentice in like. 3rd grade? 4th grade? because of my classmate and yeah.

[uglyshirtsinc]

In response to Into the unknown but Ranboo desire to go home hc. Ranboo's instincts are trying to make him go east, where the closest not broken ender portal is. With that, more odd stuff starts to happen. Endermen starts to spawn more and are not fighting other players, instead they're trying to get Ranboo to follow them by way of an luring the teleporting him away. Maybe his source of his power is one of the end crystals and the dragon is calling for her children? Children of the crystal? -AV

Av I love this idea and would love to hear more because this also made me go "what if when finally following his instincts and going east he runs into the speedrun boys and it's Illumina and Fruit with Lumi being an enderman hybrid and Fruitberries having to deal with two endermen hybrids" but thats probably because I fell asleep watching their speedrun video

Also if the endermen try to lure him away imagine they finally get fed up and someone on the smp wakes up from a loud noise and looks out their window to find three endermen dragging ranboo to the portal.

CHILDREN OF THE CRYSTALS SOUNDS COOL AS HELL TOO I LOVE IT

[serotoninwriteson]

Adonis Valley - Chapter 5 (First Draft)

Chapter Five

Piece Yourself Back Together

 Lumi didn’t know how long she was swallowed by the darkness, how long her corpse must have rotted on the side of the street. She didn’t know. She couldn’t. All she felt was the feeling of being trapped underwater, holding her breath but with no threat of running out of air. All she could do was wait for life to pull her out of the darkness.

She gasped for air, and found it filled her lungs finally. Her chest ached, though whether that was from holding her breath for so long or the many tendrils that had pierced her was beyond Lumi’s guess.

She drew in some deep, shaking breaths as she realized she was, in fact, alive. Or as alive as one could be after they have an experience with death. Not even a near death experience could relate. She had definitely died, and now she was back.

They were right. Death wasn’t final here.

She ran a hand over her chest, checking for injuries. All she felt were the many holes pierced through her shirt and cardigan.

With a groan, Lumi pulled herself to her feet. Her body ached, but the piercings were long gone. She wondered how long she’d been away. Just a few minutes? That’s how it had been for Justin and Kelly. But she wasn’t sure.

Even when Lumi returned home, she found no clocks with which to tell time. There was no phone to check or gaming system. There were no watches either. There was only Lumi standing in the lobby of her hopeful shop.

She breathed a small sigh, running her fingertips over the shop counter. A thin line of dust came back with the finger. She glanced around and found the dust everywhere. Just how long had she been gone?

Lumi sighed. No point just thinking about it. Something had to be done.

She wandered her home and found a closet in the downstairs kitchen. It was empty save for a frustratingly convenient broom and dustpan, as well as a cloth sitting along on a shelf. There was no food in the pantry, only those three items.

Adonis Valley was strange like that. It gave only what the resident seemed to need, and only that. Though anything that took crops to create, for the most part, seemed off the table of convenience.

She’d have to figure that out later.

Her stomach growled hungrily as she took to cleaning her home. It took some time, likely more than an hour, to have everything swept – both upstairs and downstairs.

So what would Lumi do now?

She hesitated in her room, eyes falling upon her reflection. Holes were torn through her clothes, leaving them ragged and revealing. She ought to change, ought to take a shower to wash all the aches away.

She stripped in her room though, eyes falling upon the dark spots that littered her chest. Scars. Scars from the shadow’s tendrils. The wound would stick with her, it seemed.

It bothered her, but it didn’t surprise her. She still remembered what Justin and Kelly looked like when they stumbled back into the bar. Justin’s shirt and jacket were cut in half like weird crop tops, revealing the thick scar spread across his chest. Kelly was on full display to the world, the cracks across her body showing how she’d been torn apart quite literally, piece by piece.

She didn’t remember if they had other scars. She’d like to think she would have seen them, noticed them, but she didn’t quite remember and definitely wasn’t sure of herself. She’d been too shocked to take much information then.

She dug some clean, whole, non-damaged clothes out of her closet and headed to the bathroom, which sat in a neat little corner of the loft behind a light brown door.

She closed the door behind her, locked it for good measure. Another sigh exhaled. Just what was this valley? And how could she leave it? How could she escape it?

She remembered the pamphlet which had mysteriously disappeared. There was no exit. There was no escape.

She still wanted to try. Not now, not soon. Just whenever she worked up her courage enough to risk upsetting the shadows. It seemed a long while off. She wouldn’t push it.

She turned on the hot, steamy water and waited. Inhale, exhale. Her lungs were complete, together. She could breathe. It no longer hurt, but the fear remained.

She stepped into the hot water and breathed another sigh. It felt good, like it was unrolling all the kinks that had spread throughout her body since her first death.

First death, huh? In a place like this, it seemed terrifyingly inevitable. Her body trembled upon the thought. She’d have to die again and again and again until she finally found some grace and got the hell out of here. It was sobering. It was horrifying.

She turned off the water and found a single towel neatly sitting on the counter. She grabbed it and dried herself off, before leaving it around her shoulders so her long hair didn’t wet her oversized t-shirt.

She didn’t know what to do next. What could she do next?

She was too tired to visit the bar and let everyone know she was alright. She didn’t know where Shane lived so she couldn’t go see him and get comfort from him. She didn’t have the energy to explore the town or find the farm up north.

For now, she just wanted to curl up and get some sleep, not just float in a shadowy limbo for God knows how long. Lumi needed just a little break before she had to get her hands dirty again.

[kenresearchcompany]

Global Monitor Arms Market - Share, Growth, Trends, Size and Forecast 2021 - 2027

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Monitor arms are an adjustable, fantastic, space-saving ergonomic solution to relieve neck pain and eye strain while you work. A monitor arm is a mechanical mount that carries a computer monitor or laptop and attaches to the back of a desk/standing desk. It is structured to be changeable by the user who can physically move their computer monitor/laptop to the optimal position for their ergonomic requirements.

According to the report analysis, ‘Global Monitor Arms Market, 2021-2027’ states that Eastern Global Corporation, Ergotron, Inc., Herman Miller, Inc., Legrand AV Inc., Loctek Ergonomic Technology Corp. and many more are the key entities which presently functioning in the global monitor arms market more proficiently for ruling around the globe, obtaining the competitive edge, keep maintaining the governing position, registering the great value of market share, keep maintaining the governing position and leading the highest market growth by increasing the applications and benefits of enlargement and profit making, spreading the awareness connected to the benefits and specifications of monitor arms, establishing the several research and development programs, analysing the strategies and policies of government as well as similar entities, improving the qualitative and quantitative measures of such, delivering the better consumer satisfaction and employing the young and active personnel.

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Not only has this, the effective growth in usage of computer accessories for gaming is also predicted to fuel market growth. This has allowed manufacturers to improve their product offerings and address the varied requirement of consumers. For instance, LUMI Legend Corp. has a particular pro gaming monitor arm. Furthermore, the monitor arm can assistance both single display and multiple display monitors. Single screen monitor arm are favored at workstations in countless commercial and government spaces whereas several display monitors are utilized in private and government firms to improve the employee productivity.

Growing demand for TVs is also projected to propel market growth over the forthcoming years. Monitor arm for TV sets are broadly used in the healthcare sector to enable the patient to move the TV over the bed as per their expediency. Furthermore, countless TV manufacturers are aiming on introducing TVs with improved technologies such as 4K and 8K. Moreover, growing adoption of curved TVs is projected to drive market growth over the review duration.

Region wise, it is predicted that the North America region held the greatest share. This share is accredited to the growing number of private and corporate offices along with improved infrastructure in the educational and healthcare segments. Therefore, in the near years, it is predicted that the market of monitor arms will increase around the globe more actively over the near future.

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Global Monitor Arms Market Size and Share 2021-2027

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Global Monitor Arms Market 2019 by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2024

Global Monitor Arms Market Report 2020 by Key Players, Types, Applications, Countries, Market Size, Forecast to 2026 (Based on 2020 COVID-19 Worldwide Spread)

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[aliworldtrade]

Lumi Legend Corporation

86-574-27956508 13486432618

12/F, 22/F, Lishi Financial Building, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China

Lumi Legend Corporation is a leading professional supplier dedicatedly engaged in designing, manufacturing and marketing flat panel TV mounts, TV stands as well as other mounting solutions for consumer electronics widely used in residential life and commercial activities. A total number of LUMI product sort has already exceeded 2000, embracing Apple mounts, gaming mounts, flat panel LED/LCD/3D/Plasma mounts, loudspeaker mounts, AV component mounts, LCD desk mounts, flat panel TV stands & carts, projector brackets, projection screens along with AV accessories like cable management, TV screen cleaners, IR repeaters, etc.Vission- To be a prestigious leader designing and manufacturing flat panel TV mounts and TV standsMission- Focus customers, make long term win-win business Love employees, create better and wider platform Return society, build better life and environmentValue- Integrity Responsibility Communication Creation Cooperation SharingHistoryLumi Legend Enterprises Co., Ltd. was founded early in 1998 producing and exporting electrical products, electronics and related accessories. The company developed and started to design and manufacture mounting products for flat panel screens since the year 2004. Later in 2005, Lumi Legend Corporation was established and aimed to be the leading professional supplier designing and manufacturing flat panel TV mounts and TV stands in China. In the past year of 2013, Lumi Legend Corporation created new brands Domilumi (for Pro-AV) and Montek (Exclusive TV mounts) to meet more market need. And we aimed to reach US$90 million in 2014.Innovation and Custom ServiceWhen our engineers and developers set out to design the TV wall mounts, they looked for opportunities to improve and innovate. Lumi’s team of seasoned engineers is capable of creating exceptional engineering designs of the highest quality. We bring out at least 3 new products every month! Our dedicated engineers have at least 5-year design experiences and graphic designer have at least 5-year experiences are at your disposal to bring your idea into reality. We will always ensure you high quality products that integrated the latest AV technology. We have been involved in OEM/ODM projects as early as we started the business. In the past 9 years, we have provided excellent OEM/ODM solutions for global clients. Our vertical specialists can show you how LUMI solutions are specifically tailored to your market.Patent design from LUMI:ZL201130275747.5 LDA01-112ZL201130275749.4 LDA01-223ZL201130275746.0 LDA03-446ZL201130265801.8 EAT2(22)ZL201130275694.7 LPA16-444XZL201130275731.4 LPA17-442ZL201130275732.9 LPA17-444ZL201130275733.3 LPA19-222ZL201130275756.4 LPA19-242ZL201130265816.4 LPA21-446And more…Facilities and StaffAs one of the largest professional manufacturers of Flat Panel TV mounts and stands in China, LUMI factory have a R&D team with over professional engineers, a QC team with strict Quality inspectors, 7 sales teams with experienced sales specialists, etc. The 100 percent in-house production adopts more than 72 punching machines (the capacity of the largest is 400 tons), 12 bending machines, 3 fully automatic powder coating facilities and 14 automatic assembling and packing lines, etc. So far, the total producing capacity of TV mounts and other metal mounts has reached 960,000pcs per month. Furthermore, LUMI has a privately owned TV furniture factory that mainly manufacture TV furniture such as glass TV stands, wood TV stands, etc.Quality Guarantee and CertificationsLUMI attaches great importance to social responsibility. LUMI factory was BSCI certificated and all the products were produced under the major international environmental directives such as RoHS.

[ib2se]

#LennArrrts #DIY #Music #Pod B:sides ~ ScharlakansRöd JazzPolska 📻🎶 is now #stream-able

The B:sides-Playlist 2018-06-04 @ Radio Vättervåg 98,5 Mhz

This week: ScharlakansRöd JazzPolska starter: 'B:zväng' TextMix & reading af MrZ Komposition & Produktion af SkåneJokke Lütz [0:41]

1. 'Hej Kompis' from Matriarkerna af Sara Parkman & Samantha Ohlanders [3:59] 2. 'Scharlakanssröd' from En Rymd av Färg af Sisters of Invention & Bohuslän Big Band [5:26] 3. 'Rallarmarsch' from Ol’Jansa af Göran Månsson & Friends [3:05] 4. 'Jamil Jamal' from La Saboteuse af Yazz Ahmed [8:12] 5. 'Alvernas Dans' from En urkraft i rörelse af Klas och Andreas [3:40] 6. 'Helmi' af Lajka [4:00] 7. 'Jazzpolska' from A love drunk poem af LUMI [4:12] 8. 'Batiali' af Rena Rama [4:29] 9. 'Johannes Nästesjö' from Adorno af Ivo Sans Quartet [5:34] 10. 'Just Ideas (Instrumental)' from Adventures In Radioland af Bill Evans / John McLaughlin / Jonas Hellborg (Mahavishnu) [1:50] 11. 'You Know You Now / Momentum / Demimonde' from Salon des Refusés Impressions on the Acoustic Bass Guitar af Rickard N Jokela [11:04]

1 jingle incl tune from Kmag #107 af Loopmasters Samples & 2 jingles from B:sides on Spotify DAGENS SYNAXARIUM This weeks BibleVers: “Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.” ~ James 5:12 Drink Espresso - God bless U! /MrZ :) www.ib2.se Soli Deo Gloria   All Pix: MrZ ~ Wättern.se Join Generation XYZ @ gen.xyz  Z

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[spiritual123]

MEDITAȚIA

 Ziditorul îmbibă

existența întreagă

printru lină Lumină

printru candide raze

 Ea în mine s`arată

prin totală iubire

înspre orișice viață

înspre orișice fire

 Luminat univers

de talazuri divine -

eu în el odihnesc,

(eu în el viețuiesc)

(eu în el sunt prezent)

mă găsesc eu pe mine

 Eu în dreapta lumină

mă revărs fără margini -

`n-a ei foc să mă mistui,

a ei lege mă arde

 Casta lina lumină

o respir, o îmbib

pînă`n miezul de sînge

pînă`n măduva firii

 Expirînd mă extind

ca un rîu fără maluri;

Inspirînd îmi revin

într-a mele făgașuri

 Pînă’n gol mă despoi,

decojesc făr restanță,

ca a sovestei voce

s’o ascult nepătată

 Pe dos haina o’ntorc

și-o expun ’n-ape pure,

eu cu suflu-mi o port

pînă’n ceruri şi după

 Expirind mă extind

pînă’n dincolo lume

pîn la pierderea sinei

pîn la pierderea lumii

 Şi revin înapoi

în mareea suflării

ca şi pasărea Phoenix ���

reculegere-a sinei

 Respirația-mi este

sprijin și ghid;

expirînd mă avînt -

EU sînt

 Intru`n Țara Luminii;

aici orice gînd

se aprinde, lucește -

ASTA gîndește

 Mă inundă Căldura

dintr-o zare în alta,

spre noi lumi mă deschide -

EA simte

 Ce e Drept, ce e Bun

are dreaptă izbîndă,

se`mplinește și crește -

EL voiește

  Idealul uman

cel gîndit de Divin

eu în mine-l reflect

și-i aduc împlinire -

 Eu în mine

   Fie - harul divin,

armonia iubirii,

autentica vrere -

în toți și în mine.

    Andrei Onea

14 Septembrie 2014

[poezie123]

MEDITAȚIA

Ziditorul îmbibă

existența întreagă

printru lină Lumină

printru candide raze

 Ea în mine s`arată

prin totală iubire

înspre orișice viață

înspre orișice fire

 Luminat univers

de talazuri divine -

eu în el odihnesc,

(eu în el viețuiesc)

(eu în el sunt prezent)

mă găsesc eu pe mine

 Eu în dreapta lumină

mă revărs fără margini -

`n-a ei foc să mă mistui,

a ei lege mă arde

 Casta lina lumină

o respir, o îmbib

pînă`n miezul de sînge

pînă`n măduva firii

 Expirînd mă extind

ca un rîu fără maluri;

Inspirînd îmi revin

într-a mele făgașuri

 Pînă’n gol mă despoi,

decojesc făr restanță,

ca a sovestei voce

s’o ascult nepătată

 Pe dos haina o’ntorc

și-o expun ’n-ape pure,

eu cu suflu-mi o port

pînă’n ceruri şi după

 Expirind mă extind

pînă’n dincolo lume

pîn la pierderea sinei

pîn la pierderea lumii

 Şi revin înapoi

în mareea suflării

ca şi pasărea Phoenix –

reculegere-a sinei

 Respirația-mi este

sprijin și ghid;

expirînd mă avînt -

EU sînt

 Intru`n Țara Luminii;

aici orice gînd

se aprinde, lucește -

ASTA gîndește

 Mă inundă Căldura

dintr-o zare în alta,

spre noi lumi mă deschide -

EA simte

 Ce e Drept, ce e Bun

are dreaptă izbîndă,

se`mplinește și crește -

EL voiește

  Idealul uman

cel gîndit de Divin

eu în mine-l reflect

și-i aduc împlinire -

 Eu în mine

   Fie - harul divin,

armonia iubirii,

autentica vrere -

în toți și în mine.

    Andrei Onea

14 Septembrie 2014

[uglyshirtsinc]

With Enderdragon Illumina being adoptive parent for Sonboo, my brain went; "So, what if Illumina had a lot of gold items and he showed Ranboo his stash. What if Ranboo also got that piglin gold loving trait. And Illumina just let him have it since he only really likes his blaze rod horde which keeps him warm. Wait, Piglin Lumi was a thing for while... Which means he'll probably not let Ranboo keep any, unless Piglins give younglings gold as a gift. If adoption is rare within Piglins." -Av, pt 1

I DIDNT SEE THIS WAS A P1 BEFORE POSTIING THE OTHER OHNO BUT THATS SO CUTE LIL RAN HOLDING BLAZE RODS CLISE BECAHSE IT KEELS HIM WARM?? AHHH

[wesdigital]

O começo

1 No princípio Deus criou os céus e a terra. 2 Era a terra sem forma e vazia; trevas co­briam a face do abismo, e o Espírito de Deus se movia sobre a face das águas. 3 Disse Deus: "Haja luz", e houve luz. 4 Deus viu que a luz era boa, e separou a luz das trevas. 5 Deus chamou à luz dia, e às trevas cha­mou noite. Passaram-se a tarde e a manhã; esse foi o primeiro dia. 6 Depois disse Deus: "Haja entre as águas um firmamento que separe águas de águas". 7 En­tão Deus fez o firmamento e separou as águas que ficaram abaixo do firmamento das que ficaram por cima. E assim foi. 8 Ao firma­mento, Deus chamou céu. Passaram-se a tarde e a manhã; esse foi o segundo dia. 9 E disse Deus: "Ajuntem-se num só lugar as águas que estão debaixo do céu, e apareça a parte seca". E assim foi. 10 À parte seca De­us chamou terra, e cha­mou mares ao conjunto das águas. E Deus viu que ficou bom. 11 Então disse Deus: "Cubra-se a terra de vegetação: plantas que deem sementes e árvores cujos frutos produzam sementes de acor­do com as suas espé­cies". E assim foi. 12 A terra fez bro­tar a vegetação: plantas que dão sementes de acordo com as suas espé­cies, e árvores cujos frutos produzem sementes de acordo com as suas espécies. E Deus viu que ficou bom. 13 Passaram-se­ a tarde e a manhã; esse foi o ter­ceiro dia. 14 Disse Deus: "Haja luminares no firma­mento do céu para separar o dia da noite. Sir­vam eles de sinais para marcar estações, dias e anos, 15 e sirvam de lu­minares no firmamento do céu para ilu­minar a terra". E assim foi. 16 Deus fez os dois gran­des lumi­nares: o maior para go­vernar o dia e o menor para gover­nar a noite; fez também as estrelas. 17 Deus os colo­cou no firmamento do céu para iluminar a terra, 18 governa­r o dia e a noite, e separar a luz das tre­vas. E Deus viu que ficou bom. 19 Passaram-se a tarde e a manhã; esse foi o quarto dia. 20 Disse também Deus: "Encham-se as águas de seres vivos, e voem as aves sobre a terra, sob o firmamento do céu". 21 Assim Deus criou os gran­des animais aquáti­cos e os demais seres vivos que povoam as á­guas, de acor­do com as suas espécies; e todas as aves, de acordo com as suas espécies. E Deus viu que ficou bom. 22 En­tão De­us os abençoou, dizendo: "Sejam férteis e multipliquem-se! Encham as águas dos mares! E multipli­quem-se as aves na terra". 23 Passaram-se a tarde e a manhã; esse foi o quinto dia. 24 E disse Deus: "Produza a terra seres vivos de acordo com as suas espécies: rebanhos domésticos, ani­mais selvagens e os demais seres vivos da terra, cada um de acor­do com a sua espécie". E assim foi. 25 Deus fez os animais sel­vagens de acordo com as suas espé­cies, os reba­nhos domésticos de acor­do com as suas espécies, e os demais seres vivos da terra de acordo com as suas espécies. E Deus viu que ficou bom. 26 Então disse Deus: "Façamos o homem à nossa imagem, con­for­me a nossa semelhança. Domine ele sobre os peixes do mar, sobre as aves do céu, sobre os grandes animais de toda a terra e sobre todos os pequenos animais ­que se movem rente ao chão". 27 Criou Deus o homem à sua imagem, à imagem de Deus o criou; homem e mulher os criou. 28 Deus os abençoou e lhes disse: "Sejam férteis e multipliquem-se! Encham e subjuguem a terra! Dominem sobre os peixes do mar, sobre as aves do céu e sobre todos os animais que se movem pela terra". 29 Disse Deus: "Eis que dou a vocês todas as plantas que nascem em toda a terra e produzem sementes, e todas as árvores que dão frutos com se­mentes. Elas servirão de alimento para vocês. 30 E dou todos os vegetais como alimento a tudo o que tem em si fôlego de vida: a todos os gran­des animais da terra­, a todas as aves do céu e a todas as criaturas que ­se movem rente ao chão". E assim foi. 31 E Deus viu tudo o que havia feito, e tudo havia ficado muito bom. Passaram-se a tarde e a ma­nhã; esse foi o sexto dia.

[serotoninwriteson]

Adonis Valley - Chapter 4 (First Draft)

Chapter Four

Commiseration

 “Here we are.”

Lumi stopped in front of the house she knew to be hers. She wasn’t sure how she knew. She couldn’t distinguish the color from the other houses, nor was their any number or mailbox to show this was indeed her home. She knew just, almost instinctually, that it was hers.

Shane just grunted to show he heard her. His hands were shoved in the pockets of his dingy black jacket.

“So, um… I guess I’ll be going.”

She opened the door. Why hadn’t she locked it? She must have a key somewhere, right? It would be bad if those shadow creatures got inside. But, then again, they only seemed to lurk about in the fog. For now, she hadn’t seen them inside any buildings.

She hesitated. If she went inside now, Shane would leave and Lumi would be lft alone with her thoughts. That was the last thing she wanted. She hesitated in the door way.

“Hey, Shane?”

“Yeah?”

“Would you like to stay a while? I can see if there’s any tea I can put on.”

She didn’t want to be alone. The thoughts would consume her and feed off of her fear. She was already overwhelmed enough. She was sure she’d have a panic attack if she had to think about where she was, how she got here, and what those shadows were any more than she already had.

Luckily, Shane nodded. “Yeah. Don’t got anywhere else to be.”

Lumi motioned for him to come inside, and he did. She shut the door behind them, making sure to lock it. Oh, but would Shane think that was weird? It wasn’t like she was trying to put the moves on him or anything. She was fairly certain he wasn’t her type.

“Just to stay safe,” she explained, just in case he was concerned.

But all he said was, “Yeah, I get it.”

She was glad he did. She then turned back to the lower floor of her new home. It looked like some sort of shop, with several empty shelves and a counter a register could likely fit on. Come to think of it, the bar didn’t have a register either. Maybe because they didn’t need money here, if what Grant said was true.

“What’s with this place? You run some sort of business?” Shane asked. He looked around the room, before spotting a small table in the corner by the window. He plopped down in one of the chairs and leaned back.

“Not exactly,” Lumi said. “I wanted to be a baker, but that dream just didn’t come true.”

“It could,” Shane said, his answer vague.

“How? I can’t sell anything in a place like this.”

“You don’t need to sell anything. People here could use some sort of pick me up. A nice cake or some fresh bread. Something like that.”

He raised his shoulders and then let them down in a lazy shrug.

“But where would I even get the ingredients?” she insisted. She hadn’t seen any other stores, but maybe she’d just passed it by on accident.

“There’s a farm to the north of town. Guy there’s pretty weird, but he does a good job. It’s where Grant gets most of his drinks.”

Lumi quirked a brunette brow. “The farm makes alcohol?” she asked.

Shane chuckled. “They make a little bit of everything. Animal products, alcohol, crops – Hell, they even make cloth from wool and flax.”

Lumi wasn’t sure she understood. How could one person do all that? It seemed like an impossible job to run a farm on your own, especially in a terrifying place like this. Wouldn’t the shadows attack the farmer? She paced around the room anxiously.

“Don’t think too much about it,” Shane said, as if sensing her thoughts. “Not much makes sense here. You’ll just hurt your head if you think about it too hard.”

Lumi could definitely agree that her head was aching just trying to piece together the many mysteries in the valley. It all felt like some horrible, impossible dream – a nightmare she couldn’t wake up from.

But it was a nightmare she had to live in.

She glanced about the empty shelves. Maybe she could do some baking soon. It would put her mind to ease. If she just had some flour, eggs, and milk, she could make something. But she would need far more than that to actually run a free bakery. She hated the thought that it was for free, but if money had no value here there was really no point.

She exhaled a small sigh. There was nothing to be found in this room. She’d have to go further in to find some tea. Or anything to drink at this point.

“Is it okay if I leave the room for a minute?” she asked.

He just waved her off, muttering something about how she didn’t need his permission to explore her own house.

That was true. Lumi just hadn’t wanted to be rude, even though Shane seemed to have no issue being rude himself. She wondered if he was just a gruff sort of guy.

She headed through a door by the stairs. It led into a kitchen, fairly modern with all the cooking utensils, pots, and pans she could ever possibly need. It would be a nice place to bake once she had the ingredients.

She checked the shelves and cabinets only to find there were no tea packets to put on. She supposed she’d have to get the tea leaves herself. That meant she’d have to get something else for Shane and her to drink.

In the back right corner of the room, there was a tall, black refrigerator. Lumi made her way over to it and opened the right door, the one for the fridge. She could always check the freezer later. Inside, there were three kinds of sodas – a fruity strawberry one, Sprite, and Coke.

It only occurred to her then that she had no idea what Shane would even like to drink. She hadn’t thought to ask. Not to mention she’d assumed there would be at least one kind of tea for her to make for the two of them. Seemed that wasn’t the case.

She’d had a Sprite earlier, so she decided not to grab that can. Instead she grabbed two red cans, one strawberry, one Coke. She returned to the shop room with a can in each hand. She settled across the table from Shane and placed the cans on the table.

“Got a preference?” she asked.

He shrugged.

“You can take whichever one you want,” she insisted. “Or I can grab you a Sprite.”

“This is fine,” he mumbled and took the can of Coke. He popped the tab and gulped some down. “Always was more of a beer guy though.”

Lumi managed a pleasant smile. “I don’t drink though.”

He sighed. “You mentioned that.”

Lumi glanced out the window at the fog-filled world. She could see the shadows skulking about, dragging limbs, their bones creaking from the effort. Even now, she had no idea what they were. Demons? Bogeymen? She wasn’t sure. All she knew was that they were some kind of monster, and definitely not of a friendly variety.

She searched her mind for something, anything, to talk about. The silence was suffocating. So Lumi said the first thing to come to her mind.

“How long have you lived here?”

Shane hummed thoughtfully. “Let’s see… You said it was 2019?” he asked.

Lumi nodded.

“Must have been seven years or so,” he said.

“How old were you when you came here?”

He hesitated. His eyes darted back and forth as he searched his memory. “Can’t remember,” he said. Seemed his memory came up blank. “You forget a lot of things here.”

“Like what?” Lumi asked even though she was sure she wouldn’t like the answer.

“The world outside. Anyone you weren’t particularly close to. I remember my ex-wife and our daughter, but can’t seem to remember my own parent’s names.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Lumi said. What else could she say to that?

He just shook his head. “Don’t be. Sometimes it’s better to forget.”

This time, Lumi held her tongue. She didn’t know just what he was trying to forget or what must have happened to him in the past. She didn’t want to push him to remember something he’d rather not.

Shane took another swig of his drink. “Let’s see,” he said. “You forget songs you didn’t hear often. And jobs you had. You remember the gist, but not what it was like. You remember clothes you wore and food you ate. Books you read, movies you saw. That sort of thing.”

“What else do you remember?”

“Anything that can hurt you.”

Lumi wanted to ask what that meant, but she was afraid. Anything that can hurt you? She certainly didn’t remember seeing those shadows in her day to day life, but they could certainly hurt her.

“Shane…”

“Don’t ask. I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough.”

She didn’t know what that meant either, but he said it with such an air of certainty that she couldn’t help but believe him.

Shane downed the rest of his drink and slammed the can on the table. “Just be careful. This valley’s more dangerous than you can imagine.”

Those words sent a chill down her spine. She could already tell it was extremely dangerous. All she had to do was look outside, and she saw the same creatures that had killed Justin and Kelly. She saw what it did to them, or at least to the latter.

The valley was even more dangerous than that? She was scared to ask what other horrors the fog hid.

Shane glanced outside again. “It’s getting darker,” he muttered. There was a slight hint of anxiousness to his voice.

“Does something happen when it gets dark?” Lumi asked.

He grit his teeth. “They get more active.” He must have meant the shadows.

He quickly tossed his can in a nearby trashcan and turned to Lumi with an apologetic smile. “Look, I gotta go. Otherwise you might not see me for a while.”

She didn’t know what that meant either. She didn’t want to ask, didn’t want to know. Lumi just led him to the door and opened it for him.

“Stay safe, okay?” she asked.

“You too.”

Lumi was about to say her farewells when she heard something. A voice. It was calling out to her in the fog. A chill ran down her spine. The hairs on the back of her neck bristled. She knew that voice.

“Dad?” She barely managed to breathe the words.

Shane put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t,” he warned. “Stay here.”

But she shook her head. “I didn’t know Dad was here! He’s been gone for so long. I have to find him. I have to tell him it’s not safe here.”

She shrugged his hand off her shoulder and ran into the fog.

“Lumi, over here!” the deep voice of her father called.

“I’m coming, Dad!”

He had disappeared when she was only twelve, but she still remembered his face, his voice, everything. She could never forget.

And there he was. She saw him. His arms were outreached to her, a grin on his face. Didn’t he know how dangerous it was out here? She had to get him inside. They could have their reunion then.

“Dad!”

But just one hug couldn’t work. She ran to the man and gave him a hug. He still had the scent of the cologne he wore all those years ago, the one Lumi couldn’t find in any of the stores.

“Dad, it’s been so long!” she said, sniffling back tears.

“I missed you,” he said. His voice cracked. He really must have missed her as much as she missed him.

“I missed you too…”

“My dearest daughter, welcome to Adonis Valley.”

The man’s voice distorted like a crackling old radio. Lumi risked a glance up. Her father was gone. In its place was a shadow with a maniacal, toothy grin spread across its face, literally from ear to ear.

“Dad?” she squeaked out.

Just in time for something to pierce through her chest. It was a shadowy tendril, a spike made from whatever the monster was made out of. It was hard to breathe. Lumi gasped for air and tried to pull the spike out from her chest.

Behind her, she could hear Shane swear under his breath. So he saw her fall for this. Seemed she was long gone, but she could at least save him.

She coughed up blood on her shirt as she glanced at Shane out of the corner of her eye. “Get out of here,” she begged. “Go home. I’ll live.”

She hoped.

Shane stared at her, thick brows knit together in worry. He swore under his breath again, this time loud enough for Lumi to make out the distinct words.

She watched him disappear into the fog, just in time for another tendril to pierce through her stomach. Then another through her shoulder. Over and over. She screamed as she was pierced like a pincushion.

As darkness overtook her, the tendrils removed themselves from her body. She fell to the ground, unable to move, unable to breath. It felt like she was choking and drowning.

The darkness swallowed her whole.