#like i’ll do this if i have to i’ll undertake that daunting mission but i have to be so careful and really sort myself out first

[cats-in-the-clouds]

my sister got engaged and we’re all really happy for her but my bitter rain cloud of a dad (who naturally she told last) is giving her a bit of passive aggressive grief about it despite her boyfriend being like the best man of our generation (presumably either because he’s not catholic or because my dad sees them as young dumb unemployed people who aren’t ready for marriage or because he’s mad he barely has any real love with his own wife or something). so like pray for us? i wish i knew what to do

[renegadesfic]

The Radiant Sun - Chapter 1

So this is different from what I normally post here - I just figured I'd do it here since it's still writing. This is original fiction, crossposted to AO3 and eventually its own website, that follows the story of the D&D party whose campaign I just wrapped up. For more notes and tags see the AO3 page! And without further ado...

They met, as all good adventuring parties do, in a tavern.

“Attention, patrons! Attention, please!”

All heads in the building turned to the open double doors - or, more specifically, to the slightly-too-well-dressed man standing in the doorway, a scroll in his hand and a look of immense displeasure on his face.

“My name, as you all should know, is Lord Faryn Venmoir, Chamberlain of House Satra. I have come to share…” An uncomfortably long pause, and then: “A request, put forth by the king. A call to any and all adventurers, known or… less known. He is searching for those willing to undertake a dangerous, potentially deadly mission, and one of the utmost importance - for Princess Kyria has gone missing.”

There were a few murmurs and quiet gasps amongst the half-crowd - this was new news, and the implication that the higher-class adventurers had already tried and failed to find her was a daunting one.

In the corner, a tall, lanky boy with curved horns matching his crimson skin moved to stand, only to be tugged back into his seat by a girl about his age, red hair a couple of shades more orange than her companion’s complexion. A few people at the tables nearest them turned their heads, but their attention was recaptured quickly by the overly pronounced sound of the chamberlain clearing his throat.

“Ahem. I will post this scroll here, on this bulletin board.” Two guards took the scroll from his hands and pinned it to the corkboard that hung on the wall next to the left of the double doors, unconcerned with the fact that they were covering every other message posted beneath their more important notice. “I will discuss with our guard for a moment. If, in that time, someone chooses to volunteer, please come and speak with me. Your efforts will be highly rewarded.”

“Okay, so if money’s on the table-”

“Razor!”

The red-skinned boy had stood fully from his seat this time, dragging his companion to her feet with him. He spoke loudly and confidently, despite the chamberlain’s unamused face turning to active disdain the second he saw him, and despite the girl’s best efforts, she could not silence him in time, her admonishment seeming to fall on deaf ears.

“Yes,” the chamberlain half-hissed through gritted teeth, “there will be financial compensation for a successful completion of the objective.”

“Cool! I’m in.”

“We,” the girl spoke, “are both interested. Thank you, Chamberlain Venmoir, for the opportunity.”

“See to it, then, that you are at the castle by evening. Whomever else comes to join you will be working with you as you undertake this mission.” He spoke calmly, but the clenched fists at his sides indicated that he might be slightly less calm than he was making an effort to appear.

“I would also like to help,” another girl spoke from one of the tables nearest the doors. “If… that’s alright?” She turned her head toward the boy - Razor - and his companion.

“Sure, why not? Not like the two of us are gonna do much on our own.” He grinned at her, a lopsided expression that was toothy enough to show his fangs. The girl rolled her eyes.

“Awesome! Thank you! I will do my absolute best to not let you down! I promise I’ll be very helpful, I’m really good at… healing… and…” she trailed off, noticing now that she was being leveled with a deep, deep stare from the chamberlain. “Sorry…”

“You may travel with… them… to the castle, then.” Lord Venmoir responded. “Are there any further volunteers?”

“If you don’t mind, my lord, I would like to participate as well.” A woman who appeared to be in her twenties, her pointed ears adorned with piercings and hanging jewelry, stood from her seat. She had, before the entrance of the chamberlain, been quietly fiddling with an instrument as she sat next to the stage in the back of the tavern. A performer, the first three volunteers could assume, perhaps a bard of some sort. She was older than all three of them - though elven aging required a bit more detail in assessing it comparatively, Razor and his companion clearly had human-aligned lifespans, and while the enthusiasm in the third girl had died down, she still had plucky teenage adventurer scrawled all over her expression and presentation.

“Wonderful,” the chamberlain said, holding less resentment and more relief in his expression as someone who looked more than sixteen volunteered.

Of course, that relief was short-lived, for the next to stand was a girl who looked like she couldn’t be more than fourteen, and that was a generous assumption. She was short, even for a dark elf, and her hair was messy, though it hung short enough to not need to be pulled back.

“I would also like to come,” she said, her Rs catching as her accent made itself clear. Most dark elves held a similar accent, at least those who had come from the Below in the last few generations, but the pitch of her voice made it even clearer that she couldn’t even be as old as the baby-faced high elf, much less anywhere near the age of the bard.

“Fuck yeah!” Razor cheered, cutting off the chamberlain’s response. Instead of attempting to talk over the boy, Lord Venmoir simply pinched the bridge of his nose and turned to the door.

“With that,” he said, “I will return to the castle. These five will follow me. Should anyone else show interest in volunteering, I recommend you meet us there.”

He stepped through the doorway, gesturing for the new recruits to follow him. The small entourage of guards he had brought moved to follow, save for two who stayed to hold the doors open for the new adventurers.

Most eyes turned back to their tables, drinks, and conversations, so it was easy for a hooded figure who had stayed virtually unnoticeable during the event to rise and follow without drawing much attention to themself. As the newly-formed search party exited the tavern, their undetected shadow kept just enough distance between them that they might not be easily noticed.

—

“So, who are you guys?” The dark elf turned to the rest of the group, beginning to walk backwards with impressive coordination.

“Razor,” the boy of the group proclaimed. “I’m a fire magic prodigy.” A spark of flame ignited at his fingertips as he spoke, following the movements of his hand as he twirled it between his fingers like a skilled rogue would with a knife.

“Verona,” his companion said. “I’m… also good with magic. And I can heal, at least a little.”

“I’m also a healer!” The girl who had volunteered after them spoke. “I’m a cleric, I follow The Elf-Father. I was raised in service, and I chose to continue my service as an adventurer! My life’s goal is to cure the sick, heal the wounded, and bring life to every corner of Toris.” She puffed her chest out, pride evident in her tone and posture - and then drew back into herself again, like a balloon whose air was let out accidentally. “And… my name… is… Aiyise.”

“You’re a cleric of the Elf-Father, huh.” The dark elf tilted her head.

“Yes! I am… oh… is that… a problem?” It seemed to click in her head that perhaps a dark elf might not be so inclined to travel with a high elf dedicated to the god specifically presiding over high elves, especially not within the current climate.

“Nah, you’re fine. Just checking.” A mischievous expression dashed across the tiny girl’s face. “I’m Alixa, by the way. Master of knives. Lady of Knives, if you want. I’ve been trying to get that to stick.”

“Okay, Lady of Knives, I have a question for you.” Razor turned to her. “How does a twelve-year-old get started adventuring?”

“I’m fifteen,” she shot a glare at him. “And it’s hard not to leave home when there’s a war going on at your doorstep.”

“Right, okay. War?”

“You, uh… you don’t know about the war?” Aiyise looked him up and down. “How?”

“How what?”

“How don’t you know about the war?”

“What war?”

“The attempted expansion into the Below? You know, the thing half the kingdom’s up in arms against the other half about?” Aiyise looked down as she spoke - maybe nervous, maybe embarrassed, maybe a little of both.

“Never heard of it,” Razor said, shrugging his shoulders. “Sounds like a big deal though. Sorry about that, Lady.”

“Not like I really remember much from down there. I haven’t been back since I was six.”

“And you’re fifteen?” Aiyise asked.

“Yeah, why?”

“That war’s been going on since before you were born.”

“Yep!”

“That… I’m sorry, that’s…”

Alixa cut her off. “Seriously, don’t. It’s fine. Like I said, I barely remember it. And it’s not like you’re the one down there killing people.”

“No, but…”

“Listen. Aiyise, right? I don’t care if you’re a high elf, I don’t care if you’re a cleric to the Elf-Father, whatever. As long as you’re not gonna be an ass about my skin tone, I don’t care what your deal is. We have bigger problems, right?”

“Like finding the princess,” Verona offered.

“Yeah. Like finding the princess.” Alixa affirmed. She reached to pat Aiyise on the shoulder, which was just a little below eye level for her.

“Are you… sure?”

“Are you gonna be an ass about it?”

“No! I would never… I… that’s not something I would do. I was raised in a culture of only acceptance and love. I wouldn’t judge anyone for anything like that.”

“Then we’re cool,” she said, and flashed a grin, turning away and pulling a knife out of a sheath on her belt, tossing it into the air and catching it.

“So,” Razor said, “one of us still needs to introduce themself.”

“Two,” Alixa said.

“Two?”

“Did you not notice the girl who’s been following us since we left?”

At that moment, the party did, in fact, finally notice the figure shadowing them.

“You have to introduce yourself too, if you’re coming!” Alixa called back. The figure, which the rest of the group now noticed was floating a few inches off the ground, floated closer.

“Um… hi?” Aiyise looked at the figure. There was a long pause.

“Hello,” a quiet, somber voice finally spoke, cutting through the awkward silence. She - presumably she, her voice would indicate - dropped the hood of her cloak, revealing deep brown skin and pure white eyes, a slight glow emanating from her sclera. She looked like she could be around the age of the bard who had yet to introduce herself. “My name is Shade Castlekeep. I hope it’s alright if I accompany you.”

“Fuck yeah,” Alixa said, before the others had time to respond.

“And I,” the bard finally spoke, “am Avaciel. I’ve traveled for several years, spreading music and stories, but I thought my magic - and knowledge of the realm - might come in handy for this task. I’ve… honestly been a little restless lately.”

“As have I,” Shade said, her voice still low and quiet, yet entirely audible despite the chatter from the people talking in the streets around them. “I could use something to do with my time.”

“Well, this sure will be something to do,” Razor offered his hand to shake. “Welcome to the party!”

Shade took his hand, grip firm. Firmer than Razor had expected, maybe, because he tugged his wrist away a little as if instinctively trying to wriggle out of her grasp. She let go at the motion, but made no note of the gesture beyond that.

“So, how long to the castle?” Razor turned back to the chamberlain, who had been trying his best to ignore the conversation behind him.

“Look in front of you, boy.”

Sure enough, the party had traveled through most of the middle-class sector of the capital city of Fallenoak, reaching the high-class housing where nobility and other high-class citizens spent their time.

“Holy shit,” Razor and Verona said at the same time.

“You’ve never seen it before?” Avaciel looked at them.

“Sort of? It’s… bigger up close,” Verona murmured.

“Way bigger. We saw it through windows sometimes, but never like this. I’ve never been near a building this big.” Razor was staring up at the high stone walls, eyes wide and mouth slightly open.

“It’s… definitely cooler in person,” Aiyise added. “My family has traveled here before, but I’d only ever seen paintings and pictures. It’s beautiful…”

And beautiful it was, the pale grey stone seeming almost polished despite having weathered countless storms, survived thousands of years. The towers at the corners of its outer walls were taller than most other buildings in the city, and the actual building within the walls reached even higher, all of the corners topped with golden metal plating combined with intricate metalwork frames. The front entrance’s portcullis was lifted and open - presumably for common folk to visit as the royal family held court - and flags with the emblems and crests of every major city in the kingdom blew gently in the light wind that had been lilting through the capital city all afternoon.

The chamberlain gestured for the party to step into the courtyard, and they did as instructed, most of them still staring up at the towering walls and the front spire of the castle, proudly flying the flag of the kingdom of Toris.

The sun was high in the sky. And somehow, this felt like it was going to be more of an undertaking than just investigating a disappearance.

[the-goofball]

Raffi Musiker...

...and how she became Picard’s First Officer.

Excerpt from ‘The Last Best Hope’ by Una McCormack

[...]On-screen, the woman said, "My name is Lieutenant Commander Raffi Musiker, and I'm an intelligence specialist at Romulan Affairs. As you're aware, we've been tracking some odd communications from Romulan space in recent weeks - odd even by Romulan standards."

Listening to Musiker, Picard found himself taking a liking to her. She had a faintly disreputable air, a plesant change from the smooth operatives that Starfleet Intelligence usually fielded. Her frankness was refreshing, as was the fact that she was clearly not daunted by the grandeur of her audience. Most of all, she was on top of her briefing. A question came about the reliability of their sources, which was dispatched with confidence and ease. Then another question came about the range of the blast from the supernova, and here she stopped and took a moment to collect herself.

"What I want to say is, that these calculations are a worst-case scenario. This implies that effects in climate change are already being felt. Sometime in 2387. I'll show you that first. Because it might make the best-case scenario less damn frightening."

Picard leaned over to Clancy. "What was her name again?" "Raffi Musiker," said Clancy. "Lieutenant Commander Raffi Musiker."[...]

Hours later Picard talks to Beverly Crusher via com:

[...]"Can I offer you some free advice?" she said.

"Of course, Beverly. Of course."

"Put someone right next to you who isn't scared of you."

"Scared--?"

"You're quite... now, let me get this right. Not intimidating... not severe... huh. That's it. You can be quite certain of yourself. And that can stop people from telling you things that you need to know."

"Certain of myself?"

That half-smile again. "Don't get me wrong! With good reason. Most of the time. But you're only human like the rest of us. You make mistakes. And you need someone there who's able to tell you when that's happening."[...]

.

[…]Lieutenant Commander Raffi Musiker, when asked to wait for a senior officer, did not generally sit patiently in a chair, and she saw no reason to do so for a legend either. She stood outside the admiral’s office, bouncing up and down ever so slightly on her heels, ready for action.[…]

[…]Raffi mentally ran through her presentation one more time. The instruction to see the admiral had been brief, courteous, and not particularly informative as to the purpose of the meeting. She knew, from superiors and colleagues, the impact of her presentation and so she assumed she was here to give a direct one to the man himself and answer any questions he might have. Then back to her desk at Romulan Affairs. Only now she would have met a legend. Gabe, her son, was dying to hear about him. Mom’s job was mostly that thing that meant she didn’t always make his soccer matches, but every so often she managed to deliver something incredibly cool, like this.[…]

(And because I couldn’t decide what to leave out, there’s a bit more under the cut.)

[…]The admiral closed the screen, rose from his chair, and came to greet her. The legend, come to life. She had the edge on him when it came to height, but he moved with a commanding grace. “Commander,” he said, “thank you for making the time to see me today.” His voice was measured, cadenced; the kind of voice, she suspected, that you could not help but listen to, and then do exactly what was requested.

“Happy to supply whatever you need, sir.” She looked around the room for an audience that wasn’t there. Didn’t he have a senior staff in place yet? “Are we meeting here?”

He gestured to two comfortable seats in the corner of the room, where teapot and cups stood waiting on a low table. “Take a seat. Tea?”

“Sure, thanks.” Raffi sat, uneasy in the easy chair, putting padds on the floor beside her, and then leaning forward, palms on her knees. He took the chair opposite, smiled disarmingly, and poured tea. “I assumed I was giving a presentation this morning, sir.” She sipped her tea. What the hell was this stuff? It tasted of goddamned perfume. Was it too late to ask for coffee?

“I’ve watched your presentation half a dozen times now,” he said. “It’s insightful, informative, and precise. I was very impressed.”

Hey Gabe, wait till you hear what the Great Man said about Mom. “Thank you, sir.”

“Could you tell me, please, from your perspective as an expert on Romulan affairs, what you believe our chief difficulty will be in Starfleet’s dealings with them?”

He didn’t waste time, did he? Raffi took a breath. “Opposition, sir,” she said. “Believe it or not, they are not happy that Starfleet is devoting so much time, energy, and resources to helping them. They are hating all this. They hate that we know they’re in trouble, and they hate accepting help. They won’t want to lose face.”

“I understand. What else?”

“And even if they’re united on this, they’ll be divided among themselves about what to do with us. Some will want to accept our help for a while. Some will try to make it impossible for us to function. Others might try to get rid of us—”

“By force?”

“By subterfuge, more likely. Secretly, so that half of them won’t know whether it’s a sanctioned operation or not. The saying in our office goes that Romulans don’t tell their left hand what their right hand is doing.”

The admiral nodded. Yes, he recognized that.

“That makes them inconsistent and unpredictable,” Raffi said. “Not to mention damn annoying. They’ll say one thing and do another, and they won’t even know themselves what their real policy is toward us. Expect the unexpected, sir.”

“I see. Would it help at all, Commander, if I approached Ambassador Spock and had him petition the Senate to instruct cooperation with this mission?”

“Excuse me, sir? How would that help?”

He looked surprised. “The ambassador surely commands considerable respect—”

Raffi laughed out loud. “Spock? They think he’s a nutcase!”

His eyes opened wide. Shit, she thought, me and my big mouth. She had a vision of herself, explaining to Gabe: No, the admiral hated me, and that’s why I’m being court-martialed… Hold on. Was he… smiling? “Sorry, sir,” she said quickly. “No, I wouldn’t advise that. Ambassador Spock’s mission to Romulus may look very laudable to us, but from the Romulan perspective he and his supporters are outliers. Reunification of Romulus and Vulcan? Hey, when I was a kid, I wanted a unicorn. With wings. I didn’t get one. I didn’t even get a damn pony—”

“A personal mission of peace, the ambassador calls it.”

“Well, the Romulans consider it very personal. Almost…” She scraped around for a word that wouldn’t offend. “Um. Idiosyncratic?”

“In other words, they think he’s a crank.” He was most definitely smiling. “Carry on talking so frankly to me, Commander,” he said, “and we shall get along very well. Very well indeed.”

The door buzzer sounded. He called out, “Come.” Kaul came in.

“Apologies for the interruption, sir, but you asked me to let you know immediately when the ship was ready for you.”

“Ah, yes, thank you, Kaul! Yes, I’ll be on my way shortly.” He turned back to Raffi. “The Starship Verity has been assigned to lead the first fleet out to Romulan space. A nice name, don’t you think?”

“Sure…?”

“ ‘A true principle, especially one of fundamental significance.’ ” He looked pleased. “I believe that remembering such things will be crucial to the success of our undertaking. Above all, we are on a mission to protect, preserve, and save lives.”

Raffi nodded, faintly. This meeting was not going in the slightest how she had anticipated. No presentation. He said he’d already watched it half a dozen times. He clearly didn’t want it in person. For some reason they were now discussing eternal verities. She was a simple intelligence officer, maybe turned a mite suspicious by having to think like a Romulan twenty-four hours a day. She wasn’t any kind of philosopher. Why was she here?

“Lieutenant Kaul,” added Picard conversationally, “was on staff here before even I was. Seconded from Admiral Bordson’s office. Their loss has been my gain. She’ll be vital to operations here on Earth.”

There it was again, that extraneous information, as if giving her a picture of the setup here.

“Sir,” said Raffi, “may I ask you something?”

“By all means,” said the Great Man. “You must always feel you can speak freely to me.”

She’d never had any superior officer say that to her. Sometimes quite the contrary.

“This isn’t a briefing, is it?” said Raffi. “This is an interview.”

“That’s correct, Commander. My apologies if I kept my cards close to my chest, but I wanted to see how you answered my questions face-to-face.” He sipped some of his revolting tea. “You’ve answered them most satisfactorily.”

“Which means…?”

“Which means I’d like you as my XO.”

She put down her cup with a rattle. Tea spilled. “Shit!”

His mouth twitched. “I sincerely hope not. Most certainly we have some difficult times ahead. More difficult than either of us can imagine.”

She turned and looked out through the transparent aluminum partition into the busy office. All those people, dashing about, putting the nuts and bolts of this mission together, building this operation from data, information, decisions, actions. Sure, it was easy to take the piss out of the padd pushers, but nothing could happen without them. Working out what was needed, where it could be found, how to get it all to the right place at the right time. She had no idea how to do this… She took a breath. How do you say “no” to a legend?

“Sir,” she said, “I’m not an administrator.”

He blinked. “I beg your pardon?”

“I mean, this is a flattering offer, sir, I hope you understand that. Truly flattering. But an operation like this?” She gestured to the room beyond. “I’m not cut out for this kind of work. I wouldn’t know where to start.”

She saw understanding dawn in his eyes. “Ah, there has been a misunderstanding. I have a very able administrator arriving to head up the office here on Earth, Commander Crystal Gbowee. She’s on her way from Starbase 192 as we speak. She’s worked with the UFPHCR coordinating numerous missions— she was on Bajor for a while after the Occupation, and on Cardassia Prime during the reconstruction effort there. Once she arrives, I shall move over to the fleet. This mission must get underway, and soon.” He glanced out across the busy room. “No, the appointment here is filled, I’m afraid. I’m sorry if that’s a disappointment.”

His eyes were quietly twinkling with suppressed mirth. No, of course he didn’t want her here. She’d be no damn good here, would she?

“Then—”

He leaned forward in his seat, held her eye, very serious now. “I’m asking you to come aboard my ship, Commander. Be my first officer on the Verity. But I’m asking more than that, and I think you know it. I have left my crew behind on the Enterprise. I must replace them, and if I am to succeed, I need an excellent XO. And what I require above all from my XOs is honesty. I shall need you always to tell me the truth. What do you say? Is that something you believe that you could do?”

Shit, she thought, and managed not to say it out loud this time. No, this was not what she’d been expecting when she’d walked into this room.

“It’s a big decision,” he was saying. “There may be all manner of ties keeping you here on Earth…”

Gabe had a soccer match next week. She’d missed the last one putting together that damn presentation. “When does the ship leave?”

“Six days.”

So she could make Gabe’s match. But there would be the next match, or the match after, the long months away, the individual seconds and moments of simply being present that were tiny for her, but that constituted the whole of Gabe’s life, his childhood.

“I…” Damn, she wanted this post. She could do this job. She was made to do this job. She’d known the second she walked into this room that she wanted to work with this man in some way. But she’d never imagined she would be offered this. Right hand to a legend. Right in the middle of the greatest operation that Starfleet would ever mount.

He was smiling at her. “Would you like to see the ship, Commander? The Verity? You’d be spending a lot of time there, after all. You can make your decision after that.”

“Yes,” she said, already knowing what her decision would be. “I’d love to see the ship.”

[warcraftedtardis]

Trying to do things on mobile is fun. I’ll try to get updated thumbnails for the light sides if my power is back on soon.

Taglist: @vindicatedvirgil @5-falsehoods-phonated @theo-lord-of-love-and-rage + anyone else interested

THE GIFT OF CHARITY - Patton’s backstory under the cut

Patton was from a big city. And in a big city people can get lost, especially if they’re a little halfling like him. BUT getting lost is half the fun, isn’t it? Patton was prone to wandering. He’d be young for the standards of his race, but knowing and living beside so many humans had a way of putting long lifespans into perspective. Not the least of which was that human kiddos got so grown up so fast! Patton had still been a minor into his early twenties but by that point, many humans were adults and trying to live on their own or picking up the family business. By now he was, oh, seventy-something? Just hitting his mid-life stride. Patton sighed to himself, momentarily distracted from humming an old folk tune by the steps of an abandoned church.

Now he wasn’t one for deserted buildings--especially on account of the spiders potentially living in them--but this was an important place. This is where he came to have his daily chat with Charity. She was a big, feathery-wing-having lady in a flowing golden dress made of light and definitely not someone to keep waiting. By her own account she used to be an important goddess, but the people of the city stopped praying to her as much; then, over the years, she kind of faded into a dream-like death of sorts until he stumbled across her temple and woke her up with his prayers. Patton took it on his duty to keep her company at the very least. He brought her tea and cakes when he could and they’d talk for hours about how big the world is and how much Patton wanted to see it.

But...he had the orphanage to run....and the school....and the food kitchen...and the homeless shelter. It was...a lot and he didn’t have much time for anything leisurely. Patton said he didn’t mind because he was spending his time well, and he had so much more of it than the humans by a good few decades, but Charity saw how it had begun to wear on him.

When he shuffled into the building with a bit more drag in his step, she noticed. Her statue animated and sat down upon the dias where her nearly ten foot self could more easily talk with his nearly three and a half foot self. He was tall for his kind, but still fairly short for any human standards and perhaps a bit on the stout side. Charity said she found his appearance charming and soothing after being asleep for as long as she had been. Today, her brow creased with worry when she looked at him. Her voice was just as warm, however, when she whispered, “You’ve got bags under your eyes, Patton.”

“Oh, y’know how it is sometimes.” He flashed her his brightest smile and tried to crack a joke but the punchline never came to him.

Charity sighed, scooping him up in her hands to look him in the eyes. “Patton. I’m a god; please don’t try to fool me into thinking you’re alright when clearly you aren’t.” She shook her head when he took on the manner of a chastised child. For all his paternal affection, he could easily take a childish demeanor with her. “Patton, I think you’ve been suffering from a lack of charity.”

“I--I’m not sure how?” His voice cracked a little at the daunting thought of what else he could do to be charitable. It was really starting to become something he dreaded when it used to make him feel good--not that that was the reason he did it. Patton put good into the world because it was the right thing to do...right? “Maybe I could do with a meal or two less and give that away to someone who needs it more...”

The goddess gave him a patient frown and pulled him closer to her face. “That is not what I meant, small one. Look at yourself; you’re falling apart and giving away too much. You’re not being charitable to yourself, Patton. You’re not taking care of yourself.”

He blinked at her with his baby blue eyes going round in shock. “But I have so much and they have so little.” His protest rang hollow in his ears as the thing he knew he should do but the desire was failing to meet his words. Patton didn’t sound passionate anymore. He knew it. Charity knew it.

“How about this: I’ll send you on a mission, Patton. It’s a very important job that I can’t trust to anyone else, and I’ll lend you some power while you undertake it...so that you know you aren’t alone.” Her left pointer finger came to rest on his head in a gentle pat and the statue’s solid eyes glowed a bright rainbow hue. “There are fragments scattered in the world, Patton. Shards of power yet unclaimed--pieces of a broken god who walked in dreams and inspired many. These fragments rest in mortal hearts. You must find the Fragments, the mortals they dwell within, and awaken them.” She blinked and the prophetic glow faded from her eyes, a soft smile adorning her lips. “Of course, while you roam the world, do not forget to spread the light of Charity as you go...and do take care of yourself.”

Patton shook in his boots, overwhelmed by a warm feeling from that radiance which showered down on him from her eyes just a moment ago. He sniffled and nodded quickly, trying to keep himself from hiccuping as the realization he’d have to leave the city and all the humans in it behind. “I need time...to say goodbye and make sure they’re going to be okay without me.”

“Of course, Patton. When you’re ready say my name three times and I’ll bestow my gift upon you. Then you must search. That is the caveat of your powers--should you abandon my quest, the power will abandon you.” Her voice was sad as she intoned the warning, setting him back onto firm ground and returning to the position of her statue form. “Remember that I am watching and you will never be alone.” And then, her light faded from the stone and it became just another relic worn by time.

He sobbed, whipping at his eyes and letting it all out now so the kids wouldn’t see. They’d refuse to let him leave if they knew how devastated he’d be. Patton had a lot of preparations to make, giving over all the charitable ventures he’d started to people he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he could trust with them. Letting go of the kiddos was the hardest part. Not a dry eye in that whole house as he packed and told them--promised them--that he’d be back before they knew it. He’d taught all the kids about Charity by now, so they knew why he had to go. “Be sure to visit her every day and give as much good as you can back into the world.”

One of the oldest kids came up to hug him one last time. She was almost an adult and he’d been watching over her since diapers. “Good bye, dad. I’ll take of them.” Her voice cracked and she hugged him tighter. “I’ll take care of everyone.”

Patton patted her on the back of the head, speaking softly and with an immense swell of pride and guilt. “I know, Lila. You take care now.” He took his belongings out to the shed and had a few of the youngin’s help saddle up his donkey, Frog, with his meager worldly possessions. Patton led Frog out to the city gates, followed all the way by the children. He waved and waved as he walked, looking over his shoulder to see them waving and calling out to him all the way down the road until the city was just a speck on the horizon. He heaved a sigh and patted the neck of his donkey kindly. “Well, there’s no going back now. Charity. Charity. Charity.” On the third repetition of her name, Patton was struck with a divine energy that filled his body with vigor and brought a heart-felt smile to his face. He could do this! Charity was with him! It didn’t matter if he didn’t know where he was going, he’d get there eventually. He can do this!!

[peanutsandbitterstep]

Sandalphon and the 4 Relics

GBF Fanfiction

Modern Fantasy AU; i took the Relics from RWBY but this isn’t set in the RWBY universe, don’t worry about it

Characters: Sandalphon, Djeeta, Johann, Catherine (with an alias)

Summary: After months of searching, Sandalphon had finally tracked the four Relics to a wealthy art collector by the name of Cohen. With that, he was one step closer to resurrecting Lucifer and making up for his past mistakes. Now, it was just a matter of taking it.

On the surface, the security to the mansion was nothing special. There was the front gate and he could see two guards at the door. Bypassing that would be simple enough and Sandalphon was confident in his ability to handle things if it turned into a fight.

What was a little daunting was the sheer size of the house. He had no idea where the Relics were being kept and there was so much space to cover. As soon as it got dark, he should waste no time breaking in and starting the search.

“That’s not going to work, you know.”

Sandalphon whirled around, hand going to his sword. But instead of an enemy, it was… “You!“

The Singularity was standing a few feet away with that familiar grin she always had when she was teasing him.

Scowling, he said, “You don’t even know what my plan is.“

“Is it to sneak in tonight to search for the Relics, use Ain Soph Eur to smash through the additional wards, and then make a break for it?”

“A-additional wards?”

“Uh, yeah? These are one-of-a-kind artifacts and the guy can shell out the money for some high-quality ones.” Putting one hand on her hip, she asked, “You don’t even know where in the house the Relics are, huh?”

“How…?“

“Because I know you? And your usual tactic is to blast through things with as much power as you need to. But lucky for you, we have a plan, so you can just join us!”

“Me? Work with you?”

“Why not? It went well last time. Also, we’ve put weeks of work into this and I really need you to not mess up our plans.” She put out her hand. “So what do you say?”

Sandalphon narrowed his eyes, considering. It would be wiser to join forces with people who actually had made preparations. And he was still in enough debt that getting in her way without cause would be unthinkable. “What is your aim? Why are you after the Relics?”

Dropping her hand, the Singularity’s mood palpably darkened. “I need the Crown of Choice. And I’m going to do whatever it takes to get it.”

If that was her goal, then there was no reason for conflict. “Very well, I will assist you with your plan.”

Smiling once again, she grabbed his hand and firmly shook it. “Great! Looking forward to our partnership or whatever. I’ll introduce you to the others.”

In a car whose ownership the Singularity was suspiciously evasive about, the two of them picked up dinner from some takeout place and then drove to a small tan house in a residential area.

“I found our bodyguard!” the Singularity announced after she closed the front door.

The inside of the house was far messier than the outside had suggested. The couch, which had been pulled out into a bed, was unmade. Clothes were haphazardly thrown on a desk. The kitchen table was strewn with debris and what looked like a half-made mock sword. The Singularity cleared a space on the table and directed him to put the bag of takeout down, while she rummaged around one of the drawers. He could see that the sink was full and the counter also cluttered with trash. As he slowly unpacked the food, a woman with pink hair and a man with gray hair entered. Noticeably not with them were the girl in blue or the dragon.

“This is our bodyguard?” the woman asked, looking him up and down.

“Yep. Don’t worry, he’s tougher than he looks,” the Singularity said, coming back with spoons. “Hey, whose turn is it to do dishes?”

“Sorry, I’ll do them sometime tonight,” the man said, grabbing a paper plate and beginning to pile on food.

“By the way, which Relic do you want?” the Singularity asked. “You know what I want and Johann here called dibs on the Lamp of Knowledge.”

“If he’s also seeking knowledge, I don’t mind sharing,” the one that was apparently Johann said. “Or collaborating if our research overlaps. Nice to meet you, by the way. I’m the primary magic-user for this mission.”

“…right,” Sandalphon said. “I’m after the Staff of Creation.”

“Okay,” the woman said, sitting down with her own plate. “I’m Victoria, the planner and the one taking the lead. So who are you and what can you do?”

For a moment, Sandalphon weighs the benefits of lying. As the instigator of an apocalypse, surely they would reject his inclusion on this mission. But he also hadn’t prepared anything and being caught would reflect even more poorly.

“He helped out our crew when someone’s mad science experiment almost killed us,” the Singularity said, jumping to sit on the counter.

“That isn’t–“

“He also complimented my hands the second time we met.”

“That isn’t what happened!” Sandalphon snapped, feeling his face heat up as he spun around to face her.

The Singularity cackled. “Well how else would you describe it?”

Deciding that expending time or energy on that argument would be a waste, Sandalphon turned his back on her to face the others. If they kicked him out, so be it; in fact, he might even prefer that at the moment. “My name is Sandalphon–”

“Really?” Johann looked to the Singularity for confirmation. Whatever she did seemed to excite him and he said, “That means you have first-hand knowledge about–“

“Business first, Johann,” Victoria said and Johann scowled. “What fighting style do you have and what abilities?”

Suddenly feeling the weight of scrutiny again, Sandalphon summoned his metaphysical swords. “I can use these at the same time as my physical sword, meaning I can perform multiple attacks in a short span of time. It also makes counterattacks relatively simple.”

“He’s also more resilient than he should be,” the Singularity added. “He took a giant attack from Avatar to the face and I thought he died right there. And, I mean, he wasn’t fine, but he was very much not dead.”

Sandalphon remembered that, flying to meet an attack that seemed like a crimson sun. For a brief moment, it was as though he was being crushed, bones groaning and organs about to rupture. He’d had enough presence of mind to lash out with Ecliptica and get some minor payback, before hitting the ground.

Shaking off that memory, he said, “If I charge up enough energy, I can summon beams of light to hit my target.”

“I see,” Victoria said, resting her chin on laced fingers. “Are you good at waiting?”

He wanted to laugh bitterly at that. “Yes.”

“Okay. I’ll make adjustments to the plan and let you know tomorrow.”

“You should eat,” the Singularity said.

One shopping trip and a few hours later, Sandalphon wondered what his life had become as he was lying down in Johann’s room.

(“If he takes the spare bed in your room, do you promise you won’t keep him up all night asking questions?” the Singularity had asked.

The response had not been reassuring, but so far, he had been quiet.)

He had no real context for any of it, but the past quarter of a day felt very… mortal. Was this what normal life was like for them?

This whole undertaking of asking primals for information about the Relics was outside his realm of expertise, but it was still part of his purpose as the surrogate Supreme Primarch who needed to make things right. He was entirely out of his depth with whatever this thing the Singularity had dragged him into was. 

His thoughts were broken when Johann inhaled and the air practically seemed to vibrate with anticipation. Sandalphon resisted the urge to bury his face in his pillow and groan.

“Can I ask just one question?”

“Fine. Just one question,” Sandalphon growled and immediately regretted it when Johann launched into a spiel about different texts’ interpretation of Estalucia.

“…so I was wondering if you had any insight about whether it’s a real place or purely metaphorical.”

“Unfortunately, I was not privy to that information. I doubt even Lucifer knew.”

“Do you think–“

“I meant it when I said only one question.”

The room settled into disappointed silence for a moment. “You’re mentioned too, you know.”

Sandalphon pondered how much bodily harm he could get away with doing.

“From a text written around the 500s. It says you’re the ‘beloved of the Supreme Primarch.’”

“It says I’m what?” Sandalphon sat up, feeling like his head was spinning.

“That’s just a rough translation,” Johann continued, as though Sandalphon hadn’t said anything, “but the point is that people will always remember you as someone Lucifer cares about.”

“Why do they care?” Sandalphon demanded, voice suddenly raspy. “What does it matter to them who I was?”

“That’s just part of being a person,” Johann said. “We care about who people are to each other. And the fact that someone wrote it down means someone thought it was important.”

“Why are we talking about this?”

Johann didn’t answer immediately but when he did, his voice was the most serious it had been the entire conversation. “Because I think you should know that even as it’s your job to watch, we’re also looking back.”

“Is that supposed to be a threat?”

“No. Just a statement of fact. I’ve noticed that those with a long lives tend to forget that, both in a lonely way and an irresponsible way. You’re welcome to take it either way or have your own interpretation of it.”

A sharp rap at the door interrupted what Sandalphon was going to say.

“I’m going to sleep!” Johann called defensively.

“Could they hear what we were saying?” Sandalphon asked, horrified.

“No, just that we were talking. Good night.”

It took Sandalphon’s mind a while to settle. He’d never thought about what mortals would write about primals, not really. And that wasn’t particularly how he wanted to be known. What was written about Lucifer? Had he known all those eyes were on him?

He wasn’t aware of falling asleep, but Johann getting up roused him. The clock indicated that it was 8:30. He mentally went over yesterday’s events to make sure he knew what was going on before also getting out of bed.

The Singularity was still asleep on the couch bed. Victoria was awake at the table, working on a laptop. A completed Sword of Destruction was beside her, which Johann was looking over.

Victoria held a few pieces of paper out to him. “This is the layout of the mansion. Memorize it. We plan on striking tomorrow, since that’s when Cohen will go on a business trip.”

The floor plan was neat and clearly labeled with the exits. The Relics were stored in the basement.

“Did you have a plan on how to get out of the city?” Victoria asked.

“Flying.”

“On a plane or with your wings?”

“As long as you’re sure you won’t be caught, fine.”

Johann put down the sword and walked over to the coffee maker, filling up the mug beneath. Noticing Sandalphon watching, he held it out, asking, “Would you like some?”

“I wouldn’t,” Victoria warned as Sandalphon took it and studied the contents.

It seemed like normal coffee. He wasn’t expecting anything amazing, but it was at least worth a taste. Carefully, Sandalphon took a sip and resisted the urge to spit it out.

“I told you,” Victoria said in a sing-song voice. “Johann’s standards are terrible.”

“Rude.” Johann pouted and filled up another mug. Drinking from it, he said, “I think it tastes perfectly fine.”

“Is it bully Johann time already?” the Singularity asked, yawning as she joined them.

“I don’t like this game.”

“Then maybe you should have better taste,” Victoria said, chuckling. “Everyone eat breakfast. We’ll have our team meeting after.”

The plans were impressive for its thoroughness, with back-ups and contingencies for everything. Sandalphon had gone into battles with only a fraction of the preparation done here.

His part was relatively simple: stand at the entrance to the basement and deal with things violently if that’s what was called for.

“If everything goes smoothly, you’ll have a boring night,” Victoria said. “But they usually don’t, so remember that our goal is to get out with the Relics without being caught or our identities discovered. Are the forgeries finished?”

“Yep,” the Singularity said.

“Good. Then the team meeting is adjourned. You and Johann don’t have anymore tasks until tomorrow. Sandy, look over this.”

“Sand–“

The Singularity clapped him on the shoulder. “Have fun, Sandy,” she said, before running off.

“Don’t call me that.”

“Why not? It’s a perfectly adequate nickname,” Victoria said. “Now pay attention, this is important.”

An hour later and Sandalphon’s head felt stuffed with information about law enforcement and the layout of the city. He rubbed his temples as he squinted at the description of Cohen’s security force.

“You should take a break,” Victoria said.

“I’m fine.”

Victoria put her hand on the papers to block the words from view. “Take a break. You’re no good to us if you burn yourself out right now. I doubt Djeeta will be lucky enough to come across another friend who’ll be our bodyguard.”

“We aren’t friends.”

“Oh? Then why are you here?” There was a hint of something steel in those words that made Sandalphon look at her sharply.

“Excuse me?”

“With your power, you could charge into Cohen’s home right now and get what you want. So why haven’t you?”

“I… just think discretion would be wiser,” he said in a terribly unconvincing way, considering that it was true.

“Hm, I do admire a man that knows how to hold back,” Victoria mused.

What kind of conversation am I having right now? Sandalphon thought, but didn’t know how to verbalize.

“But if you and Djeeta really aren’t friends, then I need your confirmation that you’re all in on this plan. If you tell me you want out now, I won’t hold it against you.”

So far, he had spent most of his time feeling aggravated or confused. Of course he wanted to get away from these people as soon as possible and go back to traveling. But that didn’t mean he was just going to quit. “I’m going to see this through.”

Victoria nodded, pleased. “Good.”

Sandalphon wondered if her promise to not hold a grudge had been a lie. There’d be no purpose in asking, though, not after he’d just confirmed his commitment.

It was early in the evening when the Singularity ran up to Victoria, phone in hand.

“Chat Noir uploaded,” the Singularity said.

“He what?!” Victoria shouted, grabbing the phone.

Curious, Sandalphon looked over her shoulder to see what was happening. It was a thirty second video, announcing Chat Noir’s intention to steal the Eye of Jupiter, whatever that meant.

“That son of a–! If he had any pride as a thief, he wouldn’t perform these theatrics.” Victoria tapped on the edge of the phone, thinking. “Change of plans, we’re stealing the relics tonight.”

“Tonight?” the Singularity said.

“I’m not risking Cohen getting spooked and deciding to upgrade his security.” Victoria handed the phone back and pulled up a train schedule. “Tell Johann.”

The Singularity ran to the hallway, shouting the announcement.

“Tonight?! I need to return my library books!” There was a bang, probably from the bathroom door being flung open, and then sound of Johann running to the bedroom.

“You can dry your hair first!”

“It’ll dry on the way,” Johann said and was out the front door.

“Sandy, can you do the dishes?” the Singularity asked as she started to strip the sheets from the couch bed. “Use the gloves above the sink.”

Glancing at him, Victoria began, “Do you know how–“

“Yes, I know how,” he said, rolling his eyes and standing.

The next few hours passed in a whirlwind of packing and destroying anything incriminating. Victoria did a final sweep of the house while the rest of them waited in the car.

“Legend has it that the Relics could be used to call its creators back from their journey,” Johann said. “Have you ever met them?”

“No.” The Brothers of Light and Darkness had been long gone by the time Sandalphon had first set foot in the mortal realm. He hadn’t come across them in his travels either.

“That’s good. Don’t need to add another crisis on top of everything else,” the Singularity said.

Victoria joined them in the car. “Let’s go.”

The Singularity parked about a block away.

“Remember, Cohen will be in the house, so make as little noise as possible. And don’t kill him, no matter what.” At that last part, Victoria gave Johann a meaningful look.

“I promise I won’t kill him,” Johann said.

“Good luck! Be careful,” the Singularity said.

Almost there, Lucifer, Sandalphon thought as he followed the other two.

They entered through a window on the bottom floor and crept through the dark house to the basement. As instructed, Sandalphon waited at the top of the steps, just out of sight, so he could keep a lookout.

The first one they got was the Sword of Destruction. As soon as the wards were down, Sandalphon felt its power, confirming its authenticity, even as Johann made the ‘ok’ sign.

With that, Johann placed the forgery in place and began redoing the wards, while Victoria worked on getting the Crown of Choice. Sandalphon shifted from one foot to the other, watching the shadows move and listening for approaching footsteps.

An hour and then another half passed before they were finished. No danger arose and the escape from the house was similarly uneventful.

“We got them. Drive,” Victoria said as soon as they were in the car. 

The Singularity’s knuckles were white as she gripped the steering wheel. “All right!”

Johann’s laugh was giddy, bordering on disbelief. “Did we do it?”

“Not until we’re out of the city,” Victoria said, putting the crown in the Singularity’s bag. “Don’t let your guard down.”

Sandalphon and the Singularity were dropped off near the train station. Victoria would be taking Johann to another station to go in another direction before heading on her own with the car.

The Singularity threw her arms around Victoria, whose face turned bright red. “You’re the best.”

Coughing to regain her composure, Victoria said, “Naturally. Stay safe on your way back.”

“You too.”

Johann was similarly embraced.

“Make sure you stay out of trouble.”

“Are you sure you–“

“Yes, I’ll be fine.”

The Singularity waved at them as they drove away. Sandalphon turned the Staff of Creation disguised as an ordinary walking stick in his hands. He felt energized as the power hummed against his palms.

Grinning at him, the Singularity said, “Glad everything went smoothly. Thanks for all your help.”

Sandalphon considered what he should say. He could just leave now. He did not have to get involved with the Singularity’s problems. “Where’s the girl in blue? And the dragon? Weren’t you inseparable?”

Djeeta’s smile faded and she looked away. “I’m going to meet them now.” Checking the time, she said, “I need to go. Say hi to Lucifer for me.”

Manifesting his wings, Sandalphon reached up and plucked a feather from his wings, holding it out to her. “You can tell him that yourself. After I get him back, I’ll find you. And I’ll help you if you need it.”

She stared at it and then up at him, uncertain.

“You have a train to catch,” he snapped. “Hurry up and take it.”

“Fine.” She grabbed it and began to run off, calling over her shoulder. “I’ll see you around.”

Sandalphon only watched her for a second and then spread his wings and took flight.

A/N: This got a little out-of-hand; I thought this was going to be quick. Instead, the word count doubled and I was stuck with too many ideas that could not work with Sandalphon as the main focus. I hope you enjoyed it anyway. Please forgive the deficiencies.

[afvisende]

Ango is sent on a precarious mission to infiltrate and gather information on the Order of the Clock Tower. Agatha, isn't fooled, but welcomes the man into her organization, slowly warping his mind down the sinister path of perfidy.

Don't flame me for this, I’m just a sad excuse of a person who creates nonexistent pairings. I always fancied the idea of Agatha and Ango, but did nothing about it. This story nailed my coffin, I'm deep in rare pair hell. I also miss HawMitch, but these two are my newest obsession.

It'd been a few years since the infiltration and he's acclimated to nearly everything except one thing. Whenever Agatha's near; how she spoke, her mannerisms, something about it made him nervous. Why was she so eloquently persuasive? He detested how she treated him like a guest from the start. The agent worried if she had any ideas of his true purpose of joining the Order of the Clock Tower. He worked tirelessly as her hound so she wouldn't suspect him. After another toilsome day, she promised him an exquisite meal at her side; an honor rarely given to any of her subordinates. Nerves began to run rampant. Would his tea or food be laced with poison? He wouldn't be able to elude it if he was in her presence.

He really was a fool, wasn't he? Ango's unsure why after his bath he opted to wear his best suit for this occasion. "It's only dinner…" He repeated to himself. There's a subtle knock at the door and he turned to answer. "You may enter. Is this about the invitation with the Knight Commander?" No, it wasn't someone else rather it was the commander herself. Hands lifted her long skirt as she took elegant steps towards him. Watching her alone left him frozen in place. What were her intentions? "Dame Agatha…" Before he could finish her gloved hands reached for his tie undoing it completely. Sakaguchi couldn't stifle his embarrassment; a faint tinge of pink spreading across his pallid cheeks. "What're you--?" Her hands worked adeptly to tie his tie more effectively.

"Learn to tie your ties better. I do so loathe a sloppy appearance. You're fortunate to be skilled in other areas." There's a quirk of her glossed lips into a full smirk and it's unsettling. Most unsettling was her proximity to him. She was so hazardously close; that the scent of her luxurious perfume drowned out the rest of his senses. This wasn't the first time she invaded his personal space, nor the first time she's been so intimate with him. Ango never knew what to make of these gestures, they left him both abashed and flustered. Was it part of a ploy? This was a highly dangerous and intelligent woman, it was safe to say he didn't trust her. Yet, in the deepest and darkest corner of his conflicted heart… for some sick and twisted reason he wanted to. He wanted to believe there's a degree of genuineness in Agatha's actions.

"Thank you. I'll be sure to be more careful next time…" He's uncertain of what else to say as he stared off to the side in an attempt to avoid eye contact.

Nonchalantly, Agatha played with his collar, before hooking two fingers at his tie; pulling him down to her level, so that his gaze wouldn't shyly avert. "Turning away, Mr. Sakaguchi? How unbefitting of you. No one turns away from me as we're speaking." Her grip at his tie tightened and she applied an unusual force. That degree of assertion fascinated him, but added to his inner tension. "Something's discomfiting you, isn't it? Why don't you speak your mind? We're associates, are we not? You can trust me." Her intonation was smooth and spoken in a low hiss; this lady truly was a serpent; one that tempted him down a darker path.

Lies. Due to the nature of his profession involving subterfuge, he knew little else, but to lie. "There are some things a subordinate shouldn't tell his superior… I hope you can respect that."

How cute. Trying to play the personal card was a poor choice. She's not easily deceived, not when she can read him like an open book. Agatha knew more than she let on and that power she held over him made her revel. "So… you're keeping secrets from me. Do you know what punishment that'd entail?" He's heard from the others that punitive measures were harsh, it suited the callous mind that orchestrated Mimic's downfall from the shadows. There's no punishment he wouldn't endure for this operation or for the Japanese Ministry that he ceaselessly served… He couldn't conceal a sense of dread that washed over him as her blue eyes pierced icy daggers into his warmer pools.

"I'm not hiding anything." He swallowed the lump in his throat and that look of trepidation made her sneer. His fear, misgivings, and silly antics were all quite risible had she not found them utterly pathetic. Somehow, this was the most brilliant man that led numerous daunting operations for the Ministry without fail. She knew he was a perfectionist that lamented any minor errors he made along the way. He utilized these mistakes as opportunities to improve himself, but lacked refinement. He was the ideal puppet, or rather, she'd mold him into the perfect one to suit her goals instead. He was a paradigm of diligence and intellect, but he could be so much more under her guidance.

"I highly doubt that. There's much to discuss, but not here…" Her enunciation was rather suggestive. With a tug, she whispered near the shell of his ear. "Dinner awaits us, lest you've forgotten."

"I haven't… I simply was surprised you came for me yourself." As she released him and pulled away, he began to miss the closeness. Would it be out of line to reach for her hand?

The poised woman turned to look at him inquisitively. "If you wish to take my hand, you may." Gloved digits outstretched for him to take and he was reluctant to do so, but managed to. "Tighten your grasp and lead with confidence."

These were crystal clear instructions he endeavored to follow. At the elaborate dinner table, he pulled her seat with his opposite hand and gently allowed her to settle into her seat. Before he could retreat to his own, she called for him. "Protocol, dear Ango. You were remiss not to upon my entrance." This was standard for him, but it didn't change how bashful he was to do it. He wondered if she purposely instated it to rile him up. The man was nigh unflappable, she must've relished watching him lose his composure. He'd been bombarded by a farrago of emotions he was not accustomed to and it bothered him.

"Must I do it myself?" Calmly stated, but no less scathing. From her seat she rose, heels clicking towards him and her lips carefully were planted on one cheek first and then the other. "Is that too difficult for you?"

"It's not." Entire years of mind games and he's at a boiling point, he's unsure what to call this bizarre dynamic of theirs. He dared to wrap his arms carefully around her, his lips ghosting over her own, but gloved digits came between them.

"Patience, darling. That'll come later." How needy could he be? Inciting that desperation in him amused her greatly. Tantalizing him to the apex only to drag him back down was undoubtedly thrilling.

He frowned and she despised how that attractive mole on the upper left corner of his lip drooped slightly with the shift in expression. She'd keep her end of the bargain, but when it was opportune.

Dinner went smoother than expected. In fact, so smoothly, that after any qualms he had of the comestibles being envenomed; he began to have suspicions. She told him to wait for her at his quarters as the night progressed. He was prepared. His gun was cautiously concealed. He had to. No, he needed to. Someone like her was too menacing, too cunning, too cruel… and too lovely. That wasn't right. He shouldn't have harbored these thoughts, much less these frustrating feelings. She'd done nothing but welcome him fondly to her organization; treating him as one of her own from the start. He felt valued, desired, he was rewarded for his exploits. Not to mention, he was allowed reasonable time for himself to rest, before setting off on parlous undertakings. As demanding as she was, Agatha wasn't entirely unreasonable; fairly allowing her subordinates leisure. Gladly they'd lay their lives down for her as meager pawns in her game and that frightened him. Her strength, her wit, her suasion, and leadership; all of it was too potent.

The long awaited moment… Those distinct steps, he knew they were hers and she finally entered. As she approached him, he immediately cocked his gun, pointing it directly at her. There's not a hint of anger, sadness, fear, or shock to her lineaments. Her eyes were as cold and calculating as ever and it stung him deeper than it should've. "Don't get any closer."

As if she'd listen to a lowly underling of the incompetent Japanese Ministry. Truly, they were undeserving of a man of his prowess and devotion. Devotion better used in her service, she silently ruminated. Yet, her gaze was unyielding and condescended upon him as she dared to move a heel forward in his direction. "You haven't the gumption to pull that trigger." Analytical to a fault, she pointed out the conspicuous look of consternation on his face instead. "You look surprised. Why is that? I had always known of your treacherous nature. Is betrayal all that you know?" A soft laugh followed. "There is not a thing I didn't already know about you, Ango Sakaguchi."

He felt the sweat trickle down his forehead, but his hand remained firm on the firearm. Why couldn't he bring himself to fire? "You! You knew and yet you let me in?!"

Agatha smiled wickedly. She continued to defy him, closing the gap between them. "I wanted to personally see what one of the most esteemed agents of the Japanese Ministry was like. You exceeded my expectations."

"Don't test or try me. This is your last warning..." He pressed the gun to the side of her head, but she retained her equanimity. "That means all of this was fabricated… All your words, everything… none of it was genuine."

"Oh? Was it? I'm not so sure about that." In a flash, he's uncertain how she managed to press the barrel of a pistol at his jaw. "You see, I thought a battle of wits betwixt us would be more entertaining. Countless times, I could've had you slain to your lack of notice."

He's horrified to relive the constant pain that resulted from Oda's demise. Working for the Ministry meant following orders and going with plans that didn't align with his personal morals. He hated it, hated himself, and he scarcely stammered his response out. "Then why didn't you?"

"You divert me. I've seen qualities that others overlooked, as well. The organization you're most loyal to doesn't deserve you." It's paralyzing how she coquettishly leaned in while still keeping that pistol harshly pressed to his jaw. "You belong with me in the Order of the Clock Tower and I will not take no for answer." Truthfully, should he reject her proposition, she wouldn't hesitate to shoot him where he stood. Refusal wasn't an option, it never was.

"Against better judgment, I believed in you. I liked working for and with you, but I am only loyal to--"

"To whom? Your friends? We know how well that ended. Don't toy with me. You only value lives, but you cannot safeguard any with the way you are now or whilst working for that lackluster organization. You have to accept that the road to protecting what's dear requires loss. Sacrifices are necessary, you know this better than anyone. Yet, you still reject it. It's what makes you so weak."

This was a losing battle, all along, these efforts were in vain. He no longer had the will to persist, his gun slipped out of his fingers. There was nothing left for him to say, perhaps, this was the fate he deserved.

"Ango… I will not ask again. Will you betray the Japanese Ministry and join me or choose death?" She spoke his name so softly, but the rest of her words were caustic. Despite all the years that elapsed, Christie remained an enigma to him. He wanted to know her for all that she was in greater depth. He swallowed any pride he had left. To abandon his own people and the organization he offered his life for… He'd accept her offer. Had he not grown weary of mistreatment? Change was daunting, but without it there'd be no growth. She was right, no matter his attempts, innocents still died. He took no pleasure in it. The greater good was but an illusion. As she implied previously, there's an ashen perspective, one where malice and benevolence commingled. Embracing a new life and organization... It couldn't be so bad, even if it was a lifestyle that'd taint his hands in additional blood. Of that, there was no true escape.

"I'd be honored to remain at your side. I cast away my former ties. I will tell you all that I know." Slender digits brushed against her cheek affectionately and she smiled triumphantly.

"A wise choice that suits a man of your caliber. There's little I don't know, but I'd be glad to hear it during a private conference."

Undeniably, there's a mutual attraction that fostered throughout the years. It felt forbidden and risky… He was unsure if she felt the same connection.

Agatha tossed aside her pistol using that same hand to remove one of her gloves. It fell to the floor. Her thumb gently brushed over that exquisite mole of his. Ango was truly beautiful, so delicate, it tempted her to watch him crumble beneath her touch. He leaned into it fondly, his own hand settling atop hers.

"Do you recall what I said earlier?" Another stroke to that endearing mole.

"I'm uncertain which you mean?" Brows rose curiously over his glasses.

Wordlessly, her lips were upon his in a fiery kiss that she gradually deepened. He's astonished by how sudden it was and inadvertently moaned into her mouth. Agatha simpered smugly, indulging his distinct taste for all its worth. An experimental and hungry tongue met her own. His hands gripped her hips to restrain himself from the urge of bringing her body closer to his. Ango was so terribly starved, it's unfair how she exploited it. Her own slippery muscle flattened his completely with dominant strokes to later run the tip along his teeth. Helplessly, he moaned again, his inability to stop causing his cheeks to flush. As she retracted, her teeth viciously sank onto his bottom lip; tugging the flesh in admonishment.

"Your vulnerability is so appealing to me, but do not forget your place. We'll have other opportunities, my dear." Ever cordial, she placed a gentler kiss to his mole, and a lighter one to the lip she previously abused.

Ango's perplexed, entranced, and if he didn't know better, he could've sworn she somehow wormed her way in and stole his heart. "Please… I… One more. Just one more."

He certainly knew how to beg, but she's sadistic at heart. "One more what? Tell me how badly you yearn it. Plead for me."

Sakaguchi begged for reasonable things in the past, but never something like this. "I want another kiss, badly. I had thought of it many times, but knew it was not in my place. Please, allow me another." His fingers left her hips and threaded into her golden locks as his eyes glimmered with want.

"Now that's a good lad. Come take your reward." She wouldn't kiss him, she wondered if he possessed the courage to kiss her himself. Even in this situation she still toyed with his mind. "What are you waiting for when I'm right in front of you?" The blonde goaded, going as far as to press her body against his. His hands left her hair as arms encompassed her waist holding her form tightly to his own.

His osculate lacked the finesse of hers, it's messy, but ravenous. His tongue swirled, sampled, and he sucked as much as he could of Agatha's flavor. Her lips were so soft, smooth, and delectable… Not once did she relinquish control during the exchange, however. Her own appendage lashed back offensively and ran torturously slow along the underside of his. He seemed so lost in the moment, she couldn't help but tease him. A lustful sigh purposely left her to fill his mouth which caused his whole face to grow crimson. As the kiss was broken, she shamelessly licked away the remnants of saliva upon his lips as he panted softly.

"That was inappropriate… Allow me to apologize… Surely… There's something I should've told you..." He's at a loss of words, in spite of his attempts to regain his aplomb, appearing somewhat stern. It's naught but a poorly crafted veneer and Agatha saw through it.

"Save it, Sakaguchi. I already know what you're thinking and about to say. I always knew you fancied me and I honestly can't blame you."

To think even her hauteur was dignified, he's enchanted by it. "I don't know what all of this means…"

"It can mean whatever you wish it. I'll be expecting you in my office tomorrow morning. Don't be late, I do so value promptness. There's a lot of work waiting for you." The commander managed to ease out of his possessive hold, before turning to exit his room. Was she teasing him again? With Agatha it was difficult to tell more often than not.

"Understood. I can assure that I'll arrive without delay." He emitted a long breath of relief, but once she's at the door she left him with one more thought.

Christie had higher expectations of him now. "Eager to please me, aren't you? Let's see if you'll keep providing satisfactory results." Her vague wording intended to stimulate him, she definitely knew how to play dirty. Certainly, she meant satisfaction with his performance as her most indispensable agent.

With her gone and the door shut, he collapsed onto his bed. His palm moved over to his mouth where he could still taste her. He's amazed by what transpired. He didn't fully comprehend the ramifications of the decisions he made today. What sort of life awaited him in this foreign nation? Most importantly what did this mean for him and Agatha? It was a future clouded in obscurity, but he couldn't deny it. The Englishwoman robbed him of his heart and if she were the one to crush it, he wouldn't feel the least bit rueful.

[ravenqueensspecialboi]

Write Your Letters in the Sand

A gift for @cinnamon-freckles as a part of @dailyhaikyuu‘s Secret Santa!  I hope you enjoy!

Ship: DaiSuga Rating: T Word Count: 6,089 Summary: Sawamura Daichi and the crew of the Fukurokuju left Earth on December 29th, 2039.  They came back 87 years later to a planet they no longer recognize, but with inhabitants who recognize them. Tags: Time Travel AU, Space AU, Somewhat Scientifically Accurate Time Travel, Fluff, Comfort, Light Angst with a Happy Ending Read on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17238368

Fic under the cut!

Operation: Fukurokuju.  Mission Description: Deep Space Exploration to Proxima Centauri b. Launch Date: December 29th, 2039. Launch Time: 14:35.  Mission Director: Ukai Ikkei.  Mission Commander: Sawamura Daichi.

It was a cold, gray morning when Sawamura Daichi awoke early on December 29th.  His alarm gently beeped on the night stand as he cracked open one eye and then the other.  He sat up, rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and reached over to silence his alarm. The last one he'd been turning off for a while.  Well, on Earth any way.  Today was the day.  Days before his birthday, Sawamura Daichi was going to deep space.

It was an honor to be chosen for this mission.  Operation: Fukurokuju was JAXA's first manned deep space exploration mission, and he was one of eight astronauts to be selected for the team.  In fact, he had been selected for mission commander for this trip.  It wouldn't be Daichi's first trip into space; he had been on three trips to the International Space Station for a total of 90 days in space. But this time, he'd be on a deep space exploration mission, traveling at light speed to an exoplanet trillions of miles from Earth all in the name of data collection and research.  He shivered with excitement as he pulled himself out of bed.  He also shivered with nervous anticipation.

The previous night, Daichi had spent the last night he would ever have with his family.  Trillions of miles of travel meant travelling at light speed in order to reach the planet within the astronaut's lifetime. Travelling at light speed meant that there was a very real possibility of something going very, very wrong.  He didn't want to dwell on it too much, but as he prepared breakfast for one last time, he couldn't help but reflect on the first mission brief all those months ago.

"Our technology should be advanced enough that your ship should stay intact as you travel through light speed," Mission Director Ukai had told the crew on the first day of training, "and the cryogenic pods will help you maintain your body's regular functions."

Ukai had paused then, taking an unsteady breath before he added, "And because of time dilation, we can't guarantee you'll ever see your families again."

Ukai had held up a hand when the cries of shock and protest filled the room.  Once the assembled crew had quieted down, Ukai had continued, "We know that this will come as a surprise to some of you, especially those who may not have as strong of a background in physics.  However, this is a risk anyone who wants to participate in this mission must be willing to take."

"How much time would pass here on Earth?" an astronaut who would later drop the mission asked.

"Proxima b is 4.2 light years away, and you'll be spending three years in orbit around the planet collecting data," Ukai explained.  "It'll then be another 4.2 light years to return to Earth.  Not accounting for the two years in orbit, it might be about 80 years of time on Earth."

Another murmur had rippled through the assembled group.

"I know that the uncertainty of all of this is daunting," Ukai said, "but this is—quite literally—a once in a lifetime opportunity.  You get to work not only with your current generation of scientists, but future generations as well, exploring a planet that we know so little about.  This is a phenomenal opportunity for you all.  If you need to withdraw from the mission, I understand.  But I hope you'll all stay on."

In the end, they had to replace all but four crew members.  Daichi remained on as mission commander, as did his fellow astronauts and lifelong friends Azumane Asahi, Michimiya Yui, and Tanaka Ryuunosuke, the crew's physician, resident geologist and the crew's pilot respectively.  Added to the crew were Hinata Shouyou, Kageyama Tobio, Shimizu Kiyoko, and Ennoshita Chikara.  Hinata would act as their navigator and communications technician, Kiyoko their chief engineer, Ennoshita was an astrophysics researcher who specialized in exoplanets, and Kageyama was the systems operator for the journey.  They each had their specializations, and they knew the risks involved.  Still, they were all prepared to undertake the journey.  Daichi had nothing but respect and admiration for their dedication to space exploration.

After breakfast, Daichi took a quick lap around his apartment.  The place was bare; most of his furniture either left with his family or sold off.  He had been allowed one crate of personal effects, and those had been with JAXA for weeks now.  There was really nothing left for him there, but Daichi couldn't help but felt a twinge in his chest as he stepped into his bedroom for the last time.  His room was the only place with furnishings.  His parents would be by later to pick up his bed and dresser, taking the last of his clothes for donations and selling his remaining furniture off.  Daichi spun in a slow circle, taking in his bedroom, and his eyes fell on a lone picture frame on his dresser.  

He picked it up, turning it over to examine the picture.  It was a picture of his family during a birthday several years ago.  It must have been his sister Miko's birthday, as she was in the center of the photo.  Her wide smile had a missing tooth, placing this photo at her seventh birthday. Akane was seated to her left, his small hand reaching towards the cake, most likely in an effort to steal some frosting while Miko distracted.  Daichi in the picture had his hands resting on Miko's shoulders, eyes closed and head thrown back in laughter.  Neither of his parents were in the picture.  Daichi blinked back the tears that were welling in his eyes.  He knew that he was going to cry, but now wasn't the time.  He had other things to do.   Daichi took the picture out of the frame and folded it gently.  He tucked it into his pants pocket with a gentle pat; JAXA wouldn't mind if he brought along one more thing.

Daichi made his way back to the front room, stopping at the genkan to put on his shoes and his jacket. With one final look at his apartment, Daichi gave it a little wave, then left.  He locked the door, and dropped the key in the mailbox for his parents to find later.  Stepping out of the building into the early morning sun, Daichi checked his watch; 5:30am, just in time to watch the sunrise on the river bank.

It took Daichi about twenty minutes to make it his favorite spot on the river bank.  It was cold, but it wasn't snowing.  It rarely did in the city.  It was cold enough that he'd wished he'd brought a scarf, but he had donated his scarves a while ago.  He picked his way along the river bank, his hands shoved in his pockets as he made his way to a small alcove just behind a large boulder.  It was his favorite spot on the river bank, secluded, peaceful, empty.

Daichi sat on a large rock that sat on the edge of the water.  A gentle breeze ruffled through his short, dark hair as the sky steadily grew lighter and lighter.

"I knew I'd find you here," a familiar voice called.

Daichi turned to watch Azumane Asahi pick his way down the bank towards Daichi.  Daichi moved over to make space for Asahi to sit down. With a quiet grunt, Asahi sat on the rock, his gaze turned towards the sunrise.  They sat in silence for a few minutes, content to watch the clouds turn pink and orange as the sun finally rose over the horizon.

"Whatever you're about to say, keep it to yourself," Daichi said after a moment, reaching down to run a finger through the freezing sand.

Asahi blinked twice, his mouth dropping in shock.

"How did you-?"

"You do it every mission, Azumane," Daichi teased.  "You always make some speech about us blasting off to explore the vast unknown for the betterment of humanity like a sentimental senpai in a manga."

"Pot, meet kettle," Asahi scoffed, giving Daichi a playful shove.  "If anyone in the organization overhypes missions with sentimental speeches, it's you."

"Fair, fair," Daichi said, letting the conversation lapse back into silence. After a few minutes, he gestured for Asahi to speak.

"Oh, so now you want my sentimentality."

"Get on with it, Azumane."

Asahi sighed, pulling his knees up to his chest.  "We're going to be leaving Earth for who knows how long."

Daichi hummed in agreement.

"There's no way we're making it back to Earth while our families are still alive, and who knows what Earth will be like when we get back."

"If we get back."

"I'm trying to be optimistic here," Asahi said, glaring at Daichi.

"Sorry, go ahead."

Asahi nodded, "Thank you.  As I was saying, who knows what Earth will be like when we get back.  And frankly, that scares me.  That absolutely terrifies me.  And I'm scared about what will happen to my parents when I'm gone.  The future is uncertain, and that scares the shit out of me."

Asahi stopped, tears welling up in his eyes.  Daichi reached out and pat Asahi's hand, waiting for him to continue.  After a minute, Asahi wiped his eyes and took a shuddering breath.

"But, I know that things are going to be okay.  I'm going on this mission surrounded by people I've known for years, people that are my friends and that I love.  We're going to be gone for a long time, but I'm not going alone.  I'll be with people who have my back, and I'll have theirs. We're going to be okay."

Daichi pulled his friend into a tight hug.  Asahi wrapped his arms around Daichi without hesitation.  Daichi knew he was crying, and he knew Asahi was crying, but neither of them addressed it.  It would ruin the moment otherwise.

"Come on," Daichi said after a minute, his voice heavy with emotion, "let's go to space."

Daichi helped Asahi off of the rock.  Asahi went first, picking his way back up the bank to the road.  Daichi's gaze dropped to the sand next to the rock.  He had traced his name in the sand, just out of reach of the waves.  One last piece of himself left on Earth.  Daichi turned away and climbed the bank after Asahi.  He had a ship to catch.

***

The mission had been a success, in Daichi's mind, but at the same time, three years in orbit hadn't nearly been enough time to fully study the planet.  Chikara and Yui had found some interesting data on the planet, but they could have found so much more if they were allowed to stay.  The Fukurokuju had very little problems thanks to Kiyoko and Tobio's teamwork, any problem the ship may have had was fixed under their careful scrutiny. Ryuu, finding that his own job wasn't as important during the orbiting stage, learned how to navigate drones to and from the planet's surface.  Daichi, needing something to pass the time, assisted Shouyou in creating star charts and relaying communications back to JAXA.

It wasn't all work onboard the Fukurokuju.  The crew made it a point to send an over-the-top Christmas photo back to Earth once a year along with pictures of birthday parties and zero gravity antics.  As it turned out, Chikara was an excellent filmmaker and spent plenty of time documenting the day to day life of the crew.  The crew also set a record for the most amount of weddings held on a space ship outside of the Milky Way, with Kiyoko and Yui, and Shouyou and Tobio all marrying within one rotation of one another.  Daichi had officiated both weddings, and the crew held a joint reception between the two couples.  The ship's interior had been filled with makeshift decorations that hadn't come down for weeks.

But the three years were up, and the Fukurokuju hurtled back towards Earth at the speed of light.  The ship dropped out of light speed somewhere around Mars and had been on a steady course for Earth for months.  Soon enough, they were approaching Earth.

Shouyou was the first to spot Earth, dragging Tobio over to one of the ship's windows with a loud, "Tobio, you need to see this!"  Tobio tried to resist at first—citing cryopod maintenance as a top priority—but once he caught a glimpse of Earth he froze.  He wrapped an arm around his husband's shoulder and pulled him close, marveling at the blue speck that grew closer and closer.  The rest of the crew was alerted soon after and preparations for atmospheric entry began.  Within a week, the crew was strapping into place and preparing for their descent back to the planet's surface.

"Hey Daichi," Ryuu called from the pilot's chair, "I think you should let Chōfu know we're coming.  Don't want them to think we're aliens or anything."

Daichi rolled his eyes as he pressed a button on the coms board and said, "Chōfu, this is Mission Commander Sawamura Daichi of the Fukurokuju.  We're beginning our descent through Earth's atmosphere.  We'll transmit you our coordinates for pickup once we land. Over."

Silence.  Ryuu looked over at Daichi with an eyebrow raised. The rest of the crew looked on with mild concern.

"Do our coms not work anymore?" Yui asked.

Daichi pressed the button again, speaking louder this time, "Chōfu, do you copy?  This is Mission Commander Sawamura Daichi of the Fukurokuju.  We're beginning our descent and we're requesting pickup on impact.  Over."

More silence.  Then came a crackle from the coms.

"Fukurokuju, we copy," said a calm voice. "We have someone tracking your shuttle now and we'll have someone meet you at your landing point."

The crew let out a cheer of relief.  Daichi sighed as he pressed the button again, "Roger that."

"Oh, and Commander?" the voice said.

"Yes?"

"Welcome home."

Daichi smiled. Satisfied, he sat back in his seat and nodded at Ryuu.

"Alright Ryuu, bring us home," Daichi said.

Ryuu gave Daichi a small salute.  "Yes, sir."

As Ryuu piloted the ship down through the Kármán Line, a well of emotions bubbled up inside Daichi. They had made it, they were home.

***

Touchdown was rockier—or rather, wetter—than the crew anticipated.  The ship overshot land by a few miles and landed in the Pacific Ocean. They'd been lucky that the ship's landing gears included floatation mechanisms, but they still had to wait for several hours for a ship large enough to pick them up from the ocean.  Daichi had radioed Chōfu again, and the person on the other end had laughed hysterically before telling Daichi that a ship was on the way.  The ship that came to get them, however, was something they weren't prepared for.  For starters, it skimmed just above the water.  No, it wasn't skimming.  It was hovering.

The crew gaped as the large gray vessel slowed to a halt in front of them.  It certainly looked like a carrier, but carriers didn't hover like that. They also didn't rise into the air high enough to open the bottom of the hull and pull the Fukurokuju inside using a tractor beam.  It was like something out of a sci-fi novel.

"I'm starting to think that Ukai was onto something with the whole 'time dilation equals time travel' thing," Asahi muttered to Daichi as they stepped off of the Fukurokuju and onto the floor of the now closed hull.

"Well, if you're thinking that it's 2044, then you're right.  Welcome to Earth, circa 2127."

The crew turned to see a group approaching their own.  They were led by a blond man with—surprisingly—piercings and his hair held back by an athletic headband.  Daichi noted that the group following him was all dressed in what appeared to be JAXA uniforms, but one in particular caught his eye.  Standing near the front of the group was the most gorgeous man Daichi had ever seen.  He was Daichi's height with the fluffiest silver hair Daichi had ever seen.  He was toned, Daichi could tell that much from the uniform.  His amber eyes seemed locked on Daichi, and Daichi felt a blush creep across his face. The silver haired man flashed him a quick smirk and Daichi groaned internally.  That was entirely unfair of this stranger; he been in space with people he considered family that he'd forgotten how to cope with attractive people.

Thankfully, the blond haired man stepped in between Daichi and the source of his torment, snapping Daichi out of his stupor.  The man held a hand out to Daichi, "Ukai Keishin.  You worked with my grandfather."

Daichi looked between the man's hand and his face before grasping it.  "Sawamura Daichi.  You look an awful lot like him," Daichi remarked.  "Wait, did you say 2127?"

Ukai shrugged, "We're going to wait to debrief you all until we're back in Chōfu.  We've set up some temporary quarters for you here on the carrier so you can freshen up and all that.  I can't imagine you've had an easy return journey."

There was a murmur of agreement amongst the crew.  Daichi knew he was probably exhausted, but he had questions.

Ukai seemed to sense this as he gave Daichi a weary smile, "Rest up, you'll find out everything you need to know later.  Tsukishima, Yachi, Yamaguchi.  Please escort the crew of the Fukurokuju to their quarters.  Takeda, with me.  The rest of you, back to work."

Two men and a woman stepped away from the group.  The girl, Yachi, pointed out a room for Kiyoko and Yui to while Tsukishima and Yamaguchi led the others to their own rooms.  The doors were opened by handprint, again, something Daichi had only seen in sci-fi.  It was a little unnerving, but then again, he had apparently spent the last 84 years living a sci-fi story, so he really he had no leg to stand on.  Tsukishima—the taller of the two—gave Daichi a solemn nod before turning to let Asahi and the others into their rooms.  As Daichi entered his room, he could hear a voice call down the hallway, "Are these the missing astronauts?"

'Missing?' Daichi thought as the door closed behind him.  'Were we missing?'

Daichi shook his head and surveyed the room before him.  It was the same gray as the rest of the ship, with a tiny window overlooking the ocean. There was a bed, a side bathroom, and a dresser up against one wall.  A single change of clothes had been placed on top of the dresser.  Otherwise, the room was bare.  Daichi crossed to the dresser and picked up the clothes – a T-shirt and a pair of jeans.

"How did they know our sizes?" Daichi wondered aloud.  "Maybe they were still on file or something."

Daichi shrugged his shoulders; one more question to add to the list.  He set the clothes down and stripped off the top of his flight suit. He peeled off the undershirt and dropped it to the floor.

"Excuse me," said a voice from behind him.

Daichi nearly jumped out of his skin, spinning on his heel to glare at the newcomer.  The silver-haired man from before stood in the doorway.  He held up his hands in a placating manner, a wide but sheepish grin plastered on his face.

"Hi, sorry, didn't mean to scare you," he said.  "Can I come in?"

Daichi blinked twice, then nodded, "It's, uh… it's okay.  Come in."

The other man lowered his hands as he stepped over the threshold.  He gave the room a once over before returning his attention to Daichi. "My name's Sugawara Koushi," he told Daichi. "I was the one who gave you contacted when you started your reentry and when you landed in the ocean."

"Nice to meet you, Sugawara.  I'm Sawamura Daichi, but I guess you already knew that."

"Call me Suga, all my friends do."

"Alright then. Suga it is."

Suga's face suddenly turned a bright red and he gave a quick cough.  Daichi quirked an eyebrow, then looked down.  His own face flushed as he realized he was still shirtless.  Suga picked up the shirt from the nearby desk and tossed it at Daichi.  Daichi snatched it out of the air and pulled it over his head.  Suga was staring at him and it was making Daichi a little uneasy.

"Thank you for your help by the way," Daichi said as he tugged the shirt into place.

"What?" Suga asked, snapping out of whatever little world he had been in. "Oh, it’s nothing, really.  I imagine it'd be kind of scary to crash land in the middle of the ocean and have no one come pick you up."

"Yeah, it was a little concerning," Daichi agreed.  "Especially since we weren't expecting a helicarrier to come get us."

"A helicarrier?"

"It's from an American superhero movie, don't worry about it," Daichi said.

Suga nodded.  He opened his mouth to say something else, but was interrupted by a sudden commotion out in the hallway.  Suga poked his head out of the door and groaned.

"I gotta get going," he said.  "It looks like Nishinoya's trying to make friends in the most destructive way possible."

Suga left before Daichi could say anything, but Daichi figured out what he meant when he looked out into the hallway.  Shouyou, Tobio, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi watched as Ryuu picked up a short man—Nishinoya, maybe?—in a JAXA uniform and lifted him over his head, much to the delight of the man.  Asahi, Chikara, Kiyoko, and Yui were suspiciously absent.

"Wow, 21st Century humans are a lot stronger than I thought they'd be," Daichi could hear him say.

"It's either that, or you're really small," Tsukishima said.

"You got something to say to me, bean pole?" Nishinoya snapped.

"I bet I could pick you up too," Ryuu said, setting Nishinoya down.

Shouyou chanted in response, "Do it, do it, do it!"

"Don't you dare," Tsukishima hissed as he took a step back.

Suga stepped forward at that point, a stern look on his face.  For the briefest of moments, Daichi thought that he was going to put an end to the shenanigans.

"You're gonna hurt your back if you try lifting him.  Let me help you."

Tsukishima gaped at Suga before turning tail and booking it out of the corridor.  Daichi smacked his head against the doorframe; it was going to be a long trip back to land.

***

The following week was a blur of debriefings and press conferences that left Daichi's head spinning. They'd been given rooms at a JAXA owned dormitory—a new feature as of 2115, according to Suga—and then they'd immediately been swept up in debriefings: what happened in the 87 years they were gone, what they experienced in space, general mission debriefs. But then everyone at JAXA wanted to meet with the "missing astronauts" as they were come to be known. Then every other space program wanted a meeting with the crew as well.  As did every news corporation and world politician.  It was a week of press junket after press junket after meeting after press junket.  None of the crew seemed to be handling that part well, but least of all Daichi.  As mission commander, he was the star of almost every interview.  Everyone in the 22nd Century wanted to get to know the man in charge of the Fukurokuju crew.  It was exhausting.

One good thing that came out of all of this was Suga.  Within the span of a week, the man had become a close friend and guide for Daichi and the rest of the crew.  Daichi wasn't sure how, but it felt like he'd known Suga forever, given how seamlessly he blended in with the group.  The century's difference between him and the crew was nonexistent.  He was funny, supportive, informative, and charming. He took the crew out on a tour of Chōfu their first morning back, receiving only a mild reprimand from Ukai once they got back.  He'd bring food for the crew in between press conferences and answer questions about 22nd Century life.  He always had a quip or a joke whenever someone was feeling down.  Daichi had to admit it, he was falling hard and fast. Really, it was hard not to when he made it a point to see Daichi and the crew at least three times a day, including dropping by Daichi's quarters once a day.  Aside from the blossoming feelings of infatuation, Daichi recognized something in Suga.  He was a source of comfort.

This was especially nice after a particularly brutal interview that involved way too many questions about his family and whether or not he'd been in contact with any potential relatives.  Daichi was embarrassed to say that he had stormed out of that interview, but really, who could blame him?  He may have been slowly adjusting to life on Earth almost a century after he'd left it, but his family was still a sensitive spot.  If either of his siblings had had kids, or grandkids, none of them had reached out to him.  Or maybe they had and JAXA hadn't passed on the messages.  Regardless, it wasn't something he wanted to talk about.    

Suga had been waiting for him when he left the press room, his smile fading at the look on Daichi's face. He followed Daichi back to his quarters in silence.  He waited patiently while Daichi opened the door, and then followed him inside. Daichi flopped down onto the bed with a sigh.  Suga remained by the door, tense and silent.

"I don't know how you feel about hugs," Suga began after a minute, "but you sure look like you need one."

Daichi sat up.  He studied Suga for a moment, his eyes roving over Suga's worried expression, his amber eyes flashed with empathy.  Daichi gave Suga a curt nod.  The tension seemed to drop from Suga's shoulders as he approached Daichi.  He pulled Daichi to his feet, then pulled him into a tight embrace that knocked some of the wind out of Daichi's lungs.  Suga, Daichi was pleased to discover, gave fantastic hugs.  Daichi relaxed as he wrapped his arms around Suga's waist and tucked his face into the crook of Suga's neck, the tension of a long week seeping away into nothingness as he just stood there and let himself be held.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," Suga whispered.  "But if you need to, I'm here for you."

Daichi took one long, shuddering breath, then exhaled.  "They asked about my family."

"Someone asked Kiyoko and Yui about it in their joint interview the other day," Suga remarked. "You'd think that would be on the 'Don't ask' list, but reporters are nosy."

Daichi snorted, "At least that much hasn't changed since the 21st Century."

They fell back into silence. Suga brought a hand up to run his fingers through Daichi's hair, the other rubbing small circles across his back. Daichi closed his eyes and let himself relax further into Suga's touch.  He could feel himself drifting off in Suga's arms, but he didn't care.  This felt right.  It felt like home.

"Do you wish you hadn't gone?" Suga asked.  "To space, I mean."

Well, wasn't that the question?

"I… don't know," Daichi admitted.  "Part of me wishes that I could have grown with my family, but then again, if I hadn't…"

Daichi trailed off, letting the unspoken then I wouldn't have met you hang in the air.

Suga pulled away from Daichi enough to look him in the eye.  There was a fire there as he said, "Wait here."

"Suga?"

"I'll be right back," Suga told him, pulling away and leaving the room.

Daichi immediately missed Suga's warmth.  With a snap, Daichi realized just how much he craved Suga's company.  He was something familiar in unfamiliar territory, a piece of driftwood in the unknown sea of the 22nd Century.  In less poetic terms, Daichi was fucked.  With a groan, he collapsed back on his bed.  Falling for a guy he had met a week ago was the exact icing on top of the cake of weirdness Daichi had to deal with.

Suga's voice came from the doorway a few seconds later, "Don't fall asleep on me now.  I violated several archival rules to bring you this surprise."

Daichi sat back up as Suga crossed the room to sit next to him.  In his hands was a small JAXA tablet.  Daichi glanced between the tablet and Suga's face.  Suga beamed with excitement as he held the tablet out to Daichi.

"Since your mission was one of the most famous space exploration missions in the last century, everything about your lives was documented," Suga explained as he tapped the screen and held it out to Daichi.  "That included interviews with your families."

Daichi froze, his hand inches from the tablet.  "They interviewed our families?"

"That they did," Suga replied.  "Do you want to see yours?"

Daichi swallowed, tears rolling down his face as he whispered, "Please."

Suga brushed the tears from Daichi's face, the gentle touch more than Daichi could handle at the moment. Suga moved his hand from Daichi's face to his shoulder, then pressed the screen of the tablet.  On the screen were his parents, significantly older than they had been when he had left Earth.

"It's been hard for us, without Daichi," his mother said with tears in her eyes. "But we know that what he's doing is important.  His work has meant so much to him, I'm glad that of all of the people working with JAXA, our Daichi was the one who got to go."

"We're so proud of him, we really are," his father chimed in.  "We like to tell his nieces and nephews that if they look closely, they can track his ship across the night sky."

Daichi's heart skipped a beat; he'd had nieces and nephews.

"If you could tell Mission Commander Sawamura one thing, what would it be?" a voice off-screen asked.

His parents exchanged a loving, but pained look.  Then his mother turned back to the screen and spoke, "We love you, Daichi.  Please come back to Earth safe and sound."

"Name a crater after me if there are any on Proxima b," his father added with a chuckle.

The video ended there. Daichi didn't mind too much that it was a short clip; the tears falling from his eyes obscured the screen anyway. Suga set the tablet to the side and pulled Daichi in for another hug.

"They loved you so much," Suga whispered.  "They were so proud of you, and they loved you so much."

Daichi pressed his face into the crook of Suga's neck.  He took a deep breath and said, "Thank you, Koushi.  I… This means a lot to me."

Suga tensed for a moment, clearly caught off guard by the use of his given name.  For a moment, Daichi worried that he'd crossed a line. After a moment, however, Suga squeezed him tight.

"You're welcome, Daichi."

***

It took six months for the press conferences to finally stop.  By that time, the crew of the Fukurokuju had officially settled into life in the 22 Century.  Yui and Kiyoko had moved out of the dormitory and back to the small town in Miyagi they had grown up in.  They found jobs at the local university, with Yui working in the geology department and Kiyoko taking on a job in the Engineering department.  Shouyou, Tobio and Ryuu stayed on with JAXA, training future astronauts in flight, systems operations and navigation.  Chikara got a job as a science consultant for movies, as well as a teaching position at a local university in Tokyo.  Asahi found work at a local hospital near Chōfu. Daichi also stayed on with JAXA as a mission director, but moved back into his old apartment.  It was bittersweet to come back to it, but it had been his home almost one hundred years ago.  He needed the familiarity.

To his delight, Koushi continued to drop by unannounced almost every single day.  Usually he brought food, but sometimes, he just brought himself.  Whenever he'd show up, they would hang around Daichi's apartment and talk until sunset, then Daichi would take Koushi out for walks around town, showing him all of his old haunts and comparing them to how they were 87 years previous.  Koushi usually had a remark about Daichi being ancient when Daichi would complain about "new fangled technology" and Daichi would easily counter with an exasperated "kids these days".

It was in moments like that where Daichi discovered little things about Koushi that made him fall even deeper in love.  The bridge of Koushi's nose scrunched when he laughed.  Koushi's eyes would flash a little just before the delivery of a swift jab to Daichi's ribs after a terrible joke.  Koushi played with strands of his hair when he was nervous, or lost in thought.  Koushi's smile was brightest whenever Daichi used his given name.  Koushi's eyes flickered between Daichi's and Daichi's lips whenever Daichi spoke.  Koushi always hugged Daichi tightest whenever the group would split for the night. Koushi flushed a light pink whenever Daichi caught him staring.  It was all of the little things that made Daichi love Koushi more and more with each passing day.  And it was about time he did something about it.  

On Koushi's birthday, Daichi and Koushi went for one of their usual sunset walks.  They stopped by Koushi's favorite ice cream shop before Daichi led him to the river bank he'd frequent 87 years ago.  They made their way across the river bank, their hands brushing against each other.  Feeling brave, Daichi laced his fingers with Koushi's.  Koushi gave Daichi's hand a squeeze.  Warmth spread across Daichi's cheeks as he grinned.

"So, where are you taking me, Sawamura?" Koushi asked.  "You've been awfully secretive about this whole birthday adventure."

"I bought you ice cream, didn't I?" Daichi teased.

"Don't dodge the question."

"It's one of my favorite places in Chōfu."  Daichi said.

He led Koushi to the alcove. To his delight, the area remained unchanged.  He sat on the rock closest to the water's edge.  Koushi sat next to him, pulling his knees to his chest and resting his head on Daichi's shoulder.  The sun set behind them, leaving the pair to admire the twilight sky.  Daichi reached down to the sand below and traced his and Koushi's names into the sand.

"Anytime I left Earth, I'd come here to watch either the sunrise first," Daichi explained.  "It was always so tranquil here.  No one would find me; it was just me and the world around me.  Knowing that I would be coming back to this was what made me want to go to space in the first place.  I always had something to come back to."

"Thank you for sharing this with me," Koushi whispered, lacing his fingers with Daichi's again.

Daichi sat back a little, turning to look at Koushi.  He studied the other man's face for a moment before he asked, "Can I kiss you?"

Koushi blinked at Daichi, then punched him in the shoulder.  "I've been waiting for you to ask for six months, Sawamura!"

Daichi laughed as he rubbed his arm, "You know, you could have taken the initiative."

"Shut up and kiss me, asshole."

All too happy to comply, Daichi cupped Koushi's chin and pulled him into the kiss.  It was a simple thing, as far as kisses went.  It was a gentle kiss, but it had just the right amount of passion behind it to send shivers down Daichi's back.  Koushi brought his hands up to rest on Daichi's shoulders.  He tilted his head to deepen the kiss, and it was like the final piece of a jigsaw puzzle falling into place.  It felt right, being there with Koushi.  Koushi was comfort, Koushi was home.

"I love you," Daichi whispered against Koushi's lips.

Koushi pulled back to press a kiss to Daichi's forehead.  "I love you too," he replied.

They stayed that way for a while, trading gentle kisses as they watched the sky turn black.  It was exactly where Daichi wanted to be.

[kusunogatari-a]

[ SasuHinaMonth Day Twenty-Two: ANBU ] [ @sasuhinamonth ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata, Uchiha Itachi ] [ SasuHina ] [ Verse: A Light Amongst Shadows ]

He’d considered the position, once upon a time. After his return to Konoha, what with his brother rejoining the corps, Sasuke thought that ANBU may have been a proper outlet. Dangerous missions, masked faces, and a direct hand in stopping the greatest threats to the village he’s determined to reshape.

...but in the end, he’s glad he didn’t.

In truth, he wouldn’t have minded the role. But his current path - reforming and revamping the police force - is closer to his most critical goal. That being ensuring that the village soaked in his clan’s blood stays on a better path that he and Itachi started. While his brother and the rest of the ANBU black ops confront the hidden threats, he and the rest of the police tackle that in plain sight. He interacts directly with the villagers, regaining the trust he’s lost...and rekindling his love of the village proper. Not its dark politics or string-pullers...but the people. Those who make the heart and soul of Konoha.

Besides...if he didn’t...he wouldn’t have met her.

Well...re-met her. They weren’t the best of friends, but he knew Hinata from a young age. Hard not to as main family members of major clans, especially with their similar roots and abilities. And as the same age, they’d attended the Academy together. But there’d never been that push or pull toward each other then.

And in all honesty, he hasn’t really intended it now, either.

Despite her prior position as heiress, Hinata is now mostly a regular Hyūga clan member. Advisor to her sister alongside her cousin, she’s mostly your typical shinobi. But when Sasuke brings forth the idea of their alliance extending into his plans to rebuild the police force, she takes the plan to heart...and signs up herself.

“You sure this is what you want?”

“What do you mean?”

Sasuke nods his head toward the other gathered Hyūga currently speaking with his cousin. “...this. It’s a far cry from shinobi work, honestly.”

“Well, what about you? What makes you want to do this?”

A dark eye blinks, his Rinnegan hidden under his slanted hitai-ate. “...it’s what my family did. And I think it’s a good idea - help give the village more internal structure for law enforcement.”

“Oh…” Apparently she wasn’t expecting that answer. “...I guess I...saw you as more of an ANBU sort.”

“You’re not the first person to make that suggestion. And I doubt you’ll be the last.”

“Are you...against it?”

“No. I just think this will get me closer to what I want.”

“Which is…?”

...didn’t he just tell her?

Hinata’s head tilts, looking to him with those pale eyes of hers. “...are those really the only reasons…?”

“What does it matter to you?”

“Well, if you’re going to do this...you should take it seriously. Which I can see you are. It just seems like an undertaking that would take more...motivation than that, is all. You don’t owe me any answers, Sasuke-kun. But...if my clan and I are going to be working with you, shouldn’t we know what we’re getting into, and why?”

He heaves a soft breath. “...it’s true, ANBU do a lot of good in keeping the village safe from the outside...but I want to do something more...internal. At first I thought that meant being Hokage, but...I don’t think I’m a leader. Not on that scale, at least. What I want…” He trails off, gathering his thoughts. “...when we dissolved the old council - took away their power - we made a huge internal change. It’s now up to Kakashi and his administration to build on that. I guess...I want to start small. Work from the inside out. It’s true, there will always be shadowy places and people in the hidden villages. And my brother is managing them. I could join him, true…”

Sasuke looks to the other Hyūga. “...I guess I just want something more...real. More...tangible. Observable. Konoha is more than its most powerful, influential people. I could be one of them...but I want to take that and use it to work on the rest.”

Waiting to be sure he’s done talking, Hinata smiles. “...I think that’s an admirable goal. You have a point...there’s not a lot done on a basic level in the village. Sure, genin do bits and pieces...but most shinobi handle affairs outside Konoha. Maybe it’s time we have some dedicated to what happens inside.”

He nods...and then asks, “What about you? Why give up normal missions for something like this?”

“Hm…” Considering that for a long moment, she replies, “...I think, for reasons similar to yours. I have diplomacy training - even if I’m not heiress anymore, it was still required of me. I know how to talk with people - ensure things go smoothly. And...civilians need that when face to face with those who uphold the law, right…?” Her lips lift. “I’m used to dealing with my clan. I think that, and my abilities, would make me a decent officer, don’t you think? I can stop what happens...but also address the other details, too.

“As for a why...I just think that will be more useful in the long run. It’s true, we lost many shinobi in the war...but so too has the demand for us declined since the war’s end. The world is changing. Maybe roles like this are more suitable. More...important. Those like ANBU are still necessary, but...maybe someday, they won’t be.”

Sasuke gives a soft snort. “Job security it is, then?”

Hinata replies with a look.

“Not cut out for ANBU yourself, are you?”

“...no. I don’t think I could do missions like that. I understand that what they do needs to be done, but...it just all feels a little beyond me. I prefer what’s out in the open. You know?”

“...yeah.”

Silence falls for a time.

“...well, I guess it’s good we’ve got our alternative, huh?”

She smiles. “It is. I’m excited to get started! But also a little nervous...strange, isn’t it? You’d think after a war like the last, nothing could really phase us. But...I don’t know. It’s still a little daunting.”

“Hn...our scale of normal might be a little skewed after all that, but we’re still human. Still have our own doubts and fears. But you’ll do fine - you’re a capable shinobi. This work might have a slightly different tone to it, but something tells me it’s right up your alley.”

“Oh...well, thank you. I guess there’s only one way to find out, huh?”

His only reply is a nod.

While the work they garner in the months that follow is nothing as prestigious or respected as others, the pair find themselves immersed in just what they wanted. It’s not long before the new police force builds a shining reputation, the combined clans’ efforts rewarded as civilians and officers foster a mutual respect and camaraderie. Konoha’s streets have scarcely been safer, nor its people as content.

“It looks like the UHPF is doing fine work.”

Turning to his brother, Sasuke lifts a brow. “Heard that, did you?”

“I did indeed.”

“Funny, never hear much about yours.”

Itachi chuckles, ruffling Sasuke’s already-untameable locks. “...I think that’s as it should be, don’t you think?”

“...guess you’re right.”

     Word count: 1222      Cumulative: 28,198      Blugh, this prompt gave me trouble. While I do like the idea of Sasuke in ANBU, I don’t really have a verse for it, nor Hinata. So I struggled with how to incorporate this prompt. Tbh I’m...not too fond of this piece, but it had to get done. I’m already behind OTL So, apologies if that sort of came through in the writing, but I don’t think I could have done much better with this particular prompt =/      Probably won’t get today’s piece done today - too much to do otherwise, on top of a headache. But I’ll do my best to catch up when I can~

[gamerszone2019-blog]

Astral Chain Review - Anime Police Academy

New Post has been published on https://gamerszone.tn/astral-chain-review-anime-police-academy/

Astral Chain Review - Anime Police Academy

Seeing Astral Chain in motion may be what catches your eye, but the graceful execution of attacks is something you have to experience for yourself. Astral Chain delivers gratifying, kinetic, and inventive combat that goes beyond genre conventions–and it retains that excitement from start to finish. Couple that with an attractive art style brought to life through fluid animation and cinematic-style cuts in battle and you have yet another standout action experience from developer Platinum Games.

As an elite cop on the Neuron special task force, it’s your job to investigate the ever-growing presence of the otherworldly Chimera that threaten the world. Catastrophic incidents are abound as Chimera spill in from an alternate dimension, the astral plane, but of course there’s more to the phenomenon than meets the eye. To get to the bottom of it all, you simultaneously control both your player-character and a Legion, a separate entity with its own attacks and abilities–think of it as a Stand from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. This dynamic is at the heart of Astral Chain’s combat.

Astral Chain’s sense of style bursts at the seams with each battle.

It takes time to get the hang of it, but once you do, working in tandem with a roster of Legions feels seamless. You earn Legions over time, accruing a total of five, and each one offers their own set of skills and cooldown attacks to upgrade via a skill tree. While they can be sent into the fray to perform auto-attacks, swapping between them effectively to juggle specific abilities creates the satisfaction of tearing down the monstrous Chimeras.

Initially, there are so many variables at play that it can be daunting. You have chain binds to lock enemies down for a few seconds, timing-based sync attacks that unleash devastating blows, and showstopping sync finishers that top off the wild spectacle (and replenish your health to boot). You can even get creative with combos, like utilizing the AOE stun, gravity pull, and crash bomb–all from different Legions–to concentrate a ton of damage on. Even an unchained combo lets you briefly unleash two Legions at once. And if that already seems like a lot to handle, you’ll also have to consider executing special attacks from directional inputs when it’s best to use them.

When you dig deeper into Astral Chain’s systems, you see some of its lineage–particularly the chip system of Nier: Automata, the game which Astral Chain director Takahisa Taura was lead designer on. That system manifests as Ability Codes that you equip on each of your Legions to grant them specific buffs and perks, which can significantly change how they function.

Astral Chain isn’t about running head-first into fights against monsters that seek to destroy you, though. You have to be smart about positioning, dodging, and the limited energy of your Legion. Enemies are more than just fodder; they can overwhelm you with sheer numbers, size, or speed. Some may require you to meet certain conditions to defeat them, forcing you to use non-combat abilities in the midst of the chaos. And bosses come at you with unforgiving attacks that’ll test your skill as much as your patience.

You have options for creating your own cool anime cop, it’s too bad they never really talk.

With a multitude of factors and challenges at play, combat places much more emphasis on devising the right tactics for the right situation. Astral Chain provides a tremendous box of tools that are effective in their own right and an absolute joy to use.

If there’s a fault gameplay-wise, it’s that movement can sometimes feel imprecise–don’t expect the same buttery smoothness of Bayonetta. For example, the Beast Legion’s mount mode winds up in an unpredictable direction, and the pistol combo forces you to flip backward. It may result in falling off ledges or unintentionally getting in harm’s way. Thankfully, it’s an occasional frustration that doesn’t detract from the core experience.

Astral Chain delivers gratifying, kinetic, and inventive combat that goes beyond genre conventions–and it retains that excitement from start to finish.

If you watch gameplay carefully, you quickly see how slow-motion, camera cuts, and subtle audio-visual cues in combat serve to signify opportune times to make your move. These flourishes are also how the game cements its bold sense of style. Popular manga artist Masakazu Katsura lent his hand to lead the character designs, resulting in some of the best-looking anime cops around. And when your bombastic actions in battle are matched by visually-striking momentum and tenacity, it delivers a unique thrill that makes Astral Chain special to see in motion.

Further complementing the game’s grand spectacle is its soundtrack. The groovy house tune heard in the police headquarters is infectious and the somber guitar melody at the stray cat safehouse hits like a reprieve from the chaos that envelops the world. Tense instrumentals and hard-hitting rock remixes of songs seamlessly bounce between one another during some combat missions. Unrelenting metal tracks propel boss battles and an ethereal Nier-like theme plays in the astral plane. Sprinkle in some J-rock worthy of an anime OP and Astral Chain rounds out the musical spectrum to great effect.

Astral Chain isn’t just about flashiness and stylish action, though. You’re given room to breathe between combat scenarios that comprise its chapters (or Files, as they’re called). Structurally, it’s somewhere between the traditional open world of Nier: Automata and segmented stages of Bayonetta–chapters funnel you through hub areas where you’re free to take part in side missions or explore for optional activities. Not everything is laid out on your map, so it takes some detective work to unveil all the hidden content.

Astral Chain’s shortcomings don’t overshadow what it does best. It’s an incredible execution of a fresh take on Platinum Games’ foundation, standing among the stylish-action greats.

Investigation scenarios are peppered within the main missions, where you analyze the environment and talk to locals to solve the mysteries at hand. Piecing the clues together properly awards you with a top rank, and it’s no sweat if you get things wrong. You’ll often jump into segments of the astral plane, which feature the more intense fights, and these areas incorporate light puzzle/platforming elements that ask you to use Legion powers in different ways.

The activities you undertake outside of combat aren’t exactly groundbreaking, but they provide enjoyable ways to engage with Astral Chain’s vivid world. It’s a welcome variety that also helps the pacing from chapter to chapter. Astral Chain never sits on one particular element for too long; it knows when to move on.

Investigation is just one way Astral Chain breaks up the pace.

Now, style doesn’t always equal substance. The overarching plot touches on the conventions of evil authority figures who abuse the power of science for their own agendas, and it also relates to the nature of how you’re able to wield the power of Legions, which are tamed Chimera. However, these themes are hardly explored. Rather, Astral Chain relies on cliches within its story and exposition. As a result, the more pivotal moments feel a bit less consequential. While some anime-esque tropes are just plain fun to see play out, others are borderline nonsensical even in context.

While you choose to play as a customized male or female cop on a special task force, your sibling–who’s on the same team–becomes the narrative focal point with fully voiced dialogue. Your own character is relegated to being an awkward silent protagonist. It’s disappointing because Astral Chain has so much stylistic potential to build from in order to give its lead character a distinct attitude. I can’t help but see it as a missed opportunity, especially when both characters are voiced when they’re your partner. In the end, the narrative presents stakes that are just high enough that you’ll want to see it to the end, and, thankfully, every other part of the game remains outstanding.

Astral Chain’s shortcomings don’t overshadow what it does best. It’s an incredible execution of a fresh take on Platinum Games’ foundation, standing among the stylish-action greats. And its own anime-inspired swagger makes fights all the more exhilarating. You’ll come to appreciate the calmer moments in between that add variety and offer a second to relax before jumping back into the superb combat. After 40 hours with Astral Chain, I’m still eager to take on the tougher challenges, and I’ll be grinning from ear to ear as I hit all the right moves, one after the other, while watching it all unfold.

Source : Gamesport

[airoasis]

How to learn any language easily | Matthew Youlden | TEDxClapham

New Post has been published on https://hititem.kr/how-to-learn-any-language-easily-matthew-youlden-tedxclapham/

How to learn any language easily | Matthew Youlden | TEDxClapham

Translator: Hoa Pham Reviewer: Denise RQ studying a language can consider a little like rocket science, anything out of this world and out of attain for the big majority of us. This isn’t a belief, nonetheless, simply held by means of many English monolinguals on our island. It’s also shared through many of our linguistic cousins additional afield, say, in the united states or Australia. Let’s be sincere: with regards to finding out languages or speakme them, we are the kind of individuals that likes to consider we’re fluent in a mess of various languages corresponding to Geordie, Kiwi, Cockney, or what about Canadian? Do not get me unsuitable. I’m very, very happy with my Mancunian heritage, but i wouldn’t advocate it is a separate language simply yet. In the end, we are not looking for subtitles when we are observing Coronation avenue, now can we? Even though i will see you two saying, "I do." (Laughter) but, despite this, should you had been to move the Channel, or say, if you’re feeling reasonably extra adventurous, pass the Severn Estuary into Wales, there you may find that talking one more language or being bilingual is comfortably a reality.Yet, there and further afield, many are nonetheless convinced of the actual fact this can be a long, difficult, relatively painful, and dare I say, daunting task. On this room of one hundred men and women, i’d guess that at least 15 other languages are spoken apart from English. Actually, the final census of 2011 published that a dazzling 22% of Londoners – that is 22%, one in 4, virtually – converse yet another language at house aside from English. I actually, while a Mancunian, speak approximately 20 languages, and of these, around half of I communicate fluently. And the question I get requested by persons probably the most is, "Why?" (Laughter) well, the answer, for me at the least, is as a substitute easy.I’m convinced learning languages, any language per Se, is genuinely easy. And i want to show you how. As a linguist, a polyglot, and a lecturer, i do know what it entails to be trained and gain knowledge of a language. And one of the largest obstacles we’re confronted when finding out are myths. And i sincerely suppose that we have got to debunk them. With a view to bear in mind these extra easily, I got here up with the high-quality and friendly sounding acronym D.I.E. (Laughter) which funnily adequate, in the event you write it out not pronounce, if you happen to write it out, it can be one of the crucial words for ‘the’ in German. Fantasy number one: studying a language is with no trouble too complicated. I’ll on no account be competent to converse yet another language relatively like the language I used to be born with. Technically, you are no longer born with a language. Every body right here could have ended up, with say, eastern as our first language. We have been comfortably surrounded or immersed within the language quite often from an awfully early age. There are persons, nonetheless, in the market – lots of them, correctly – who started to be taught a language, the 2d or maybe even the 1/3, so much later on in existence.And bet what? They may be now totally fluent in this language or these different languages even perhaps extra so than of their so-referred to as mother tongue. Why is that this? Seeing that there is no cutoff date by which you have got to have discovered an extra language. Consider about how many men and women you know who say, "Ugh! My kids are doing French in institution. I quite want them to end up fluent. But I cannot, no manner, it is not possible. I will have to’ve with no trouble paid more attention after I was at tuition." well, studies reveal that while children more commonly are so much turbo at deciding on up a new language than humans older than them, it is simply us – that you may simply breathe as a sign of relief – it is us, the adults, who’re more effective at finding out them. Why is this? Since now we have the experience of learning. We know the way to be taught already. Fantasy number two: languages are comfortably irrelevant. I don’t have to study a further language in any respect. And as we hear, and alas hear particularly so much – I was once going to do in a cockney accent, however I won’t do it in any respect.I will spare myself the embarrassment of doing that – languages … Every person speaks English, anyway. Good, apart from the apparent advantages of speakme one other language – for example, economic benefits and mental advantages, i.E., higher pay, more job opportunities, retaining us mentally match, and sincerely helping to stave off neurological diseases corresponding to Alzheimer’s- there are real hidden gem stones we are able to realize when we communicate one more language. How about getting an improve on your lodge room, as was once recently the case with my uncle earlier than going to Turkey on excursion? He asked me if I could send him over a few phrases and greetings in the language that he would try out in the inn. Turns up, caught over this suitcase, throws out a number of sentences in Turkish, and bam!, he is given an upgrade on his hotel room instantaneously. (Laughter) You would now not consistently get an upgrade to your motel room.I cannot promise you this. Nonetheless, i can promise that you simply possibly just might be, via an additional language, will meet the love of your life. All of us bear in mind Jamie from Love actually learning Portuguese for Aurlia. And in fact, practically one in ten Brits is married to any person who was once born abroad. Additionally, the Guardian stated on research showing that folks who’re equipped to converse two languages or extra better adapt or are better equipped at dealing with problems, that they are higher at multitasking and prioritizing duties. This is surely a so much sought-after talent in our day and age when each person gave the impression to be glued to our telephones. I ponder what number of people now who’re watching this will likely be glued to their telephones, and how many are simply going to bilingual? Myth number three: you have got to be an expat and be in a situation where the language is always spoken, even to simply get a take hold of of the language. There isn’t any harm in quite simply packing up and relocating to a village within the core of nowhere, however it’s not actually imperative.Now the quality unknown: my brother and that i – i’ll go away you to decide who’s who; he’s surely my twin brother – my brother and i even as being centered in Berlin, Germany, made up our minds to undertake the mission of studying Turkish in just seven days. We decided to undertake the project of finding out Turkish in simply seven days with the intention to exhibit what you are able to do with the aid of easily hanging your intellect to it. I am not pronouncing we all need to be going available in the market and finding out a language in a week nor that it is virtually viable to gain knowledge of definitely the whole thing there’s in any such brief space of time. I will guarantee you, it isn’t. Perfection is not the goal here. The intention, however, is to get as just right as we almost certainly can in a distinct language, within the shortest time feasible. This means to the dismay of college academics all throughout the globe, "Take shortcuts." The satisfactory thing about these shortcuts is we can apply them to any language that we would like to be trained. And additionally, they’re so simple, you maybe left thinking on the finish, "Why didn’t I suppose of that?" So let’s take a look at these shortcuts.Number one: analyze the similarities, focal point on identical elements. As speakers of English, we already comprehend so much about other languages, given the truth that our language itself, practically, is a Germanic language with the wealth of influences and vocabulary from a multitude of unique languages as numerous as Latin, Hebrew, or Hindi. Doing this may increasingly support boost patterns within the language and in addition will aid us to wager the meaning and formation of phrases and matters that we do not but be aware of. As you see in this slide, for instance, we will see how closely associated English is to fellow other Germanic languages and even to languages which can be, in this case, Romance languages, besides the fact that children that English is a Germanic language pretty much. Shortcut quantity two: maintain it easy. At first sight, you could suppose you’re studying a language that doesn’t have that a lot in usual with our own, but by way of specializing in easy elements, we can be able to be trained it a lot swiftly due to the fact that every language has effortless elements to it. Some languages handiest have two or three tenses.For illustration, you grow to be saying ‘I had,’ in this one kind, for ‘I had,’i’ve had,’ and ‘I had had,’ and ‘i’m’ also can also be ‘I will probably be’ and ‘i’d be.’ In other circumstances, if we look at, for illustration, German, we have a case of developed vocabulary that is derived from just a few simple words or verbs. On this case, we have now the verb ‘sprechen’ which is ‘to speak,’ which has now gone on and lent itself to turn out to be ‘besprechen’ – to discuss, ‘entsprechen’ – to correspond, ‘versprechen’ and ‘absprechen,’ and so forth, etc.Shortcut quantity three: keep it principal. In particular on the beginning of our process, we ought to ensure that it can be vital to us. No longer all people is learning German with a purpose to speak about business with colleagues in Berlin. Suppose about this. As speakers of English, we don’t know each single phrase within the Oxford English Dictionary. So why should we worry about remembering each single phrase we encounter in the new language? We readily have to make it crucial to our possess special crisis right now. In the case of finding out a language, possibly the most imperative aspect is time.And with the aid of time, i don’t imply years upon years of endless learning as some humans still wish to feel. How lengthy does it take to learn a language? How about if I were to tell you that 30 minutes per day are a high-quality and effective begin? Thirty minutes – these are minutes we all have. Be ten within the morning, ten in the afternoon, ten in the evening, or half-hour in with ease one go in an effort to work, to university, to institution, out in the night, meeting pals, at the same time we are on the instruct or bus.All of us have all these minutes that we will decide to learn. Furthermore, via studying for smaller periods and typical intervals, we won’t think so overwhelmed via the language. And even higher, finding out for ordinary durations means that it’s extra powerful, since probabilities are that if you are learning for as soon as every week or as soon as a fortnight, by the time you subsequent come to be taught, you can have already got forgotten what you initially discovered. The purpose as a result is to suit language studying into our daily routines and now not the other way round. And by way of doing this, there isn’t any motive why after with ease one month, you can’t get with the aid of for your new language. These active varieties of studying, we need to praise them with what i would like to consult as passive varieties of studying. Having breakfast: swap the radio on and hearken to a station within the language, end up accustomed to the song of the language. The music is not going to handiest support you get used to the sounds, to the intonation, and to the rhythm however the phrases you’ll hear may also help you accomplice them; due to the fact the songs, and you’ll be competent to accomplice them with these songs, hence increasing our vocabulary.Had a hard day? Deal with yourself to a tv series or a film in the language, and put subtitles on, in English, after which, others can become a member of and watch with you as good. Everyone knows how every person appears to be going loopy about this Scandinavian television crime series at the moment – some of which had been dubbed into English; maintain it customary. Via doing this, this will get you off to a pleasant start to move on and to truly master your language. There are three rules, i love to consult them as the golden principles of language finding out, that each and everybody of us must be doing when going about studying a language.The primary rule is – watch for it – the primary rule is live the language, speak it, learn it, write it, dream in it, sing it even; sing to yourself. My brother and that i after we started finding out Greek, we decided to jot down songs in the language. Do not worry, i am now not about to embarrass my brother, and that i most likely will not be singing for you all this morning. That stated, in an effort to grasp the language, you have to make it yours, possess the language. So why no longer put your telephone or laptop within the language you’re finding out? Number two: make mistakes. Yes, you heard me accurately. Make as many as you need. Why? On account that we learn by making errors. It can be definitely the one way we can get matters proper. As youngsters, we’re even anticipated to make them. However as adults, we’re apprehensive on the grounds that they make us feel inclined. Admitting from the starting we do not know certainly the whole thing there may be to find out about this new language is not going to prevent us from finding out it. Moreover, it’s going to clearly supply us the liberty to head on and to grasp it. So go forth and make as many errors as you like.The final rule, and that is the essential one, and that is essential: make it fun. Grammar rules aren’t continuously enjoyable. I imply, i love grammar, but I appreciate that not every person is so it; now not definite why, although. But do not forget, anything you are able to do in English, you can do in any other language, so make it enjoyable. And simply, via making it enjoyable, by way of making the approach interesting, you’re helping yourself stay influenced. And the extra influenced you’re, the better your chances are of succeeding. So go out and let your creative juices flow. The nice thing as good is why not try and get people, other folks, concerned? Say, colleagues, associates, and switch it right into a small, friendly competitors. Honestly, stories exhibit if you happen to get a pleasant competition going, that your chances of succeeding are significantly better, and they increase your efficiency. Languages are on the whole perceived to be the exceptional unknown. We prefer to suppose of them as some thing unfamiliar, and yet, we know so much about them because all human languages have their possess unusual yet attractive ways of expressing ideas, ideas, and truth, even though we’re no longer conscious of it to start with.By way of now delving into the unknown and realizing the familiar, we will be able to grasp one of the vital pleasurable, moneymaking, and effective knowledge we possess as humans: human verbal exchange. And who might face up to looking to study a language with these linguistic pearls? The first one can be, as you say in French, (French) Ayez Les dents longues, (English) which is ‘be formidable.’ It literally manner, however, ‘have long enamel.’ (Laughter) Mine are not that lengthy. I’d like to wish you all in Italian (Italian) In bocca al lupo, (English) which is ‘just right success,’ however literally means ‘into the mouth of the wolf.’ (Laughter) And subsequently, as we say in Ukrainian, (Ukrainian) Skilky mov ty znayesh – stilky raziv ty lyudyna, (English) which means "The extra languages you already know, the more people you are." revel in studying a new language.(Applause) .

[batterymonster2021]

How to learn any language easily | Matthew Youlden | TEDxClapham

New Post has been published on https://hititem.kr/how-to-learn-any-language-easily-matthew-youlden-tedxclapham/

How to learn any language easily | Matthew Youlden | TEDxClapham

Translator: Hoa Pham Reviewer: Denise RQ studying a language can consider a little like rocket science, anything out of this world and out of attain for the big majority of us. This isn’t a belief, nonetheless, simply held by means of many English monolinguals on our island. It’s also shared through many of our linguistic cousins additional afield, say, in the united states or Australia. Let’s be sincere: with regards to finding out languages or speakme them, we are the kind of individuals that likes to consider we’re fluent in a mess of various languages corresponding to Geordie, Kiwi, Cockney, or what about Canadian? Do not get me unsuitable. I’m very, very happy with my Mancunian heritage, but i wouldn’t advocate it is a separate language simply yet. In the end, we are not looking for subtitles when we are observing Coronation avenue, now can we? Even though i will see you two saying, "I do." (Laughter) but, despite this, should you had been to move the Channel, or say, if you’re feeling reasonably extra adventurous, pass the Severn Estuary into Wales, there you may find that talking one more language or being bilingual is comfortably a reality.Yet, there and further afield, many are nonetheless convinced of the actual fact this can be a long, difficult, relatively painful, and dare I say, daunting task. On this room of one hundred men and women, i’d guess that at least 15 other languages are spoken apart from English. Actually, the final census of 2011 published that a dazzling 22% of Londoners – that is 22%, one in 4, virtually – converse yet another language at house aside from English. I actually, while a Mancunian, speak approximately 20 languages, and of these, around half of I communicate fluently. And the question I get requested by persons probably the most is, "Why?" (Laughter) well, the answer, for me at the least, is as a substitute easy.I’m convinced learning languages, any language per Se, is genuinely easy. And i want to show you how. As a linguist, a polyglot, and a lecturer, i do know what it entails to be trained and gain knowledge of a language. And one of the largest obstacles we’re confronted when finding out are myths. And i sincerely suppose that we have got to debunk them. With a view to bear in mind these extra easily, I got here up with the high-quality and friendly sounding acronym D.I.E. (Laughter) which funnily adequate, in the event you write it out not pronounce, if you happen to write it out, it can be one of the crucial words for ‘the’ in German. Fantasy number one: studying a language is with no trouble too complicated. I’ll on no account be competent to converse yet another language relatively like the language I used to be born with. Technically, you are no longer born with a language. Every body right here could have ended up, with say, eastern as our first language. We have been comfortably surrounded or immersed within the language quite often from an awfully early age. There are persons, nonetheless, in the market – lots of them, correctly – who started to be taught a language, the 2d or maybe even the 1/3, so much later on in existence.And bet what? They may be now totally fluent in this language or these different languages even perhaps extra so than of their so-referred to as mother tongue. Why is that this? Seeing that there is no cutoff date by which you have got to have discovered an extra language. Consider about how many men and women you know who say, "Ugh! My kids are doing French in institution. I quite want them to end up fluent. But I cannot, no manner, it is not possible. I will have to’ve with no trouble paid more attention after I was at tuition." well, studies reveal that while children more commonly are so much turbo at deciding on up a new language than humans older than them, it is simply us – that you may simply breathe as a sign of relief – it is us, the adults, who’re more effective at finding out them. Why is this? Since now we have the experience of learning. We know the way to be taught already. Fantasy number two: languages are comfortably irrelevant. I don’t have to study a further language in any respect. And as we hear, and alas hear particularly so much – I was once going to do in a cockney accent, however I won’t do it in any respect.I will spare myself the embarrassment of doing that – languages … Every person speaks English, anyway. Good, apart from the apparent advantages of speakme one other language – for example, economic benefits and mental advantages, i.E., higher pay, more job opportunities, retaining us mentally match, and sincerely helping to stave off neurological diseases corresponding to Alzheimer’s- there are real hidden gem stones we are able to realize when we communicate one more language. How about getting an improve on your lodge room, as was once recently the case with my uncle earlier than going to Turkey on excursion? He asked me if I could send him over a few phrases and greetings in the language that he would try out in the inn. Turns up, caught over this suitcase, throws out a number of sentences in Turkish, and bam!, he is given an upgrade on his hotel room instantaneously. (Laughter) You would now not consistently get an upgrade to your motel room.I cannot promise you this. Nonetheless, i can promise that you simply possibly just might be, via an additional language, will meet the love of your life. All of us bear in mind Jamie from Love actually learning Portuguese for Aurlia. And in fact, practically one in ten Brits is married to any person who was once born abroad. Additionally, the Guardian stated on research showing that folks who’re equipped to converse two languages or extra better adapt or are better equipped at dealing with problems, that they are higher at multitasking and prioritizing duties. This is surely a so much sought-after talent in our day and age when each person gave the impression to be glued to our telephones. I ponder what number of people now who’re watching this will likely be glued to their telephones, and how many are simply going to bilingual? Myth number three: you have got to be an expat and be in a situation where the language is always spoken, even to simply get a take hold of of the language. There isn’t any harm in quite simply packing up and relocating to a village within the core of nowhere, however it’s not actually imperative.Now the quality unknown: my brother and that i – i’ll go away you to decide who’s who; he’s surely my twin brother – my brother and i even as being centered in Berlin, Germany, made up our minds to undertake the mission of studying Turkish in just seven days. We decided to undertake the project of finding out Turkish in simply seven days with the intention to exhibit what you are able to do with the aid of easily hanging your intellect to it. I am not pronouncing we all need to be going available in the market and finding out a language in a week nor that it is virtually viable to gain knowledge of definitely the whole thing there’s in any such brief space of time. I will guarantee you, it isn’t. Perfection is not the goal here. The intention, however, is to get as just right as we almost certainly can in a distinct language, within the shortest time feasible. This means to the dismay of college academics all throughout the globe, "Take shortcuts." The satisfactory thing about these shortcuts is we can apply them to any language that we would like to be trained. And additionally, they’re so simple, you maybe left thinking on the finish, "Why didn’t I suppose of that?" So let’s take a look at these shortcuts.Number one: analyze the similarities, focal point on identical elements. As speakers of English, we already comprehend so much about other languages, given the truth that our language itself, practically, is a Germanic language with the wealth of influences and vocabulary from a multitude of unique languages as numerous as Latin, Hebrew, or Hindi. Doing this may increasingly support boost patterns within the language and in addition will aid us to wager the meaning and formation of phrases and matters that we do not but be aware of. As you see in this slide, for instance, we will see how closely associated English is to fellow other Germanic languages and even to languages which can be, in this case, Romance languages, besides the fact that children that English is a Germanic language pretty much. Shortcut quantity two: maintain it easy. At first sight, you could suppose you’re studying a language that doesn’t have that a lot in usual with our own, but by way of specializing in easy elements, we can be able to be trained it a lot swiftly due to the fact that every language has effortless elements to it. Some languages handiest have two or three tenses.For illustration, you grow to be saying ‘I had,’ in this one kind, for ‘I had,’i’ve had,’ and ‘I had had,’ and ‘i’m’ also can also be ‘I will probably be’ and ‘i’d be.’ In other circumstances, if we look at, for illustration, German, we have a case of developed vocabulary that is derived from just a few simple words or verbs. On this case, we have now the verb ‘sprechen’ which is ‘to speak,’ which has now gone on and lent itself to turn out to be ‘besprechen’ – to discuss, ‘entsprechen’ – to correspond, ‘versprechen’ and ‘absprechen,’ and so forth, etc.Shortcut quantity three: keep it principal. In particular on the beginning of our process, we ought to ensure that it can be vital to us. No longer all people is learning German with a purpose to speak about business with colleagues in Berlin. Suppose about this. As speakers of English, we don’t know each single phrase within the Oxford English Dictionary. So why should we worry about remembering each single phrase we encounter in the new language? We readily have to make it crucial to our possess special crisis right now. In the case of finding out a language, possibly the most imperative aspect is time.And with the aid of time, i don’t imply years upon years of endless learning as some humans still wish to feel. How lengthy does it take to learn a language? How about if I were to tell you that 30 minutes per day are a high-quality and effective begin? Thirty minutes – these are minutes we all have. Be ten within the morning, ten in the afternoon, ten in the evening, or half-hour in with ease one go in an effort to work, to university, to institution, out in the night, meeting pals, at the same time we are on the instruct or bus.All of us have all these minutes that we will decide to learn. Furthermore, via studying for smaller periods and typical intervals, we won’t think so overwhelmed via the language. And even higher, finding out for ordinary durations means that it’s extra powerful, since probabilities are that if you are learning for as soon as every week or as soon as a fortnight, by the time you subsequent come to be taught, you can have already got forgotten what you initially discovered. The purpose as a result is to suit language studying into our daily routines and now not the other way round. And by way of doing this, there isn’t any motive why after with ease one month, you can’t get with the aid of for your new language. These active varieties of studying, we need to praise them with what i would like to consult as passive varieties of studying. Having breakfast: swap the radio on and hearken to a station within the language, end up accustomed to the song of the language. The music is not going to handiest support you get used to the sounds, to the intonation, and to the rhythm however the phrases you’ll hear may also help you accomplice them; due to the fact the songs, and you’ll be competent to accomplice them with these songs, hence increasing our vocabulary.Had a hard day? Deal with yourself to a tv series or a film in the language, and put subtitles on, in English, after which, others can become a member of and watch with you as good. Everyone knows how every person appears to be going loopy about this Scandinavian television crime series at the moment – some of which had been dubbed into English; maintain it customary. Via doing this, this will get you off to a pleasant start to move on and to truly master your language. There are three rules, i love to consult them as the golden principles of language finding out, that each and everybody of us must be doing when going about studying a language.The primary rule is – watch for it – the primary rule is live the language, speak it, learn it, write it, dream in it, sing it even; sing to yourself. My brother and that i after we started finding out Greek, we decided to jot down songs in the language. Do not worry, i am now not about to embarrass my brother, and that i most likely will not be singing for you all this morning. That stated, in an effort to grasp the language, you have to make it yours, possess the language. So why no longer put your telephone or laptop within the language you’re finding out? Number two: make mistakes. Yes, you heard me accurately. Make as many as you need. Why? On account that we learn by making errors. It can be definitely the one way we can get matters proper. As youngsters, we’re even anticipated to make them. However as adults, we’re apprehensive on the grounds that they make us feel inclined. Admitting from the starting we do not know certainly the whole thing there may be to find out about this new language is not going to prevent us from finding out it. Moreover, it’s going to clearly supply us the liberty to head on and to grasp it. So go forth and make as many errors as you like.The final rule, and that is the essential one, and that is essential: make it fun. Grammar rules aren’t continuously enjoyable. I imply, i love grammar, but I appreciate that not every person is so it; now not definite why, although. But do not forget, anything you are able to do in English, you can do in any other language, so make it enjoyable. And simply, via making it enjoyable, by way of making the approach interesting, you’re helping yourself stay influenced. And the extra influenced you’re, the better your chances are of succeeding. So go out and let your creative juices flow. The nice thing as good is why not try and get people, other folks, concerned? Say, colleagues, associates, and switch it right into a small, friendly competitors. Honestly, stories exhibit if you happen to get a pleasant competition going, that your chances of succeeding are significantly better, and they increase your efficiency. Languages are on the whole perceived to be the exceptional unknown. We prefer to suppose of them as some thing unfamiliar, and yet, we know so much about them because all human languages have their possess unusual yet attractive ways of expressing ideas, ideas, and truth, even though we’re no longer conscious of it to start with.By way of now delving into the unknown and realizing the familiar, we will be able to grasp one of the vital pleasurable, moneymaking, and effective knowledge we possess as humans: human verbal exchange. And who might face up to looking to study a language with these linguistic pearls? The first one can be, as you say in French, (French) Ayez Les dents longues, (English) which is ‘be formidable.’ It literally manner, however, ‘have long enamel.’ (Laughter) Mine are not that lengthy. I’d like to wish you all in Italian (Italian) In bocca al lupo, (English) which is ‘just right success,’ however literally means ‘into the mouth of the wolf.’ (Laughter) And subsequently, as we say in Ukrainian, (Ukrainian) Skilky mov ty znayesh – stilky raziv ty lyudyna, (English) which means "The extra languages you already know, the more people you are." revel in studying a new language.(Applause) .

[onlinemarketinghelp]

Working In Creative And Liberal Arts To Afford A Bachelor Degree http://bit.ly/2JOU5NH

Writing has always been my passion. My parents impacted this interest by helping me develop a love of stories as a child through reading books to my sisters and me and through taking us on frequent library trips.

Inspired by the stories I read or watched in movies, I often led my two younger sisters in telling tales of our own with our abundant supply of stuffed animals, and as I grew older, I traded our cuddly companions for a pen and paper as my storytelling mode of choice and have been writing ever since.

My dream is to pursue a degree in English in order to become a writer or an editor. My family has not only played a large role in shaping this dream but has also influenced my desire to graduate from college debt-free.

From a young age, my parents established the principles of industriousness and financial wisdom in me by stressing the importance of saving money and by encouraging me to work hard in order to purchase things I wanted for myself.

As the fourth child, I was also able to watch the examples that my older sisters set as they held two jobs while attending college; thus, the idea of working, sometimes multiple jobs at once, to afford one’s education has always been a familiar concept to me. Because of this foundation from my parents and my sisters, I have always sought ways to pay for my own college expenses and have worked several different jobs and side hustles as a result.

Joining The Family Business

My journey into the world of employment began when I was around seven or eight. My parents own a photography business, Brenham Portrait Gallery, and they needed people to help with different events they offer throughout the year, like live bunny photos, Santa portraits, and school pictures for the private schools in our town.

Because the required tasks were simple, such as wrangling baby rabbits or ensuring each child was photographed with his name for identification, my parents decided to let my sisters and me help, and I started earning some money working for the family business.

As I grew older, I transitioned into my current responsibilities for the business, which include handling money for Santa and bunny photos, posing over six hundred kids on around sixty different teams for little league and soccer pictures, and performing other tasks around the studio, including using my writing skills to author Facebook posts that reached over 2,500 people.

I particularly enjoy helping with Santa pictures because I have been able to see them grow from a one-weekend event in December to a sixteen-day undertaking in November and December that has become a tradition for many families and that was even mentioned on the television station of a neighboring city a few years ago when we celebrated twenty years of partnering with the same Santa for pictures.

Helping my parents is not just a way for me to earn a little extra money but has also showed me how to interact with customers and, by allowing me to observe my parents and obtain hands-on experience, has taught me much about operating a business.

Starting To Write

In my sophomore year of high school, I discovered another potential source of income through my writing abilities when I earned an honorable mention in a national poetry contest for homeschoolers.

Although the prize amount was not very much — only fifty dollars — it inspired me to enter other writing contests. While I obviously did not win them all, I did earn first place in a few different categories for a contest offered by my town’s junior college in my senior year of high school and again in my freshman year of college.

Similarly, I have used my literary skills for a side hustle by co-authoring a children’s book with my father. He has always had ideas for stories but was never particularly skilled at writing, so when I was in seventh grade, I helped him transform one of his ideas into a full-fledged children’s story called Lily Helps Her Dad.

A few years later, my father found a local artist to illustrate it, and finally, after much research, we self-published the book in my senior year of high school. It is available in our town’s local bookstore as well as on our website, www.thebookhill.com, and it was even in the BookPeople bookstore in Austin for a while. Unfortunately, this venture has not produced much profit, but it has been a useful learning experience and has given me more practice writing stories.

Becoming An Assistant Stage Manager

Working for Brenham Portrait Gallery and entering the occasional writing contest remained my only sources of income until my first semester of college, when I received an unexpected job offer from Unity Theatre, my town’s professional theater. I had taken a homeschool acting class at Unity the previous spring when I was still in high school, and my teacher was going to direct the theater’s production of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.

Because she had been impressed with my commitment during the class, she recommended me to the stage manager to be his ASM (assistant stage manager) for the play. I had never been involved with theater before the class, but since I had always enjoyed watching plays growing up, I decided to give the job a shot to earn some extra money.

While it was a somewhat daunting task helping to manage a production with nearly forty actors, around thirty of whom were kids, I soon fell in love with the job, and when Unity offered me the position of ASM for another play the next spring, I jumped at the chance. Since then, I have served on crew for one show and, when the theater’s 2018-19 season ends in July, I will have worked as ASM for ten plays in the course of two years.

I also had the opportunity to be onstage in Unity’s production of the comedy The Savannah Sipping Society, when I had a cameo as a ninety-one-year-old lady who dies of shock when her granddaughter throws her a surprise party. While the job can at times be challenging, my hard work and attention to detail have impressed even long-time professional actors and have encouraged the theater to continue hiring me for play after play. I love getting to contribute to making each production a success, all while meeting amazing people and gaining valuable leadership experience, and the fact that I get paid to do so is an added bonus.

Freelance Writing

The final side hustle I have undertaken to pay for my education began the summer after my first year in college when my father suggested that I try helping at the local newspaper, the Brenham Banner-Press, to see if journalism is a career in which I would be interested. After talking with the paper’s publisher, my freelance writing side hustle commenced. I only wrote one or two articles a month, but I enjoyed being paid to write about different topics in the community, such as Unity’s plays, my church’s most recent mission trip, and the lives of veterans at a local nursing home.

Then, this January, eager to save more money in preparation for transferring to Texas A&M University this fall, I asked my publisher if the paper had any available positions and thus turned my side hustle into a part-time reporting job. This job has been a wonderful opportunity to learn from professional journalists and to practice writing and editing as I have authored articles about people, events, meetings, and other occurrences in the county.

I even recently interviewed U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul, the chairman emeritus of the House Committee on Homeland Security! These experiences have allowed me to develop stronger connections in my community and to gain confidence in myself as I have continually stepped outside my comfort zone, all while earning some money to afford my education.

What's Next?

So, what’s next for me? I’m currently taking a semester off after receiving my Associate’s in English from Blinn College this past fall, and I plan on working at my current jobs until the end of August, when I’ll be transferring to Texas A&M University to earn a Bachelor’s in English with an emphasis in creative writing and a minor in journalism (hopefully with extra financial assistance from this and other scholarships I’m applying for).

Unfortunately, these plans mean saying goodbye to Brenham Portrait Gallery, Unity Theatre, and the Banner-Press. Of course, I’ll still help my parents with their business whenever I’m home for a weekend or during the Christmas and summer breaks, and I might work at Unity during the summers, but for the most part, moving to College Station means moving to other jobs.

While I’m not entirely sure what they will be yet, I hope to obtain a job that involves writing, whether it’s reporting for A&M’s newspaper, tutoring students in English, or putting my talents to use in any other way. But one thing’s for sure: I’ll continue to work and side hustle my way to making my dreams a reality.

Love this story? Share it on social media to vote! 

Check out the other finalists here: 2019 Side Hustlin’ Student Scholarship Results Page.

The post Working In Creative And Liberal Arts To Afford A Bachelor Degree appeared first on The College Investor.

from The College Investor

Writing has always been my passion. My parents impacted this interest by helping me develop a love of stories as a child through reading books to my sisters and me and through taking us on frequent library trips.

Inspired by the stories I read or watched in movies, I often led my two younger sisters in telling tales of our own with our abundant supply of stuffed animals, and as I grew older, I traded our cuddly companions for a pen and paper as my storytelling mode of choice and have been writing ever since.

My dream is to pursue a degree in English in order to become a writer or an editor. My family has not only played a large role in shaping this dream but has also influenced my desire to graduate from college debt-free.

From a young age, my parents established the principles of industriousness and financial wisdom in me by stressing the importance of saving money and by encouraging me to work hard in order to purchase things I wanted for myself.

As the fourth child, I was also able to watch the examples that my older sisters set as they held two jobs while attending college; thus, the idea of working, sometimes multiple jobs at once, to afford one’s education has always been a familiar concept to me. Because of this foundation from my parents and my sisters, I have always sought ways to pay for my own college expenses and have worked several different jobs and side hustles as a result.

Joining The Family Business

My journey into the world of employment began when I was around seven or eight. My parents own a photography business, Brenham Portrait Gallery, and they needed people to help with different events they offer throughout the year, like live bunny photos, Santa portraits, and school pictures for the private schools in our town.

Because the required tasks were simple, such as wrangling baby rabbits or ensuring each child was photographed with his name for identification, my parents decided to let my sisters and me help, and I started earning some money working for the family business.

As I grew older, I transitioned into my current responsibilities for the business, which include handling money for Santa and bunny photos, posing over six hundred kids on around sixty different teams for little league and soccer pictures, and performing other tasks around the studio, including using my writing skills to author Facebook posts that reached over 2,500 people.

I particularly enjoy helping with Santa pictures because I have been able to see them grow from a one-weekend event in December to a sixteen-day undertaking in November and December that has become a tradition for many families and that was even mentioned on the television station of a neighboring city a few years ago when we celebrated twenty years of partnering with the same Santa for pictures.

Helping my parents is not just a way for me to earn a little extra money but has also showed me how to interact with customers and, by allowing me to observe my parents and obtain hands-on experience, has taught me much about operating a business.

Starting To Write

In my sophomore year of high school, I discovered another potential source of income through my writing abilities when I earned an honorable mention in a national poetry contest for homeschoolers.

Although the prize amount was not very much — only fifty dollars — it inspired me to enter other writing contests. While I obviously did not win them all, I did earn first place in a few different categories for a contest offered by my town’s junior college in my senior year of high school and again in my freshman year of college.

Similarly, I have used my literary skills for a side hustle by co-authoring a children’s book with my father. He has always had ideas for stories but was never particularly skilled at writing, so when I was in seventh grade, I helped him transform one of his ideas into a full-fledged children’s story called Lily Helps Her Dad.

A few years later, my father found a local artist to illustrate it, and finally, after much research, we self-published the book in my senior year of high school. It is available in our town’s local bookstore as well as on our website, www.thebookhill.com, and it was even in the BookPeople bookstore in Austin for a while. Unfortunately, this venture has not produced much profit, but it has been a useful learning experience and has given me more practice writing stories.

Becoming An Assistant Stage Manager

Working for Brenham Portrait Gallery and entering the occasional writing contest remained my only sources of income until my first semester of college, when I received an unexpected job offer from Unity Theatre, my town’s professional theater. I had taken a homeschool acting class at Unity the previous spring when I was still in high school, and my teacher was going to direct the theater’s production of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.

Because she had been impressed with my commitment during the class, she recommended me to the stage manager to be his ASM (assistant stage manager) for the play. I had never been involved with theater before the class, but since I had always enjoyed watching plays growing up, I decided to give the job a shot to earn some extra money.

While it was a somewhat daunting task helping to manage a production with nearly forty actors, around thirty of whom were kids, I soon fell in love with the job, and when Unity offered me the position of ASM for another play the next spring, I jumped at the chance. Since then, I have served on crew for one show and, when the theater’s 2018-19 season ends in July, I will have worked as ASM for ten plays in the course of two years.

I also had the opportunity to be onstage in Unity’s production of the comedy The Savannah Sipping Society, when I had a cameo as a ninety-one-year-old lady who dies of shock when her granddaughter throws her a surprise party. While the job can at times be challenging, my hard work and attention to detail have impressed even long-time professional actors and have encouraged the theater to continue hiring me for play after play. I love getting to contribute to making each production a success, all while meeting amazing people and gaining valuable leadership experience, and the fact that I get paid to do so is an added bonus.

Freelance Writing

The final side hustle I have undertaken to pay for my education began the summer after my first year in college when my father suggested that I try helping at the local newspaper, the Brenham Banner-Press, to see if journalism is a career in which I would be interested. After talking with the paper’s publisher, my freelance writing side hustle commenced. I only wrote one or two articles a month, but I enjoyed being paid to write about different topics in the community, such as Unity’s plays, my church’s most recent mission trip, and the lives of veterans at a local nursing home.

Then, this January, eager to save more money in preparation for transferring to Texas A&M University this fall, I asked my publisher if the paper had any available positions and thus turned my side hustle into a part-time reporting job. This job has been a wonderful opportunity to learn from professional journalists and to practice writing and editing as I have authored articles about people, events, meetings, and other occurrences in the county.

I even recently interviewed U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul, the chairman emeritus of the House Committee on Homeland Security! These experiences have allowed me to develop stronger connections in my community and to gain confidence in myself as I have continually stepped outside my comfort zone, all while earning some money to afford my education.

What's Next?

So, what’s next for me? I’m currently taking a semester off after receiving my Associate’s in English from Blinn College this past fall, and I plan on working at my current jobs until the end of August, when I’ll be transferring to Texas A&M University to earn a Bachelor’s in English with an emphasis in creative writing and a minor in journalism (hopefully with extra financial assistance from this and other scholarships I’m applying for).

Unfortunately, these plans mean saying goodbye to Brenham Portrait Gallery, Unity Theatre, and the Banner-Press. Of course, I’ll still help my parents with their business whenever I’m home for a weekend or during the Christmas and summer breaks, and I might work at Unity during the summers, but for the most part, moving to College Station means moving to other jobs.

While I’m not entirely sure what they will be yet, I hope to obtain a job that involves writing, whether it’s reporting for A&M’s newspaper, tutoring students in English, or putting my talents to use in any other way. But one thing’s for sure: I’ll continue to work and side hustle my way to making my dreams a reality.

Love this story? Share it on social media to vote! 

Check out the other finalists here: 2019 Side Hustlin’ Student Scholarship Results Page.

The post Working In Creative And Liberal Arts To Afford A Bachelor Degree appeared first on The College Investor.

http://bit.ly/2YU8Lyy June 01, 2019 at 10:16AM http://bit.ly/2wxYw6V

[gamerszone2019-blog]

Astral Chain Review - The Platinum Rush

New Post has been published on https://gamerszone.tn/astral-chain-review-the-platinum-rush/

Astral Chain Review - The Platinum Rush

Seeing Astral Chain in motion may be what catches your eye, but the graceful execution of attacks is something you have to experience for yourself. Astral Chain delivers gratifying, kinetic, and inventive combat that goes beyond genre conventions–and it retains that excitement from start to finish. Couple that with an attractive art style brought to life through fluid animation and cinematic-style cuts in battle and you have yet another standout action experience from developer Platinum Games.

As an elite cop on the Neuron special task force, it’s your job to investigate the ever-growing presence of the otherworldly Chimera that threaten the world. Catastrophic incidents are abound as Chimera spill in from an alternate dimension, the astral plane, but of course there’s more to the phenomenon than meets the eye. To get to the bottom of it all, you simultaneously control both your player-character and a Legion, a separate entity with its own attacks and abilities–think of it as a Stand from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. This dynamic is at the heart of Astral Chain’s combat.

Astral Chain’s sense of style bursts at the seams with each battle.

It takes time to get the hang of it, but once you do, working in tandem with a roster of Legions feels seamless. You earn Legions over time, accruing a total of five, and each one offers their own set of skills and cooldown attacks to upgrade via a skill tree. While they can be sent into the fray to perform auto-attacks, swapping between them effectively to juggle specific abilities creates the satisfaction of tearing down the monstrous Chimeras.

Initially, there are so many variables at play that it can be daunting. You have chain binds to lock enemies down for a few seconds, timing-based sync attacks that unleash devastating blows, and showstopping sync finishers that top off the wild spectacle (and replenish your health to boot). You can even get creative with combos, like utilizing the AOE stun, gravity pull, and crash bomb–all from different Legions–to concentrate a ton of damage on. Even an unchained combo lets you briefly unleash two Legions at once. And if that already seems like a lot to handle, you’ll also have to consider executing special attacks from directional inputs when it’s best to use them.

When you dig deeper into Astral Chain’s systems, you see some of its lineage–particularly the chip system of Nier: Automata, the game which Astral Chain director Takahisa Taura was lead designer on. That system manifests as Ability Codes that you equip on each of your Legions to grant them specific buffs and perks, which can significantly change how they function.

Astral Chain isn’t about running head-first into fights against monsters that seek to destroy you, though. You have to be smart about positioning, dodging, and the limited energy of your Legion. Enemies are more than just fodder; they can overwhelm you with sheer numbers, size, or speed. Some may require you to meet certain conditions to defeat them, forcing you to use non-combat abilities in the midst of the chaos. And bosses come at you with unforgiving attacks that’ll test your skill as much as your patience.

You have options for creating your own cool anime cop, it’s too bad they never really talk.

With a multitude of factors and challenges at play, combat places much more emphasis on devising the right tactics for the right situation. Astral Chain provides a tremendous box of tools that are effective in their own right and an absolute joy to use.

If there’s a fault gameplay-wise, it’s that movement can sometimes feel imprecise–don’t expect the same buttery smoothness of Bayonetta. For example, the Beast Legion’s mount mode winds up in an unpredictable direction, and the pistol combo forces you to flip backward. It may result in falling off ledges or unintentionally getting in harm’s way. Thankfully, it’s an occasional frustration that doesn’t detract from the core experience.

Astral Chain delivers gratifying, kinetic, and inventive combat that goes beyond genre conventions–and it retains that excitement from start to finish.

If you watch gameplay carefully, you quickly see how slow-motion, camera cuts, and subtle audio-visual cues in combat serve to signify opportune times to make your move. These flourishes are also how the game cements its bold sense of style. Popular manga artist Masakazu Katsura lent his hand to lead the character designs, resulting in some of the best-looking anime cops around. And when your bombastic actions in battle are matched by visually-striking momentum and tenacity, it delivers a unique thrill that makes Astral Chain special to see in motion.

Further complementing the game’s grand spectacle is its soundtrack. The groovy house tune heard in the police headquarters is infectious and the somber guitar melody at the stray cat safehouse hits like a reprieve from the chaos that envelops the world. Tense instrumentals and hard-hitting rock remixes of songs seamlessly bounce between one another during some combat missions. Unrelenting metal tracks propel boss battles and an ethereal Nier-like theme plays in the astral plane. Sprinkle in some J-rock worthy of an anime OP and Astral Chain rounds out the musical spectrum to great effect.

Astral Chain isn’t just about flashiness and stylish action, though. You’re given room to breathe between combat scenarios that comprise its chapters (or Files, as they’re called). Structurally, it’s somewhere between the traditional open world of Nier: Automata and segmented stages of Bayonetta–chapters funnel you through hub areas where you’re free to take part in side missions or explore for optional activities. Not everything is laid out on your map, so it takes some detective work to unveil all the hidden content.

Astral Chain’s shortcomings don’t overshadow what it does best. It’s an incredible execution of a fresh take on Platinum Games’ foundation, standing among the stylish-action greats.

Investigation scenarios are peppered within the main missions, where you analyze the environment and talk to locals to solve the mysteries at hand. Piecing the clues together properly awards you with a top rank, and it’s no sweat if you get things wrong. You’ll often jump into segments of the astral plane, which feature the more intense fights, and these areas incorporate light puzzle/platforming elements that ask you to use Legion powers in different ways.

The activities you undertake outside of combat aren’t exactly groundbreaking, but they provide enjoyable ways to engage with Astral Chain’s vivid world. It’s a welcome variety that also helps the pacing from chapter to chapter. Astral Chain never sits on one particular element for too long; it knows when to move on.

Investigation is just one way Astral Chain breaks up the pace.

Now, style doesn’t always equal substance. The overarching plot touches on the conventions of evil authority figures who abuse the power of science for their own agendas, and it also relates to the nature of how you’re able to wield the power of Legions, which are tamed Chimera. However, these themes are hardly explored. Rather, Astral Chain relies on cliches within its story and exposition. As a result, the more pivotal moments feel a bit less consequential. While some anime-esque tropes are just plain fun to see play out, others are borderline nonsensical even in context.

While you choose to play as a customized male or female cop on a special task force, your sibling–who’s on the same team–becomes the narrative focal point with fully voiced dialogue. Your own character is relegated to being an awkward silent protagonist. It’s disappointing because Astral Chain has so much stylistic potential to build from in order to give its lead character a distinct attitude. I can’t help but see it as a missed opportunity, especially when both characters are voiced when they’re your partner. In the end, the narrative presents stakes that are just high enough that you’ll want to see it to the end, and, thankfully, every other part of the game remains outstanding.

Astral Chain’s shortcomings don’t overshadow what it does best. It’s an incredible execution of a fresh take on Platinum Games’ foundation, standing among the stylish-action greats. And its own anime-inspired swagger makes fights all the more exhilarating. You’ll come to appreciate the calmer moments in between that add variety and offer a second to relax before jumping back into the superb combat. After 40 hours with Astral Chain, I’m still eager to take on the tougher challenges, and I’ll be grinning from ear to ear as I hit all the right moves, one after the other, while watching it all unfold.

Source : Gamesport

[batterymonster2021]

How to learn any language easily | Matthew Youlden | TEDxClapham

New Post has been published on https://hititem.kr/how-to-learn-any-language-easily-matthew-youlden-tedxclapham/

How to learn any language easily | Matthew Youlden | TEDxClapham

Translator: Hoa Pham Reviewer: Denise RQ studying a language can consider a little like rocket science, anything out of this world and out of attain for the big majority of us. This isn’t a belief, nonetheless, simply held by means of many English monolinguals on our island. It’s also shared through many of our linguistic cousins additional afield, say, in the united states or Australia. Let’s be sincere: with regards to finding out languages or speakme them, we are the kind of individuals that likes to consider we’re fluent in a mess of various languages corresponding to Geordie, Kiwi, Cockney, or what about Canadian? Do not get me unsuitable. I’m very, very happy with my Mancunian heritage, but i wouldn’t advocate it is a separate language simply yet. In the end, we are not looking for subtitles when we are observing Coronation avenue, now can we? Even though i will see you two saying, "I do." (Laughter) but, despite this, should you had been to move the Channel, or say, if you’re feeling reasonably extra adventurous, pass the Severn Estuary into Wales, there you may find that talking one more language or being bilingual is comfortably a reality.Yet, there and further afield, many are nonetheless convinced of the actual fact this can be a long, difficult, relatively painful, and dare I say, daunting task. On this room of one hundred men and women, i’d guess that at least 15 other languages are spoken apart from English. Actually, the final census of 2011 published that a dazzling 22% of Londoners – that is 22%, one in 4, virtually – converse yet another language at house aside from English. I actually, while a Mancunian, speak approximately 20 languages, and of these, around half of I communicate fluently. And the question I get requested by persons probably the most is, "Why?" (Laughter) well, the answer, for me at the least, is as a substitute easy.I’m convinced learning languages, any language per Se, is genuinely easy. And i want to show you how. As a linguist, a polyglot, and a lecturer, i do know what it entails to be trained and gain knowledge of a language. And one of the largest obstacles we’re confronted when finding out are myths. And i sincerely suppose that we have got to debunk them. With a view to bear in mind these extra easily, I got here up with the high-quality and friendly sounding acronym D.I.E. (Laughter) which funnily adequate, in the event you write it out not pronounce, if you happen to write it out, it can be one of the crucial words for ‘the’ in German. Fantasy number one: studying a language is with no trouble too complicated. I’ll on no account be competent to converse yet another language relatively like the language I used to be born with. Technically, you are no longer born with a language. Every body right here could have ended up, with say, eastern as our first language. We have been comfortably surrounded or immersed within the language quite often from an awfully early age. There are persons, nonetheless, in the market – lots of them, correctly – who started to be taught a language, the 2d or maybe even the 1/3, so much later on in existence.And bet what? They may be now totally fluent in this language or these different languages even perhaps extra so than of their so-referred to as mother tongue. Why is that this? Seeing that there is no cutoff date by which you have got to have discovered an extra language. Consider about how many men and women you know who say, "Ugh! My kids are doing French in institution. I quite want them to end up fluent. But I cannot, no manner, it is not possible. I will have to’ve with no trouble paid more attention after I was at tuition." well, studies reveal that while children more commonly are so much turbo at deciding on up a new language than humans older than them, it is simply us – that you may simply breathe as a sign of relief – it is us, the adults, who’re more effective at finding out them. Why is this? Since now we have the experience of learning. We know the way to be taught already. Fantasy number two: languages are comfortably irrelevant. I don’t have to study a further language in any respect. And as we hear, and alas hear particularly so much – I was once going to do in a cockney accent, however I won’t do it in any respect.I will spare myself the embarrassment of doing that – languages … Every person speaks English, anyway. Good, apart from the apparent advantages of speakme one other language – for example, economic benefits and mental advantages, i.E., higher pay, more job opportunities, retaining us mentally match, and sincerely helping to stave off neurological diseases corresponding to Alzheimer’s- there are real hidden gem stones we are able to realize when we communicate one more language. How about getting an improve on your lodge room, as was once recently the case with my uncle earlier than going to Turkey on excursion? He asked me if I could send him over a few phrases and greetings in the language that he would try out in the inn. Turns up, caught over this suitcase, throws out a number of sentences in Turkish, and bam!, he is given an upgrade on his hotel room instantaneously. (Laughter) You would now not consistently get an upgrade to your motel room.I cannot promise you this. Nonetheless, i can promise that you simply possibly just might be, via an additional language, will meet the love of your life. All of us bear in mind Jamie from Love actually learning Portuguese for Aurlia. And in fact, practically one in ten Brits is married to any person who was once born abroad. Additionally, the Guardian stated on research showing that folks who’re equipped to converse two languages or extra better adapt or are better equipped at dealing with problems, that they are higher at multitasking and prioritizing duties. This is surely a so much sought-after talent in our day and age when each person gave the impression to be glued to our telephones. I ponder what number of people now who’re watching this will likely be glued to their telephones, and how many are simply going to bilingual? Myth number three: you have got to be an expat and be in a situation where the language is always spoken, even to simply get a take hold of of the language. There isn’t any harm in quite simply packing up and relocating to a village within the core of nowhere, however it’s not actually imperative.Now the quality unknown: my brother and that i – i’ll go away you to decide who’s who; he’s surely my twin brother – my brother and i even as being centered in Berlin, Germany, made up our minds to undertake the mission of studying Turkish in just seven days. We decided to undertake the project of finding out Turkish in simply seven days with the intention to exhibit what you are able to do with the aid of easily hanging your intellect to it. I am not pronouncing we all need to be going available in the market and finding out a language in a week nor that it is virtually viable to gain knowledge of definitely the whole thing there’s in any such brief space of time. I will guarantee you, it isn’t. Perfection is not the goal here. The intention, however, is to get as just right as we almost certainly can in a distinct language, within the shortest time feasible. This means to the dismay of college academics all throughout the globe, "Take shortcuts." The satisfactory thing about these shortcuts is we can apply them to any language that we would like to be trained. And additionally, they’re so simple, you maybe left thinking on the finish, "Why didn’t I suppose of that?" So let’s take a look at these shortcuts.Number one: analyze the similarities, focal point on identical elements. As speakers of English, we already comprehend so much about other languages, given the truth that our language itself, practically, is a Germanic language with the wealth of influences and vocabulary from a multitude of unique languages as numerous as Latin, Hebrew, or Hindi. Doing this may increasingly support boost patterns within the language and in addition will aid us to wager the meaning and formation of phrases and matters that we do not but be aware of. As you see in this slide, for instance, we will see how closely associated English is to fellow other Germanic languages and even to languages which can be, in this case, Romance languages, besides the fact that children that English is a Germanic language pretty much. Shortcut quantity two: maintain it easy. At first sight, you could suppose you’re studying a language that doesn’t have that a lot in usual with our own, but by way of specializing in easy elements, we can be able to be trained it a lot swiftly due to the fact that every language has effortless elements to it. Some languages handiest have two or three tenses.For illustration, you grow to be saying ‘I had,’ in this one kind, for ‘I had,’i’ve had,’ and ‘I had had,’ and ‘i’m’ also can also be ‘I will probably be’ and ‘i’d be.’ In other circumstances, if we look at, for illustration, German, we have a case of developed vocabulary that is derived from just a few simple words or verbs. On this case, we have now the verb ‘sprechen’ which is ‘to speak,’ which has now gone on and lent itself to turn out to be ‘besprechen’ – to discuss, ‘entsprechen’ – to correspond, ‘versprechen’ and ‘absprechen,’ and so forth, etc.Shortcut quantity three: keep it principal. In particular on the beginning of our process, we ought to ensure that it can be vital to us. No longer all people is learning German with a purpose to speak about business with colleagues in Berlin. Suppose about this. As speakers of English, we don’t know each single phrase within the Oxford English Dictionary. So why should we worry about remembering each single phrase we encounter in the new language? We readily have to make it crucial to our possess special crisis right now. In the case of finding out a language, possibly the most imperative aspect is time.And with the aid of time, i don’t imply years upon years of endless learning as some humans still wish to feel. How lengthy does it take to learn a language? How about if I were to tell you that 30 minutes per day are a high-quality and effective begin? Thirty minutes – these are minutes we all have. Be ten within the morning, ten in the afternoon, ten in the evening, or half-hour in with ease one go in an effort to work, to university, to institution, out in the night, meeting pals, at the same time we are on the instruct or bus.All of us have all these minutes that we will decide to learn. Furthermore, via studying for smaller periods and typical intervals, we won’t think so overwhelmed via the language. And even higher, finding out for ordinary durations means that it’s extra powerful, since probabilities are that if you are learning for as soon as every week or as soon as a fortnight, by the time you subsequent come to be taught, you can have already got forgotten what you initially discovered. The purpose as a result is to suit language studying into our daily routines and now not the other way round. And by way of doing this, there isn’t any motive why after with ease one month, you can’t get with the aid of for your new language. These active varieties of studying, we need to praise them with what i would like to consult as passive varieties of studying. Having breakfast: swap the radio on and hearken to a station within the language, end up accustomed to the song of the language. The music is not going to handiest support you get used to the sounds, to the intonation, and to the rhythm however the phrases you’ll hear may also help you accomplice them; due to the fact the songs, and you’ll be competent to accomplice them with these songs, hence increasing our vocabulary.Had a hard day? Deal with yourself to a tv series or a film in the language, and put subtitles on, in English, after which, others can become a member of and watch with you as good. Everyone knows how every person appears to be going loopy about this Scandinavian television crime series at the moment – some of which had been dubbed into English; maintain it customary. Via doing this, this will get you off to a pleasant start to move on and to truly master your language. There are three rules, i love to consult them as the golden principles of language finding out, that each and everybody of us must be doing when going about studying a language.The primary rule is – watch for it – the primary rule is live the language, speak it, learn it, write it, dream in it, sing it even; sing to yourself. My brother and that i after we started finding out Greek, we decided to jot down songs in the language. Do not worry, i am now not about to embarrass my brother, and that i most likely will not be singing for you all this morning. That stated, in an effort to grasp the language, you have to make it yours, possess the language. So why no longer put your telephone or laptop within the language you’re finding out? Number two: make mistakes. Yes, you heard me accurately. Make as many as you need. Why? On account that we learn by making errors. It can be definitely the one way we can get matters proper. As youngsters, we’re even anticipated to make them. However as adults, we’re apprehensive on the grounds that they make us feel inclined. Admitting from the starting we do not know certainly the whole thing there may be to find out about this new language is not going to prevent us from finding out it. Moreover, it’s going to clearly supply us the liberty to head on and to grasp it. So go forth and make as many errors as you like.The final rule, and that is the essential one, and that is essential: make it fun. Grammar rules aren’t continuously enjoyable. I imply, i love grammar, but I appreciate that not every person is so it; now not definite why, although. But do not forget, anything you are able to do in English, you can do in any other language, so make it enjoyable. And simply, via making it enjoyable, by way of making the approach interesting, you’re helping yourself stay influenced. And the extra influenced you’re, the better your chances are of succeeding. So go out and let your creative juices flow. The nice thing as good is why not try and get people, other folks, concerned? Say, colleagues, associates, and switch it right into a small, friendly competitors. Honestly, stories exhibit if you happen to get a pleasant competition going, that your chances of succeeding are significantly better, and they increase your efficiency. Languages are on the whole perceived to be the exceptional unknown. We prefer to suppose of them as some thing unfamiliar, and yet, we know so much about them because all human languages have their possess unusual yet attractive ways of expressing ideas, ideas, and truth, even though we’re no longer conscious of it to start with.By way of now delving into the unknown and realizing the familiar, we will be able to grasp one of the vital pleasurable, moneymaking, and effective knowledge we possess as humans: human verbal exchange. And who might face up to looking to study a language with these linguistic pearls? The first one can be, as you say in French, (French) Ayez Les dents longues, (English) which is ‘be formidable.’ It literally manner, however, ‘have long enamel.’ (Laughter) Mine are not that lengthy. I’d like to wish you all in Italian (Italian) In bocca al lupo, (English) which is ‘just right success,’ however literally means ‘into the mouth of the wolf.’ (Laughter) And subsequently, as we say in Ukrainian, (Ukrainian) Skilky mov ty znayesh – stilky raziv ty lyudyna, (English) which means "The extra languages you already know, the more people you are." revel in studying a new language.(Applause) .