#process servers nearby

[cynic-spirit]

The Red Lipstick

The dim lighting and plush décor of Bucky’s club exuded an air of sophistication and exclusivity. Yn sat at a small table near the bar, casually touching up her red lipstick. Her glasses, hung elegantly on the waistband of her skirt, gave her a bookish allure that contrasted with her sultry lips, making her irresistibly captivating.

From a distance, Bucky watched her intently, utterly captivated by the simple act. Every time Yn touched up her lipstick, it was a process he enjoyed immensely and made sure never to miss. The way her fingers delicately held the lipstick, the precise movements of her hand, and the way her lips transformed into an even more enticing shade of red always mesmerized him.

Nearby, a waiter named Jake balanced a tray laden with beers, his eyes wandering towards Yn. Her effortless beauty caught his attention, and for a moment, he forgot about the tray in his hand. At the same time, another waiter, Tim, approached from the opposite direction, carrying a tray of fries. He too was mesmerized by Yn’s presence.

Their distracted states led to an inevitable collision. Jake and Tim crashed into each other, sending beers and fries flying through the air. The trays clattered to the floor, and Jake stumbled backward, bumping into a tray with wheels that was laden with more drinks. The tray careened forward, rolling uncontrollably across the floor.

The runaway tray slammed into Hal, the bartender, who was expertly mixing cocktails. Hal lost his balance, and the shaker flew from his hands, knocking over a bottle of expensive whiskey. The bottle spun off the counter and smashed into the intricate display of champagne glasses behind the bar. The glasses cascaded down like a waterfall, shattering into a thousand glittering pieces upon impact with the floor.

As if that weren't enough, the commotion startled a nearby group of patrons. One of them, in a startled attempt to avoid the flying shards of glass, knocked over a barstool, which clattered loudly against the floor. The barstool hit another table, causing a domino effect that toppled over several more drinks and glasses. Patrons jumped out of their seats, spilling their own drinks in the process. A couple of them tripped over each other in the chaos, adding to the mayhem.

Meanwhile, a server carrying a towering cake for a birthday celebration was so distracted by the noise that she misstepped, sending the cake crashing to the floor. The vibrant frosting splattered across the polished wooden floors, adding a colorful, sticky mess to the already chaotic scene.

Through all this, Yn remained oblivious to the chaos she had unintentionally caused. She turned slightly, surprised by the sudden noise but unaware of the chain reaction her presence had sparked.

From across the room, Bucky watched the spectacle unfold. His initial concern for the disruption quickly gave way to amusement. Leaning against the wall with a smirk, he shook his head slightly. "That's almost 30 grand worth of ruin that happened in 20 seconds," he thought to himself, his gaze lingering on Yn with a mix of admiration and affection.

The staff scrambled to clean up the mess, Jake and Tim apologizing profusely as they picked up shards of glass and wiped up spilled drinks. Hal, trying to salvage what remained of his station, shot a bemused glance at Bucky, who simply shrugged in response. The birthday server, now holding a ruined cake, sighed deeply and started cleaning up the frosting with the help of another waiter.

Finally, the chaos subsided, and the club returned to its usual rhythm. Bucky made his way over to Yn, who was still blissfully unaware of the havoc she had caused. He leaned in close, his eyes twinkling with humor.

"Having fun over here?" he asked, a playful tone in his voice.

Yn looked up, puzzled. "I was just touching up my lipstick. What happened?"

Bucky chuckled. "Let's just say your red lips caused quite a stir."

Yn raised an eyebrow, but Bucky didn't elaborate. Instead, he took her hand and led her to a quieter corner of the club, leaving the staff to deal with the aftermath of her unintended allure. As they walked away, Bucky couldn't help but feel even more enchanted by Yn, her beauty and obliviousness making her all the more endearing to him.

As they settled into a secluded spot, Bucky glanced at Yn with a teasing smile. "You're quite the troublemaker, you know that?"

Yn, still confused, asked, "What do you mean?"

Bucky laughed softly, his admiration for her growing even more. "Nothing, doll. Just keep being you."

[hwasoup]

Tale As Old As Time

@kit-and-wolfe drew this for me in the server so, now imma use it :') Omg hi guys, Ik its been a while since I last updated but it's mainly bc I'm not ready to say goodbye to this series yet TT there's about 2 chapters left guysss so I hope you guys understand how much I'm edging it. Anywho the chapter is finally here !! I hope you enjoy !!

warnings: fearmongering, manipulation words: 1.8k

ch.6 | next

Chapter 7: The Mob

The days have passed since y/n traveled back to the village

Eddie was simply lounging around nearby Y/N’s home, as per Ben’s instruction from a couple of days ago to alert him if Y/N was home. He was just sitting by a bush minding his own business until he looked up and saw in the distance, a woman riding on a horse as fast as the animal could take her. He squinted a bit and realized it was Y/N. Immediately he got up and ran to where Ben was located, obviously in his tavern. 

Eventually after a bit of running, he manages to catch Ben before he leaves on a hunt. Gasping for air, he holds onto the cuff of his sweater. “She’s…. She’s back…” Ben stops in his tracks and smirks to himself “well then…. it's time to initiate the plan…” On the other hand, back at the humble inventor’s cottage. Y/N swiftly made her way back home and immediately into her father’s room. She looked at him and gasped at how sickly he looked. His eyes looked sunken, and it was clear that he hasn’t exactly been able to take a bite of food in a couple of hours. Y/N quickly walked to his bedside and grabbed the nearest towel and dunked it in some cool water that was in a bucket in the corner of his room. She wrings it out and proceeds to approach him and wipe his face, hoping that his fever would subside a bit. Mauricio’s eyes slightly flutter at the feeling of cool water drying on his face, he looks up groggily and mumbled “Mija?” Y/N’s heart melted, and she whispered “shhh, no te preocupes…I’m home.”

Mauricio took a minute to process her words. His eyes widened when he fully registered that his precious daughter was sitting right before him. He immediately adjusts his posture and tries to sit up to the best of his ability "…. I thought I would never see you again...” Mauricio immediately leans in for a hug. Y/N happily returns it to him and rests her chin on his shoulder “I missed you so much…” Mauricio tightened his hug with his daughter until he remembered a specific detail... “But…but the beast. How…how did you even escape!”

“Papa, I didn’t escape…he let me go..” She says fondly. Mauricio looked at her shocked “what? The Beast did ??” Y/N unknowingly smiles fondly at the thought of the man… “yes…Miguel let me go...” Mauricio raised some eyebrows “MIGU-” he started furiously coughing. Y/N patted his back to help him ease his lungs from all of his coughing. His voice was strained from his coughs, and he cleared his voice a bit. “That…ese monstruo ?”  Y/N immediately shook her head “not a monster…he’s different…he’s quirky, silly, and incredibly gentle..he’s…. he’s changed…” She bites her lip and looks up at her father until she hears a knock on the door. “I’ll be back papa.” She stands up from sitting on the edge of the bed and goes to attend the door. A man stood at the door with a menacing grin “erm…con que te puedo ayudar..” she says hesitantly. “Vine a recoger a tu padre” he says with an eerie voice. “Wait…my papa ??” she says in surprise. Y/N stands there looking at the man with confusion in her eyes, as well as worry as she hopes that her father didn’t do anything to further tarnish the broken reputation he has in the village.

“Don’t worry senorita..we’ll take care of him” the man says as he moves from her sight and shows her a locked wooden carriage, on the side saying Psiquiátrico de alocado. Surrounding the carriage, she noticed the villagers all surrounding it, with torches and pitchforks ready to use them as weapons if it comes to that point. Y/N immediately registered what was happening and immediately protected her father “MI PAPA NO ES UN LOCO” she said with fierceness in her voice. She was pushed aside by two villagers who barged into her home and forcibly dragged-out Mauricio and threw him inside the carriage. Y/N got up immediately and tried her best to try and get him out, but all she could do was just be pushed away. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes as everything suddenly started to look hopeless. “Poor Y/N…it really is a shame about your father...” “Ben!” Y/N looked at him desperately as she held onto the hem of his shirt “please, you know he’s not crazy” Ben hummed as he played faux innocence “but you see Y/N your father… he’s been making absurd claims, but….I am able to…well clear up this small misunderstanding…if…” Y/N looks up at him desperately “If what!” Ben chuckles and grabs her by the waist making her body be pushed against his. “If you marry me” he says with a grin. Ben leans down and tries to sniff her soft hair “one small word Y/N that’s all it takes…” Anger bubbled in Y/N’s body, and she pushes him away, her nonverbal actions speaking in volumes as to her response to his manipulation tactic. Ben scowls at her and gruffly says “Have it your way then...” and he walks away to the crowd until Y/N yells “WAIT” 

“WHAT CLAIMS WAS MY FATHER EVEN MAKING” she yelled out. Ben turned to her and chuckled “oh…why about a Beast..” Y/N in that moment remembered she had the magic mirror in the pocket of her apron and she pulls it out “PLEASE ITS TRUE… I HAVE PROOF.” She looks down at the mirror and softly spoke to it  “Show me The Beast”

The mirror glowed a green color and rose into the air, a bright flashing light arose and projected an image on its reflective glass surface and revealed Miguel and his beastly appearance. Every villager, including Ben gasped at his ghastly sight. Even Eddie stepped back a bit after seeing it

In awe Ben ripped the mirror out of the air and approached the villagers “look at this sorcery, look at this BEAST!” He turned the mirror around to show the villagers “LOOK AT HIS FANGS, HIS CLAWS!”

Y/N’s heart broke at how people saw him and tried her best to defend him “No..please…don't be afraid…He’s gentle…and kind” Murmurs were heard throughout the crowd…but Ben…he was appalled…the woman he desired so much to be his wife…was calling the Beast KIND….words that she had never said to him. He turns to her in anger, anger that the Beast has clearly won her affections and in an accusatory tone pointed at her 

“The monster has her under his spell…. IF I DIDN'T”T KNOW BETTER I CAN SAY SHE CARES FOR HIM” “HE'S NOT A MONSTER BEN…YOU ARE” Ben’s face grimaced, but he had to mask it in front of the villagers “I’ve heard of the effects of Dark Magic, but never like this…” Ben decided on what to do. “THIS IS A THREAT TO THE BANE OF OUR EXISTENCE” The villagers cheered in agreement as they truly believed that Y/N was under a spell and that she is now a danger.  “WE CAN'T HAVE HER WARNING THE CREATURE, LOCK HER UP TOO !”

Y/N’s heart shattered as she was immediately grabbed by the arms of Ben, the man of the carriage opened the doors and allowed Ben to throw her inside the wooden box alongside her father as well and closed the doors of it as well. His face was filled with fury, until he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Eddie.. “Ben… with all due respect but-”

“SHUT IT OR YOU'LL BE WITH THEM TOO, AND FETCH MY HORSE”

Eddie’s voice reduced to a whimper and he looked down…He knew this was wrong…what was originally a menacing plan had now become just pure cruelty. He knew he couldn’t fight against an angry Ben so he stayed silent and left to do what he was instructed.

Ben then proceeded to initiate a riot with the villagers, to prepare to fight, to encourage them to kill the Beast. Each villager went into their homes and brought out muskets, pitchforks, knives, torches, anything that could be used as a weapon. After what seemed minutes, Ben led a mob of angry villagers and used the magic mirror to find where the castle was located and led them out and directly into the woods.

______________________________________________________________ Inside the carriage however Y/N was huddled beside her father as she tried to check on his health despite the severe conditions they were in. Y/N was scared for Miguel…she wanted to warn him desperately, but she also needed to watch her father. She thought long and hard until she decided that she needed to warn Miguel.

“Papa…I need to warn him..” Mauricio looked up at her and coughed “Ay Mija..but…I- I’m scared for you…It will be dangerous” Y/N crouched beside him and nodded “yes…it will be..but, he did everything for me…he even gifted me his library..” Mauricio’s eyes widened “a library ? How many books are there ?” Y/N chuckled “more than what this village can even hold, Papa..trust me…he saved me from the wolves and now..I must repay him..” Mauricio looked into her eyes and saw a look that he had never seen in his precious daughter’s eyes. He used to have that look when he was younger and when his wife was alive. He then smiled softly knowing that well…his daughter is all grown up now, even if she hasn’t realized it herself. “If it what your heart desires…then…I could try and pick the lock” Y/N smiled as she listened to her father ramble “After all, it's only just gears and springs” he reached his hand outside the bars of the carriage to get a hold of the lock. “ But..I would need something..” he turns to look at her “shar…p” Y/N was already holding a hair pin on the palm of her hand. Mauricio chuckled and took it into his hands “perfect” He then placed his hands back out of the bars and took a hold of the lock again and used the pin to start picking at it. He eventually finally opened the lock and pushed the doors of the carriage open, quickly getting himself out as well as y/n. He turned to her and ran with her to the stables and whispered to her “take Felipe as well as this coat and go warn your friend” Y/N nodded and whispered a small thank you to him as she quickly packed everything and immediately got on Felipe and rode on him, holding onto the reins as she prayed that the trusty steed would gallop as quickly as possible to the castle.

Maurico watched as she disappeared back into the forest and smiled softly, reiterating the thoughts he had before…

 his daughter was in love…even if she hasn’t realized or admitted it yet.

taglist:

@cupcakeinat0r , @miguelhugger2099, @mcmiracles,@xxsugarbonesxx,@codenameredkrystalmatrix,@deputy-videogamer,@lxverrings,@miguelzslvtz,@itsameclinicaldepression,,@ricekrisbris,@loser-alert , @thedevax, @uncle-eggy, @m4dyy, @freehentai, @synamonthy, @razertail18, @s0lm1n,

@badbishsblog, @faimmm, @keendreamknight, @texanadmirer, @stargirrls, @itzsab,@delectableworm,@jadeloverxd @pinkmistart, kishimiest,

[perhaps-in-anotherdream]

[CN] Li Zeyan’s MQ: Burning Imprints (Eng Translation) - Part 1

⌚Warning⌚ This post contains detailed spoilers for a mind quest, 灼痕, that is yet to be released on the global server! ♡

✦ Part 1 || Part 2 || ASMR

🔞 Additional Warning 🔞 Same old but more severe warning this time LOL. The steamy parts of the MQ are as explicit as they can get, i.e., some of the most explicit stuff you’ll read in a CN otome game right now, so if you don’t qualify for the game’s 17+ rating (CN server), I’d very highly recommend that you don’t proceed under the cut~ :>

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

──────────────

【Subbed Video】

【Chapter 1】 

Toot–– 

The melodious steam whistle sounds from afar. A ferry sails over the shimmering, crystalline waves, its sleek and majestic hull gradually becoming clear in the field of vision.

Accompanied by the heavy thud of the ferry entering the port, the seagulls on the coast are startled, scattering and flying into the azure sky.

I exchange a few words with the staff next to me, and eventually, we fine-tune our respective appearances. As we look on in anticipation, the ferry slowly lowers its gangway.

In no time, people begin to descend in small groups of two or three.

Employee A: Wow! I can’t believe the entire island has been booked for team-building. The company really is committed to this.

Goldman: After all, we’ve managed to seize back several projects from FengZhen Group, and the financial report has some commendable highlights. Anywho, the only one who is capable of making such strides is our LFG. [1]

Executive B: Indeed, let’s have the administration team shoot a few extra videos. We can use them as promotional material when recruiting from universities next year.

Amidst the continuous ebb and flow of conversation, a staff member next to me props up their head ornament and walks up to the crowd.

Staff Member: Welcome, travelers from distant lands, to Nan’Ao Island!

Staff Member: I am an elven emissary of this island. In the time that follows, I will be accompanying you on this journey of exploration along with my companions.

In cooperation, I point the “wand” in my hand toward the direction of the shore. As I watch the expression on the staff members’ faces, either of astonishment or admiration, the weariness accumulated over the past few days of running around dissipates a little.

With the Spring Festival approaching, LFG offered employees the opportunity for company-sponsored travel as a benefit. Nan’Ao Island was among the destinations that were up for choice.

This place has just undergone the transformation into a vacation-themed resort with a “Magic Holiday” theme. In addition to the subsequent promotional campaigns, [MC’s Company Name] was also involved in designing the majority of the activities.

In order to closely follow up on the initial operations, I decided to stay on the island. Concurrently, I made most of the opportunity and assumed the role of an “NPC” to promptly identify and address any potential oversights that might occur during the process.

MC: Now, please make your way to the nearby golden beach. We’ll be guiding each of you to choose your own “abodes.”~

The crowd follows the guidance and walks toward the beach. I maintain a courteous smile, my gaze subconsciously scanning around, but I’m unable to find Li Zeyan’s figure.

...Could it be that he got caught up with some last-minute work? Or could there be some other reason?

As I silently ponder to myself, memories of the conversation during our video call the other day surface in my mind.

–

──── [FLASHBACK STARTS] ────

LZY: …they can only truly relax when the higher-ups are not around.

LZY: There are still many year-end matters to attend to, and not all members of the management, myself included, necessarily need to be directly involved.

I let out a prolonged “Ah” and lean a bit closer to the screen.

MC: Team building is an essential component of corporate culture… how can CEO Li, as a member of LFG, make an exception?

MC: In such opportunities to strengthen team cohesion, if the boss also actively participates, it can provide even better motivation for everyone!

MC: Moreover, “sharpening the axe doesn’t delay the cutting of firewood.”  Taking a break before the New Year also means entering work with a better mental state afterward, don’t you agree?~

Li Zeyan, on the screen, locks eyes with me for a brief moment, and his motion of flipping through the documents comes to a halt.

LZY: If [MC’s Company Name] ever incorporates a debate competition into team-building activities, a certain someone here would surely come out on top.

MC: So, to translate your words, does it mean that CEO Li has been persuaded by me?

Li Zeyan leans back against the chair noncommittally, and though he doesn’t confirm or deny, a touch of softness settles in his expression.

LZY: Don’t celebrate just yet; I need to arrange my schedule first.

LZY: If I can carve out time, I’ll try my best to make it there.

───── [FLASHBACK ENDS] ─────

–

Seeing the stream of people on the pier gradually thinning out, my gaze falls on Goldman, and subconsciously, I consider asking him about Li Zeyan’s situation.

But considering that there are still numerous unfamiliar LFG employees present here, and given my current role as the “Elven Emissary,”...

After some thought, I decide to play the role of an “NPC” for now and find a moment to give him a call later.

Click.

A soft sound emanates from behind. I reflexively turn around and find myself involuntarily squinting my eyes into a smile.

Li Zeyan is leisurely leaning against the railing of the pier, holding up his phone in my direction. His hair dances in the sea breeze, revealing his deep-set eyes and brows.

Perhaps due to the vacation atmosphere, he is dressed somewhat casually today. The collar of his shirt is loosely open, allowing the sunlight to sketch out subtle contours.

Noticing that I’ve turned around, he then shifts his gaze away from the screen. A barely perceptible hint of a smile lingers on the corners of his lips.

At this moment, only the two of us are on the boardwalk. I finally can’t resist the urge to let a smile tug at the corners of my mouth and briskly walk up to his side.

MC: Hm-hmph, I knew you’d definitely come~

MC: By the way, were you sneakily snapping photos of me just now?

LZY: I’ve been standing here for quite some time already.

LZY: You were the one who didn’t notice me, so you can’t really call it being “sneaky.”

LZY: Besides, I haven’t seen a certain someone for several weeks. Am I not even allowed to take a few pictures now?

MC: Hehe, Sir, you’re allowed to do whatever you please~

MC: After all, this “Elven Emissary ” here is so cute. It’s only normal if you want to treasure this moment~

LZY: [laughs helplessly] …as usual.

His voice carries a subtle undertone of helpless resignation, causing me to involuntarily burst into laughter. Li Zeyan looks at me and slows down his pace.

LZY: Your mood seems exceptionally upbeat today.

MC: Of course~ After all, I had a hand in creating this tourism project, and the first batch of guests to be welcomed here happens to be employees from my boyfriend’s company.

MC: One must acknowledge it’s a wonderful stroke of fate.

The bright and beautiful sunshine beams down, and the warm sea breeze carries with it Li Zeyan’s soft chuckle.

LZY: Turns out this kind of hectic coordination can also be viewed as a “serendipitous coincidence.”

LZY: Obviously, when the administrative department was selecting the team-building destination, in order to advocate for Nan’Ao Island to be included in the list, a certain someone even went out of her way and brought a PowerPoint presentation to explain.

LZY: What was it? Something along the lines of “since there’s a hierarchical relationship, if LFG chooses Nan’Ao Island, they can enjoy discounts and save on budget funds.”

LZY: “After tirelessly working for the entire year, what better place to warm one’s heart than heading to a sun-drenched island during the chilly season?”

LZY: While you did deploy a bunch of rhetoric, you also appealed to emotions and reasoned with logic.

MC: In any case, judging from the results, the strategy did prove effective!

MC: CEO Li, rest assured. Since I’ve strived for this opportunity, I will ensure the quality of your team building is guaranteed.

MC: I pledge that no matter what, both CEO Li and the employees of LFG will enjoy a perfect vacation~

In the midst of our conversation, we’ve already reached the end of the boardwalk and stepped onto the soft, warm beach. Li Zeyan’s voice resonates from beside me.

LZY: And what about you?

MC: I’m gonna fulfill the duties of the “Elven Emissary ” and ensure you all have a great time, of course~

LZY: …a certain someone never forgets her professionalism.

In the distance, the hubbub of indistinct yet clamorous laughter emanates from the meeting point. I clear my throat and speak in a serious demeanor.

MC: I officially welcome you to the island~ Our magical holiday journey is about to begin!

──────────────

[Tidbits]:

[1] It’s a reference to his top-up SSR from this same event.

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

【Chapter 2】

As we get closer to the meeting point, the distant voices of conversation become increasingly clear. I loosen my grip on Li Zeyan’s arm, lowering my voice.

MC: I’ll go ahead first; we’ll catch up later, okay~

–

I gesture to another “Elven Emissary” as I speak. The latter, understanding my signal, walks in front of the unfolded map and speaks during the interval before I take the stage.

Staff Member: Up next is the segment for choosing your accommodation. Feel free to pick based on your preferences.

Staff Member: For those seeking a quiet retreat, you can choose locations near the “Healing Hot Springs” and the “Elves’ Home Bar.” The surroundings are picturesque, and it’s convenient to reach us whenever needed.

Staff Member: If you lean towards activities, you might want to choose accommodations near the boardwalk. This not only offers more convenient access to activity spots like “Blue Sea Snorkeling” and “Dragon Wing Gliding” but also…

MC: But also, there’s a higher concentration of hidden items in the nearby area!

Seizing the opportunity, I smoothly take over the conversation and walk to the front. And sure enough, a curious inquiry reaches my ears.

Employee A: What was that you just mentioned about the hidden items?

Beaming ear to ear, I raise a string of coconut shell bracelets.

MC: This is the Easter egg segment we’ve designed~

MC: Scattered around the captivating spots worth exploring on the island, you’ll find 16 sets of these bracelets. If you find them, please pass them over to the Elven Emissaries.

MC: Once you collect them all, you’ll unlock a hidden scenery–– share this delightful surprise with someone you hold dear~

MC: Now, who would like to come up first and choose their accommodation?

The air buzzes with excitement as conversations erupt. Though no one comes forward to take the stage, everyone simultaneously turns their eyes to the back of the crowd as if in tacit agreement.

My gaze follows the direction of the crowd, and looking up, I see Li Zeyan standing alone under the shade of a tree.

Probably not wanting to draw attention to himself, he has deliberately chosen a spot slightly removed from the crowd. However, he is still unable to escape from the employees’ gazes locking precisely onto him.

The beach at the moment is akin to a natural conference room, with countless eyes of either admiration or curiosity trained on Li Zeyan, all awaiting his directives.

I struggle to contain the urge to hook my lips into a smile, suddenly recalling Li Zeyan’s words from our video call – “They can only truly relax when the higher-ups are not around.”

During the relaxed time of team-building, it’s actually a great opportunity to lessen the sense of distance between superiors and subordinates...!

Suddenly, an idea pops into my mind, and I speak with a beaming smile on my face.

MC: Although no one has spoken yet, their collective gazes have already pointed to the most fitting candidate.

MC: That handsome gentleman back there! Could you come up to the stage, please?

LZY: …

Across the bustling crowd, Li Zeyan and I lock eyes for a brief moment before he finally walks unhurriedly to the front of the stage.

The moment our shoulders brush against each other, his thin lips move almost imperceptibly.

LZY: [GAHH THE “THREATENING” WHISPER]  You’re gonna have to settle this account later.

MC: C’mon, enliven the atmosphere a bit. Please cooperate, CEO Li~

I also answer in a voice that only the two of us can hear, briskly leading him to stand in front of the map. Then, with a serious demeanor, I ask.

MC: I wonder which accommodation you’re planning to choose?

As I speak, my fingertips trace over the area near the “Elves’ Home Bar” as if inadvertently, and I stare at Li Zeyan expectantly.

His gaze wanders over the map for a moment, then he raises his hand and points to a vacation cabin nestled within the dense forest at the far end of the bay.

LZY: This one here.

LZY: However, it’s in a rather secluded location. I’m afraid I won’t be able to find my way there alone.

With this sentence, he slips one hand into his pocket and turns sideways, looking at me with an indolent gaze. Although he hasn’t said anything explicitly, I clearly catch his implication and discreetly pout my lips.

MC: ...Then, after everyone has chosen their accommodations, I’ll––

Goldman: Actually, after CEO Li’s demonstration, the process has become much clearer. We can complete the remaining steps under the guidance of others.

Goldman: Going in groups like this will also increase efficiency.

Goldman pushes his glasses up and suddenly speaks from the audience.

Several threads of understanding or confusion are thrown from the crowd, but they all nod in agreement in groups of two or three.

LZY: Could you lead the way now, “Miss Elven Emissary”?

MC: …please follow me. Everyone else, carry on.

Amidst the lively atmosphere, I escort Li Zeyan off the stage and walk out of the crowd. It’s not until we are seated in the equipped car that I turn to look at him.

MC: Sob, sob~ and here I was so sure of our tacit understanding. Did you not catch the hint I gave you just now?

MC: This place is the furthest from our offline work information exchange hub, “Elves’ Home Bar.” I’ll have to take so many detours in the future…

Suddenly, a warm touch lands on my lips. Li Zeyan raises his hand and caresses my lips, sending a wave of tingling sensation through me.

LZY: Well, isn’t that just perfect.

In the faintly intoxicating sea breeze, he leans in toward me, his voice tinged with a touch of indolence.

LZY: Since it’s so troublesome, just reduce the frequency of your visits.

LZY: Invest all the time you would have spent there on me instead.

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

【Chapter 3】

The cozy tropical sunshine beams down as I sit on the deck of the small boat, adjusting the fishing net. Suddenly, a few drops of cool seawater land on my cheeks.

Li Zeyan floats up from the sea, lifting the breathing tube with one hand, and squints slightly as he looks in my direction.

LZY: Wasn’t it a certain someone who took the initiative for this and said she wanted to try her hand at fishing?

LZY: Why is she dilly-dallying now?

MC: Let me finish fastening this last buttonhole… don’t rush me!

I lazily scoop up a handful of water and splash it back at him. Looking at the dripping wet hair over Li Zeyan’s forehead out of the corner of my eye, I can’t help bursting into laughter.

MC: Don’t you feel this scene gives a sense of deja vu?

MC: It feels like when we were on White Pearl Island, I was waiting for you to come back from pearl diving just like this. [2]

As I speak, I adjust the equipment and give him an OK gesture. Li Zeyan seems to recall something as well, and a glint of smile glides across his dark-colored irises.

LZY: All I remember is you waiting on the deck for about ten minutes, and then you started feeling bored.

LZY: When I got on the ship, you persistently kept asking about the underwater scenery.

As he says this, he reaches out and clasps my palm, bridging the distance between him and me.

LZY: And this time, you can accompany me to see it together.

With these words, Li Zeyan pulls me along and together, we dive into the warm, cerulean sea.

The scenery undersea is akin to a picture scroll, its novel appearances unfolding before our eyes through the diving mask.

Schools of fish shuttle through the vibrant, swaying coral. Occasionally, one or two would swim alone, leisurely swishing their tails as they cruise along.

The target suddenly appears, capturing my attention instantly. I swiftly dash forward and swing the net. Unexpectedly, the fish rapidly changes direction and escapes from my encirclement.

MC: … 

Li Zeyan casts a sidelong glance at me, his long legs sheathed in a black diving suit swaying leisurely in the sea waves.

Despite the breathing tube and diving mask obscuring his face, I can still vaguely discern a smile.

Unwilling to resign myself, I chase after several lone fish again, but all my attempts to catch them end in failure. I grab his hand and float to the surface, exhaling a sigh of frustration.

MC: These fish are too agile. Can I apply for some assistance from outside?

Upon hearing my words, Li Zeyan glances at me and takes off his breathing tube.

LZY: When you say “assistance from outside,” what exactly are you referring to?

MC: I was referring to CEO Li’s Evol, of course~

MC: As long as you pause time for just a moment, we can catch them all in one fell swoop, can’t we!?~

I lean in with a beaming smile on my face but am stopped by Li Zeyan’s outstretched finger pressing against my forehead.

LZY: Even if we succeed this way, there won’t be much joy in it.

LZY: Instead, we should slow down our movements and allow the fish to relax their vigilance. Once they feel safe, they’ll come closer on their own.

LZY: When the time comes, they naturally won’t have any chance to escape.

Seeing my skeptical gaze, Li Zeyan doesn’t offer further explanation. He simply puts on his breathing tube and motions for me to join him in diving underwater again.

I follow behind him, observing as he pauses with the net in front of a cluster of coral, quietly slowing his movements. Before long, sure enough, a few fish swim over.

Silently, Li Zeyan leans forward, waiting until the fish approaches the net without any alertness, then swiftly pulls the net together.

Eyes wide, I suppress the excitement bubbling within me as we float up. I watch as Li Zeyan lifts the net, several fish floundering vigorously inside.

Glistening droplets of water cascade down his damp forehead, melding into his equally soaked neck and broad shoulders. I can’t help but gasp in awe.

MC: So amazing! You managed to really catch them!

LZY: I learned quite a few techniques from the fishermen back when we were on White Pearl Island. Just putting some of that knowledge to use. [3]

Li Zeyan lifts his hand and swings the net onto the small boat as he speaks, then helps me up onto the deck. Followed by this, he speaks with a hint of amusement in his tone.

LZY: On the other hand, a certain someone has already been on this island for quite a long time for planning and on-site inspection purposes.

LZY: How come it is that no matter if it’s diving or fishing, there’s always a sense of novelty in your reactions?

MC: Hehe, I indeed haven’t had the chance to enjoy myself here. This island is more of a workplace for me, after all.

MC: Every day, I’ve had to stay on top of the situation on-site, adjust program designs and coordinate personnel arrangements…

MC: Sob, sob, I’d just pass out as soon as I went back to my room, so I didn’t even have any time to explore properly.

A warm touch lands on my cheek as Li Zeyan casually wipes away the water streaks from my face, giving me a somewhat helpless glance.

LZY: Aren’t you always on the dot to remind me about “seizing” the chances to relax when I’m on business trips?

LZY: I remember you mentioning before that you’re not the only person responsible for this project inspection.

LZY: So, how come you didn’t sneak off to “touch fish” and relax a little? [4]

MC: I just can’t help but feel a little uneasy without seeing things with my own eyes. After all, this project is going to be recommended to LFG, so it’s only natural that I must ensure every detail is ironed out.

MC: Moreover, haven’t I already “seized” it back? Being by your side is already the best method of “touching fish.”~ [5]

Grinning, I reach out and touch the fish still flopping around in the net, the tail note of my voice carrying a cheerful lilt. Beside me, Li Zeyan chuckles softly in response.

LZY: A certain dummy has always been quite skilled at comforting herself.

LZY: So, what’s the plan for these fish?

MC: The restaurants on the island do offer processing services… but I want to push the envelope a little further.

Beaming from ear to ear, I lift my chin towards the open-air barbecue area on the shore as I speak. Li Zeyan follows my gaze, his voice now tinged with a hint of comprehension.

LZY: When it comes to troublesome tasks such as this, a certain someone really spurs into action.

MC: But I also need someone here to cooperate~ Pretty please, Li Zeyan; it’s been ages since I have experienced your culinary masterpieces!

As I speak, I fold my hands together in a gesture of prayer and gaze at him. Although Li Zeyan remains non-committal, the glimmer of a smile in his eyes grows increasingly pronounced.

—

Sure enough, once the small boat stops by the boardwalk, Li Zeyan picks up the net.

LZY: Go change your clothes.

LZY: Decide on the flavor you want, grab the condiments, and meet me at the barbecue area.

With Li Zeyan’s promise, my mood can’t help but brighten all the more.

After changing into dry clothes, I head toward the “supply point,” filled with joy and expectation, mentally calculating as I walk––

Naturally, we should include the local specialty sauces… but what if Li Zeyan doesn’t have a taste for them? I should also bring some classic condiment pairings like spiced salt and hot pepper…

Staff Member: Excuse me… Miss Elven Emissary!

A hesitant call sounds from behind me. I quickly snap out of my thoughts, and a polite smile forms at the corner of my lips.

MC: May I help you with something?

Staff Member: I just found one of the bracelets you guys mentioned while taking photos by the reef. Could you please guide me to the registration area?

The other party opens their palm towards me as she speaks. My gaze falls on the beaded bracelet, and my eyes can’t help but sparkle a bit at the sight of it.

The first bracelet has been found so quickly! This collection task seems to be progressing even more smoothly than I imagined…

MC: Of course, please follow me~

I reply in a brisk tone and send a message to Li Zeyan, letting him know that I’d be ten minutes late. Then, I escort the girl to the “Elves’ Home Bar.”

After taking care of everything, I inadvertently glance at my phone. My heart suddenly stutters.

…It’s been twenty minutes past the time I promised Li Zeyan that I’d be there.

—

I rush towards the open-air barbecue area at lightning speed, carrying the bottles and cans in my arms, and spot Li Zeyan leaning against the long table.

Several plates are already arranged on the table. As I draw nearer, the tantalizing aroma of grilled delights wafts into my nostrils, clearly indicating that they’ve been ready for quite some time.

Seemingly hearing my footsteps, Li Zeyan lifts his gaze to look at me. I promptly dash a few steps forward.

MC: I’m sorry for making you wait for so long… haha, the aroma is so delightful!~

MC: As expected of Mr. Li. You can maintain top-notch performance even without any condiments!

LZY: These fish have already been seasoned. You can stop buttering me up now.

LZY: While I was waiting for you earlier, a staff member passed by in the vicinity, so I asked him to help me fetch them.

LZY: Otherwise, if I were to wait for a certain someone to bring them back, the fish would have all burned.

MC: The route to the registration point was a bit circuitous. I didn’t realize it’d take this long.

As I rush to explain at lightning bolt speed, a not-so-firm yet no-so-gentle tap lands on my head.

LZY: [laughs helplessly]  Dummy, I’m not mad.

LZY: I just realized that you seem to be particularly invested in this group task.

MC: Because I designed that surprise single-handedly from scratch. Instead of it staying hidden, I rather hope it can be seen by everyone~

MC: And, to be honest, I also have a bit of a selfish motive.

MC: “The harvest reaped from a certain someone’s efforts during this time has indeed been worthwhile.”... I want to hear you say these words personally after seeing the “surprise.”~

LZY: [laughs even more helplessly] You’re already an accomplished producer in your own right, do you still need this kind of affirmation?

MC: Of course~ After all, affirmation from clients and work partners is recognition of my capabilities, which fuels my resolve to keep pushing forward.

MC: However, the affirmation from my boyfriend–– can sweep away all the weariness from this period, filling me with motivation to welcome the next challenge head-on~

LZY: [even more indulgently] Dummy.

As he says this, his baritone voice softens slightly, and he forks a piece of fish and brings it to my lips.

The delicious flavor explodes on the tip of my tongue. I squint my eyes contentedly, listening as Li Zeyan speaks in a low voice.

LZY: It’s okay to give yourself a break without any worries.

LZY: Don’t underestimate the people at LFG.

──────────────

[Tidbits]

[2+3] It’s a reference to LZY’s first UR card story: “Melding Into You.”

[4+5] The term used here is “摸鱼” (lit. meaning touch fish), which is actually used to mean “slacking off.” There are a lot of playful puns here, which I’m too exhausted to explain rn. Anyway, while I could have used the fig. meaning, I went with the lit. one b/c the conversation revolves around the whole fish imagery here, e.g., you see MC touching the fish they’ve caught together (with him guiding her) as she says her best method of slacking off, i.e., relaxing, is simply being with him– which essentially is a core part of this date, which you’ll see unfolding later ahah 🥺

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

【Chapter 4】

Outside the vacation cabin windows, the dense patter of rain mingles with the rustling of branches and leaves.

Standing on the terrace and looking outwards, I can see the buildings near and far being shrouded in a fine veil of rain. 

I withdraw my gaze from the eaves outside and glance at the work group chat that has been continuously bombarding me with messages since just now.

The sudden downpour has only now begun to taper off. The patrol staff just reported that the beaded bracelet placed at the seaside has been washed into the sea.

If similar situations occur at the other sites where the bracelets are placed, it will surely impact the experience of the game. With this in mind, I swiftly send a few messages in the group chat.

MC: “Once the rain stops, let’s each go check the placement of props in our designated zones.”

In response, there comes a series of consecutive affirmations in the group chat. Deep in thought, I raise my head and gaze towards the forest outside the vacation cabin.

The nearest hiding spot to me is right here... I’ll have to seize the opportunity when Li Zeyan isn’t paying attention and sneak out for a quick look.

As I’m contemplating, Li Zeyan’s voice suddenly comes from behind.

LZY: It’s so late, and you still haven’t come to bed. What are you zoning out for?

I discreetly tighten my grip on my phone and turn around to look at Li Zeyan.

He is sitting reclined against the headboard, iPad in hand. His dark fringes hang leisurely, partially veiling his eyes.

A pair of glasses rests loosely on the bridge of his nose, reflecting several glimmering points of light from the screen.

I plop back onto the bed, casually leaning closer to him as if nothing has occurred.

MC: The rain outside is quite lovely, so I was just snapping a few photos.

MC: And what about you… it’s only been a few days since the vacation, why have you already started looking at documents?

Catching my curious gaze, Li Zeyan leans back and casually angles the iPad in my direction.

LZY: In order to complete a certain someone’s mission.

I move closer with some confusion, and a chart titled “Technology is the Ultimate Weapon” immediately enters my field of vision.

On the topographic map of the vacation island, at least a dozen annotations are sprawled, detailing analyses ranging from distribution patterns to minimum spacing radii, both internally and externally.

For a moment, I can’t help but be bewildered by the scale of the arrangement. Then I hear Li Zeyan’s voice coming from beside me.

LZY: As you can see, there are already people from LFG who have begun updating the guide in real-time.

LZY: In addition to taking turns searching during the vacation, they also share the locations they’ve already found the bracelets each day to avoid wasting time.

LZY: Goldman even went ahead and prepared charts, saying that it would narrow down the search area through data analysis.

I withdraw my gaze and meet Li Zeyan’s eyes with a moment of incredulity.

MC: Isn’t that taking it a bit too seriously… hang on, you didn’t assign this as a task to them, saying something like, “You must complete it within the designated time frame,” did you?

Li Zeyan shoots me a cryptic glance with a hint of ambiguity in his expression.

LZY: I haven’t become that unreasonable yet. This is something that interested individuals did voluntarily.

LZY: At the end of the day, it was a certain someone’s previous introduction that piqued their curiosity.

With a pensive “Oh,” I suddenly think of something.

MC: So, to derive from what you said, this is a private chat group? Then how are you––

There is a sudden hesitation in Li Zeyan’s demeanor.

LZY: [you can’t see me but I’m actually crying lmao 😭] …I asked Goldman to add me to it.

His voice remains very calm. I hold his gaze for a moment, but can’t help bursting into laughter.

MC: Pfft, haha, so it turns out CEO Li is also participating in this activity, huh! Then doesn’t that mean you have to lead the team and set an example?

MC: But you have the “secret weapon” in your hands! Just “please” me a little, and who knows? You might uncover some clues.

I teasingly poke his cheek. Li Zeyan doesn’t say anything and simply stares at me intently.

A moment later, he suddenly chuckles and casually takes off his glasses, setting them aside. Without the obstruction of the lenses, those deep eyes of his stare at me unabashedly.

LZY: [chuckles teasingly]  How do you want me to “please” you?

His voice seems to take on a slightly huskier timbre than usual, as he reaches out and takes hold of my fingertips.

A wet, passionate kiss descends immediately. I quiver, instinctively wanting to pull back my hand, but he restrains my movements.

LZY: Like this?

LZY: …Or would you like me to go further in?

With these muffled words, his lips quietly trail to my neck, lingering there, taking his time and igniting a growing fire.

My heartbeat accelerates uncontrollably, but I still make a conscious effort to keep my willpower intact.

MC: …I already asked you to please me. Naturally, you should be the one to think about how to do it.

LZY: Hmm, I haven’t thought it through yet.

He appears to be genuinely reflective, but the force of his delivery suddenly increases, catching me unawares. The goblet glass at the head of the bed is knocked over, its content spilling silently and soaking the crumpled bedsheet.

I tightly clench the pillow, his voice reverberating in my ears.

LZY: [shaky, breathless voice x1] But since you’ve handed over the control to me…

LZY: [x2] When we should stop won’t be your call anymore.

—------------------------ interlude ------------------------—

The rain outside has stopped at some point. Only the gauze curtains in the distance dance in the breeze, occasionally making a rustling sound.

I stealthily open my eyes. The man next to me has half of his face buried in the pillow, his features traced by the moonlight pouring through the window.

His body rises and falls gently along with his light, rhythmic breathing. It seems that he has already drifted off to sleep.

MC: Li Zeyan? CEO Li? …Zeyan gege?

In order to feel out, I speak in a soft voice. Seeing that he still hasn’t responded, I slowly move his arm aside.

Then, gently and quietly, I rise from the bed, casting one last glance at the sleeping Li Zeyan before feeling at ease and pushing open the door.

—

Creak––

Along with this almost inaudible sound, the crisp air post-rain rushes towards me head-on.

The clear night drapes over the quiet vacation village, with the vaguely audible murmurs of the waves in the distance.

I walk along the cobblestone path into the woods, carefully identifying the location of the placement point by the distant lights.

The bracelet hanging from the branches sways gently in the breeze, almost blending into the dim light of the night.

Feeling relieved, I send a message to the group to confirm that everything was fine. But just as I’m about to leave, I can’t resist muttering to myself.

MC: …Li Zeyan, you really are a dummy.

MC: This hiding spot is clearly so close to where we’re residing, and yet you still haven’t found it.

LZY: After all, considering the vast expanse of the area to search through, it’s surely going to consume a lot of time.

LZY: Instead of running around aimlessly, it’s better to wait patiently for the chance to arrive.

A familiar voice sounds from behind me. Startled, I turn around at lightning pace. There, standing behind me, is the person who I saw seemingly “sound asleep” just a moment ago, now watching me.

MC: You… You were actually pretending to be asleep!

LZY: A little correction. I was simply concerned about your safety when I noticed you were heading out so late, that’s all.

LZY: The discovery I’ve made just now can only be regarded as an unexpected gain.

Li Zeyan’s eyes mirror a contemplative interest as he speaks.

LZY: On the contrary, a certain someone here seems to be getting more and more adept at pulling the wool over people’s eyes.

LZY: While her leading foot earnestly vowed that she was genuinely exhausted and just wanted to sleep quickly, her trailing foot dashed out the door to be busy with this and that…

LZY: [GAH THAT MENACINGLY SEDUCTIVE TONE] It seems like I don’t need to be mindful of such excuses from now on.

The roots of my ears can’t help but flush a bit, and I let out a cough before offering an explanation.

MC: Circumstances change… my current action is entirely driven by my dedication to work.

Li Zeyan lets out an ambiguous “ah.” His figure is outlined by the distant lights, casting a slender silhouette that projects onto me.

Amidst the murky darkness, I discern his voice carrying a slightly deeper chuckle, and it seems a little more muffled than usual.

LZY: Sophistry.

LZY: Whether or not there’s some truth to it… I’ll examine it in my own way.

His voice drops to a whisper, and what follows is a warm and entangled kiss.

I find myself involuntarily clutching onto the corner of his garment, tilting my head back to reciprocate. The next moment, I feel the tip of his tongue gently glide across the roof of my mouth.

Despite the brevity of that touch, it sends a shiver through me, making me tremble uncontrollably. I feel as if my heartbeat is about to melt into the fiery breath of this moment.

??: Has this area not been searched yet?

Indistinct chatter suddenly echoes from a distance. I gasp and turn my head, watching as two blurry figures appear far off at the edge of the woods.

MC: They seem to be looking for clues… We…

Before I can finish my entire sentence, it’s gradually drowned out by stifled whimpers.

Li Zeyan closes in on me from the back, covering me deeply. His one hand presses against my lips, seemingly trying to hush my voice.

His slender fingers teasingly caress the space between my teeth. After playing around for a while, they irresistibly delve further in.

MC: …!

LZY: They should know what’s appropriate.

LZY: But if you can’t control your voice… that might be a problem for us.

His fingertips carry the slight chill of the night, stirring my tongue every now and then. It feels like an appeasement, and yet also a form of punishment.

All the sounds in my ears fade away, leaving only the pounding of my heart, growing more and more violent amidst the whimpers. Unconsciously, I bite down on the fingers he has inserted.

His embrace, imprisoning me, tightens even more. A moist kiss descends onto the nape of my neck, followed by gentle nibbles, trailing down to my chest.

Rumble–– 

The rain, which came to a halt, has begun pouring down at some point unbeknownst to us, pitter-pattering onto the surface and creating ripples.

In the embrace of the night, everything is steeped in the surging tide.

──────────────────────────────────────────

Continue to Part 2: here!

────────────────

[mysticstronomy]

HOW MANY DIMENSIONS EXIST??

Blog#347

Wednesday, November 8th, 2023

Welcome back,

The world as we know it has three dimensions of space—length, width and depth—and one dimension of time. But there’s the mind-bending possibility that many more dimensions exist out there. According to string theory, one of the leading physics model of the last half century, the universe operates with 10 dimensions.

But that raises a big question: If there are 10 dimensions, then why don’t we experience all of them or haven’t detected them? Lisa Grossman at ScienceNews reports that a new paper suggests an answer, showing that those dimensions are so tiny and so fleeting that we currently can’t detect them.

It’s difficult to completely explain the mathematics behind string theory without putting on a graduate seminar or two, but in essence dimensions five through ten have to do with possibility and include all possible futures and all possible pasts including realities with a totally different physics than those in our universe.

If two protons smash together at high enough speeds, they have the ability to create a tiny black hole that would exist for just a fraction of a second before disappearing, according to a new study, which hasn't been peer-reviewed, on the preprint server arXiv.org. The collision would open up a little bubble of interdimensional space where the laws of physics are different than ours, leading to an event known as vacuum decay. In quantum physics, vacuum decay implies that if the interdimensional space was large enough, we’d be toast.

With enough gravity to interact with our world, the newly formed “Cosmic Death Bubble” would grow at the speed of light, rapidly change the physics of our universe, render it uninhabitable and effectively zap us out of existence.

“If you’re standing nearby when the bubble starts to expand, you don’t see it coming,” the study’s co-author, physicist Katie Mack of North Carolina State University, tells Grossman. “If it’s coming at you from below, your feet stop existing before your mind realizes that.”

Ultrahigh energy cosmic rays are bashing into each other all the time with enough energy to start this process. If extra dimensions were large enough to allow the death bubble to form, the researchers found, it would have happened thousands of times already. The fact that we still exist is one circumstantial piece of evidence that other dimensions are ultra-tiny. The team calculated that they must be smaller than 16 nanometers, too small for their gravity to influence much in our world and hundreds of times smaller than previous calculations, Grossman reports.

The new study comes on the tail of another study about extra dimensions published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics published in July. Mara Johnson-Groh at LiveScience reports that one of the big questions in physics is why the expansion of the universe is accelerating. One theory is that gravity is leaking out of our universe into other dimensions. To test this idea, researchers looked at data from recently discovered gravitational waves.

our universe was leaking gravity through these other dimensions, the researchers reasoned, then the gravitational waves would be weaker than expected after traveling across the universe.

But the researchers found they didn’t lose any energy on their long journey, meaning other dimensions either don’t exist or are so tiny they don’t affect gravity very much, if at all.

“General relativity says gravity should be working in three dimensions, and [the results] show that that’s what we see,” physicist Kris Pardo of Princeton, lead author of the July study, tells Johnson-Groh. The latest study also concludes that the size of extra dimensions is so small that it precludes many theories about gravity leaking out of our universe.

Originally published on www.smithsonianmag.com

COMING UP!!

(Saturday, November 11th, 2023)

"WHAT IS THE FURTHEST THING WE CAN SEE IN SPACE??"

[eluminium]

SKIZZLEMAN WEEK LETS GOO!!!! May not have actually written and finished something for like two years BUT SKIZZLEMAN WEEK IS MORE POWERFUL THAN PROCRASTINATION!!!!

Thank you @skizzlemanweek for organizing and creating these prompts!

Prompt 1: Silent/Shout

-

It had been a weirdly silent few weeks on Magic Mountain.

Well, kind of. Of course, with seven hermits nearby and many more in horse riding distance, real silence is quite a rare phenomenon. But for the residents around Magic Mountain, an uncomfortable stillness louder than expected had settled into their hearts lately. As she cleans out the bones of her latest catch, Gem remembers mentioning it to Impulse recently.

"I didn't realize how much the man talks until he was gone. And now I'm like: Oh, this is what it's like for there to be silence, actually!"

The man in question? None other than Skizzleman, of course! Who isn't dead, just on some off-server business of some kind. At least that's what he told Gem and the others before leaving.

She rolls her eyes fondly at how Scar started talking about some conspiracy theory of his where Skizz is some heaven-sent spy barely a tick after Skizz took his leave. A rant that resulted in poor Mumbo explaining to a confused Joel that Scar's comic-book hero phase last season had some lasting side effects.

She unceremoniously drops the fish bones into the river outside her new anglerfish-shaped fish shop. They hit the water with a small splash before sinking into the murkiness below. Gotta give back to the river! Otherwise, it'll get mad. That's basic fisherwoman knowledge.

When she turns to head back inside so she can put the fish on the cutting boards away, her eyes catch the faint silhouette of Skizz's pyramid in the distance. The sight of it makes the silence around her somehow more prevalent. A sigh leaves her. She misses him. She never thought that the silence he leaves behind would suck this much.

But as she heads back inside, Gem reminds herself that she won't need to miss him for long. He said he'd only be gone for a few weeks, so he's due to be back pretty soon. Then she can go back to poking him for being old or something. In fact, she can almost hear him shout an overdramatic "HEYYY!" already as she points out that-

Wait.

She quickly drops the floppy boneless salmon in the chilled chest and rushes out the door. She may have a good imagination, but it's not THAT good! She looks around rapidly until her eyes catch something. Two figures in the distance. She squints, but it doesn't really help, so she pulls out a spyglass instead.

She can't help but gasp in surprised happiness when she spots familiar feathery wings and a bright spinning halo. It's Skizz! He's back!

Of course, Impulse stands next to him, his demonic tail flapping wildly in excitement. They seem to already be caught up in a conversation. Typical them, can't leave each other alone for five seconds. Seems like the perfect time for her to come and deliver some made-with-love Gem Punches!

But just as she's about to put the spyglass down and run over, she spots a shocking change in Impulse's facial expression. The happy smile decorating his face melts in a tick into something unreadable. (Fear? Annoyance? Teasing? A mix of that and more?) Confused, Gem stops and pans the spyglass over to Skizz's face. Is he…Is he making kissy faces at Impulse-?

Before she can even process what's going on, Impulse looks in her general direction and RUNS. Full-on sprints at top speed in a manner Gem would be impressed he could do if she wasn't so caught off guard. The spyglass quickly disappears into her inventory as she watches him approach with Skizz hot on his heels.

"GEM!!! HELP!!!" Impulse shouts in a clearly overdramatic tone.

"You can't run forever Dipple Dop!!!" Skizz cackles manically.

"What are you idiots doing?!" She tries to put on a tone of playful annoyance, but her amusement leaks through like water through a hole in a boat.

"He's gonna kiss me on the cheek, Gem!!! You gotta help me!!!" Impulse squeals as he runs around in circles on the shore, skillfully dodging Skizz's attempts to grab him.

Gem can't help it. She bursts out laughing so hard it almost hurts her throat. These dudes, she swears. Obviously, if Impulse was actually uncomfortable with the situation he'd tell Skizz, and they wouldn't have a silly goose chase on her front lawn, so she feels rather justified in cackling at his supposed misfortune. And she only laughs harder when Impulse lets out various desperate noises of desperation, which are comical enough that Skizz has to stop his chase because he's laughing too hard. His hands land on his knees as he completely loses it together with Gem. Impulse giggles and stops in his tracks instead of running further, all but confirming that they're just messing around.

"Wow, Gem! I beg for your help, and you laugh at me? I thought we were friends!" He says in an overly hurt tone while crossing his arms and sniffling dramatically.

Gem opens her mouth to respond, but before a single syllable leaves her, Skizz pounces on Impulse and finally scores his victory by snagging a smooch on the man's cheek. He even manages to catch Impulse in a hug. Gem lets out something between a cheer and an "awwwwwww!" as Impulse wiggles in his best friend's grasp.

"I missed you, Dipple Dop!" Skizz says with happy sincerity as he squeezes said Dipple Dop.

"Missed ya too buddy" Impulse responds, sounding like he's getting all air wrung out of him. He pats Skizz on the back. Skizz, in turn, lets him go and turns his eyes to Gem, still standing in the mouth of her anglerfish. He wastes no time jumping into the river, splashing water everywhere, and then swimming over to her.

"And I missed you too, Gemstone!" He cheers as she helps him up onto the solid (?) ground.

Gem can't help but smile as she tackles him for a hug of her own. As his sturdy and comfy arms wrap around her she feels, more than hears, how the hush around Magic Mountain fades away as one of its seven lively mountaineers has come home once again.

[mimefish]

I love love love the idea of Scar as the earth, even not taking anything else into account and just looking at his connections to the other winners:

Pearl, the moon, his final alliance and the person closest to him at the end, who he refused to kill for the hearts and beat in a duel for the win. One of the few people to show Scar consistent kindness, maybe because she knows what it's like to be him, to be all alone on a server that only sees you as a villain.

And Grian, the sun, who swore an alliance to him, an alliance that made it to the end, and one that finished in a duel for the victory in a ring of cactus. An alliance that has prevented either of them from ever fully moving on, in any series, even this one, where Scar gave Grian a monopoly. The centre of it all, the server admin, the one to tell Scar he'd won from beyond the grave.

The moon and the sun, sunflower duo and desert duo, and the earth:

Scar comes from a biome inhospitable and without flowers, from a monopoly mountain and ring of cactus doomed under the hot desert sun, and he settles in a green valley, surrounded by flowers pointing always towards the sun and without any consistent allies, but at least with Pearl nearby.

And when it comes down to it, in the end, it's Pearl and Scar. The final two. The reflector of the sun's light, and the one who flourishes with distance from its burning heat. Whose distance turns it into the warmth needed for growth. Whose distance from everyone in this series never stopped him from trying to be friendly and growing his flowers and being truly human.

He has the moon to orbit and guide him onto a path her fate might've taken if things had been different, and the sun to whisper old bitter memories morphed to hospitality and warmth by time. Scar is human, and he makes his clumsy attempts at friendships and mistakes and he plants flowers and doesn't lose himself in the process. Instead, he grows, and he flourishes. And he wins.

[legally-allowed-to-slime]

grian’s new episode got me going hm

might probably do a gem-centric one soon because they make each other worse

-

He wouldn’t let go.

Grian clutched onto the fishing rod, his grip having worn down the wood by now. It was a week into the server. It felt like an eternity.

Sometimes he forgot what came before, before he started fishing.

He recalled, yes. Things like the big moon, Grumbot, whatever. They seemed less memories and more fragmented experiences just laying around waiting for someone to claim them.

It was like his mind was a vase, and the ocean had smashed it into a million tiny little pieces, left for him to fish out.

Another salmon. Grian let out a short, harsh shout and threw it in a nearby barrel and cast his line again.

And again, and again.

There was one rod, seven or eight lines. He peered through the web of black lines and distinguished the single working one. The ocean kept fooling with him like that.

“It kind of looks like a net,” Gem’s voice chirped behind him. They didn’t bother with greetings now. They just talked about fishing.

“I don’t even know how this happened,” he said.

“At least you can get mending ten times as fast now.”

“No, only one works.”

“That’s unfortunate.” Then, having exhausted all possible subjects of conversation, they lapsed into an awkward pause. Grian caught another fish. Cod.

Gem made to leave, but couldn’t resist a final comment.

“By the way, you should sleep. And, uh, shave, unless you’re going for that rugged aesthetic.”

She left.

Was it that obvious? Grian wondered. That he was addicted?

Come to think of it, he hadn’t thought of himself for so many days. He’d just been fishing, dragged himself to chip away at his base, and then went back to fishing.

He stared at himself in the water.

Oh.

Beard, check. Eyebags, check. Suspenders and a beanie for some reason. A bobber hanging from his waist and his pants dipped in seaweed. His hair was overgrown and soaked. There was even a patch on his sweater, for goodness sake.

Grian only felt it now. How had he not noticed it before? Was he just that focused on fishing? His hand subconsciously wandered to his face and brushed against the scales.

The what.

Grian spun around, looking for a clearer mirror than the water, rubbing his cheek in disbelief. Scales, wet and smooth like a fish. He should know. He’d handled thousands of them in a week.

He glanced at his arm, the texture very fishy in both ways. His heart dropped. He just wanted mending, not this. He was supposed to be the fisherman, not the bloody catch!

“Gem, Gemgemgemgem!” He yelled.

Gem turned. “What?”

“I think I’m turning into a fish!”

To her credit, Gem didn’t react much. She did run closer, but she didn’t scream or anything. She just said, “Hmm. Same.”

“What do you mean, same?” Grian yelped.

She rolled her eyes and pulled up her sleeve, revealing the same scales. “It’s probably a side effect, chill. Impulse wasn’t actually a dwarf last season, he just started growing shorter. It’s the Hermitcraft air or something.”

Grian stared at her, gears in his brain turning furiously to process her words. “Didn’t you guys base near the water?”

“That’s true, that’s true. I don’t think that was it, though.” Gem said, shrugging nonchalantly. “Anyway, I need to build. See ya.”

She sauntered away.

Grian didn’t have the presence of mind to call her back. He dropped the rod he’d been clutching this whole time and stared at his hands, moist from sweat.

He was short of breath, and after fifteen seconds he realised it wasn’t just from the panic. He physically couldn’t breathe.

Fish can’t survive on land.

Before he could think, before he remembered he was human, Grian leaped into the water, which enveloped him comfortingly like a drug.

The part of Grian that was still Grian realised this was like walking into the tiger’s cave, and forced himself to surface, gasping for air. He ordered his brain to use the lungs he had, and he started breathing again.

He clambered up onto the pier, and laid down on the wood, drained. He fumbled around and found the rod. Well, what else was there to do? Cast line, sit down, wait.

After all, the next one could be the one.

He just wanted mending. Then he’d stop. He’d stop.

The ocean wouldn’t let him go.

[theoneprecioustome]

Old Interviews

A couple of years ago, I came across a compilation of interviews, including some that shared some very interesting info about Aigis' role in the game and the reasons why she didn't have a S-Link in the original Persona 3. I didn't trust my Japanese enough to capture all the nuance though, so the screenshots have been sitting in my folders collecting dust.

Well, no more! We now luckily have a professional Japanese translator in the Aikoto Server, and she has kindly gone ahead and translated the interviews in question. Thank you so much, kitaroai!

Interviews below the cut!

Dengeki PlayStation September 8, 2006 issue Vol.364 "Persona 3" Development Staff Interview

Dengeki PlayStation: I got the impression that Aigis was the main heroine of this work. What made you decide on having a robot girl as the game’s main heroine?

Tanaka (Writer): While I didn’t particularly set out to write her as one would a “main heroine”, we felt that a character who is unaffected by death was essential to a story with “Death” as its theme. In order to explore that theme, it was crucial to depict the process of an existence that starts-off not understanding the meaning of “death”, only to eventually come to face it and acknowledge it.

Soejima (Character Designer): When it comes “heroines”, the game has a system that allows you to date various girls… But personally, I feel that Yukari is a girl that is nearby, while Aigis is the heroine of the main story, or to be more exact, a character that is at the very core of it.

Dengeki PlayStation: So rather than a “heroine”, she could be considered another protagonist?

Hashino (Director): Yes… Aigis is special. She was necessary to depict the story we wanted to tell.

Dengeki PlayStation: I imagine that she is the only female character without a Social Link precisely because she is the one at the heart of the story.

Tanaka: Indeed. It wouldn’t be realistic to say that you can experience love with a robot partner in the exact same way you would with a human, but above all, we feared that giving her a Social Link would make her special role in the story seem less important.

Hashino: She was going to have a Social Link at first and we prepared the scenario for it, but we ultimately decided not to include it.

Dengeki PlayStation: And what about an ending that's influenced by the relationships built in the Social Links? For example, did you ever consider having character-exclusive endings?

Hashino: The staff discussed having character-exclusive endings depending on which Social Links the player did. However, we ultimately decided not to do so because it would take us away from the main story and from what we truly wanted to depict. The relationships with the girls reach their own conclusions in the daily school life section, which is separate from the main story.

Translation by: kitaroai

Material/Dengeki PlayStation July 28, 2006 issue Vol.359 "Persona 3" Interview with Katsura Hashino and Shigenori Soejima

Hashino: Aigis, on the other hand, is a character we added from the very beginning. Since she is a robot, she lacks “feelings”, so we wanted to contrast that with the Protagonist’s emotional side. She was also an indispensable character because she has no fear of “Death”, the main theme of this work.

Soejima: The setting of the story came before the concept, I believe. I remember I started drawing without knowing the story nor its stakes, which was a struggle.

Hashino: […] At first, Soejima seemed to be against the idea of a robot girl, but after convincing him that it was necessary precisely because Aigis is the heroine, it somehow worked out. Was that why you designed her with her machinery exposed?

Soejima: No, it’s not as if I drew her like that as a form of revenge (laughs). I just wanted her design to have more of a nostalgic vibe rather than a high-tech one. My tastes also played a part in it, though (laughs).

Translation by: kitaroai

Plus! One cute extra, this time translated by me:

Materials/Dengeki Maou September 2008 issue supplement “Persona 4” Katsura Hashino, Shigenori Soejima, Kazuhisa Wada Interview

[...]

Soejima (Character Designer): By the way, when it comes to Persona 3, I only worked directly on the one scene where we see Aigis for the first time during the trip to Yakushima.

Dengeki Maou: Do you mean that was the scene you were most particular about?

Soejima: Since that is the scene where we see Aigis for the first time, the Director, Hashino, asked me to make it as cute as possible (Laughs).

Translation by: @theoneprecioustome

[delta-orionis]

I'm replaying SOMA currently and I've been taking note of things I find interesting and/or funny. I will probably make a big masterpost of my favorite notes when I'm done, but for now...

One of the funniest things I noticed so far is that Dr. Munshi is not a doctor. He mentions to Simon that he's still in the process of getting his doctorate, so he's not a doctor in that sense, but also he's getting his degree in computer science, not medicine. I doubt he's even been to medical school.

Munshi's colleague, Paul Berg, is a medical doctor, a neuroscientist to be exact, which makes him a lot more appropriate to be the one administering Simon's brain scan, but he's conveniently out of the office on the day Simon shows up. Which makes it even more shady that Munshi is the one doing Simon's brain scan.

Munshi's office has very shady vibes throughout. It's half finished, there's no receptionist, Munshi won't answer his phone, and Simon has to basically break in to gain access. This is compounded by the fact that, if you snoop around, there's also a loose syringe just laying around in the server room nearby, which also makes Munshi appear even more unprofessional. He even warns Simon about the needles. That can't be proper medical procedure.

I do think Simon breaking in is an interesting bit of character development, because it shows that Simon is willing to snoop around and do a bit of problem solving to get what he needs. He's resourceful, and he continues to show this throughout the rest of the game (even if he is a bit slow on the uptake at times, he is a fish out of metaphorical water after all).

All this is to say that Munshi's office does a very good job at portraying him as a smart guy who also doesn't appear to care about safety that much. (He's not even worried about the huge security risk presented by Simon easily being able to break into his lab). The cherry on top is the fact that Munshi's seemingly innocent scan is the reason why Simon got in the whole Pathos-II mess in the first place. Maybe Munshi isn't shady on purpose, but I do think he should have a chat with an ethics board at the very least.

[no-sleep-fox]

Some People Shouldn't Cook

Warnings: Kickin being a silly dummy /silly /affectionate

Note: don't ever let him cook or bake anything…by himself or with others. This is based off of a lil idea of a Kickin I roleplay as in a discord server btw! :]

The small door to the chicken coop opened and shut softly with a click. Standing there, now leaning a skateboard against the wall next to the door, KickinChicken stood. A relaxed, small smile on his face as he took off his jacket and hung it up on one of the nearby hooks.

Kickin was slow to make his way to the kitchen in the small home. It had been a long day that summer day. Having spent most of it playfully competing against Hoppy to see who was better at soccer and surfing.

Obviously Hoppy won soccer multiple times, while Kickin was able to easily beat her at surfing. And having to sometimes ensure that she was ok whenever the rabbit did fall off of the board. Before the day was even over, Kickin had decided to part ways with his friend group for the day and head on over to his skatepark to have a bit more fun there.

So, all-in-all, Kickin was actually quite tired now after such an eventful day. And what better way to end off the day by having a small snack before going to sleep? The chicken certainly didn't feel like cooking or baking much of anything. Mostly baking due to his…last attempt at it.

With a small sigh of exhaustion, now in the kitchen doorway, where there was actually no door. Kickin shuffled over to his fridge first to see what he could find that was small and simple to just plop in the microwave. Finding nothing, Kickin moved to check in the pantry. The chicken looked around in there for a while before finally settling on something; Mac and Cheese!

There's no way something could go wrong with that! And it was in one of the little bowls made for itself. Exactly what Kickin was hoping for, so now he doesn't need to look for a pot or a microwaveable container! Or even a microwaveable glass bowl. With a small yet tired smile, eyes half lidded due to the sleep slowly trying to take hold, Kickin closed the pantry door and moved away from it.

With tired eyes, the chicken quickly, and lazily, scanned over the instructions to ensure he knew everything. Which usually wasn't much. Without even reading all of it, Kickin undid the lid halfway before taking the cheese packet out and placing it to the side. Without even thinking much, the chicken soon opened the door and lazily placed it in there before closing it.

Pressing one of the numbers, the microwave started up, slowly turning the plate inside with the cup and macaroni in it around. With a small yawn, Kickin took a seat at the small table he had placed in the kitchen further away from the fridge, microwave, and stove. Watching the macaroni do its thing to be down halfway so he can put the cheese in it.

After a couple of seconds, Kickin's eyes narrowed in slow realization, slowly realizing that he didn't even put water in the cup yet. Or at all for that matter, and just put the macaroni in there without doing anything besides taking the packet out. The chicken was about to slowly get up before the cup inside the microwave had suddenly bursted into a flame, startling Kickin.

“OH SHIT!”

Kickin had yelled out, hurrying out of his chair, knocking it down in the process, and opening the microwave door. Panicking, Kickin was about to nearly pick it up before at least a small bit of logic kicked in again. Panicking further, Kickin didn't know what to do, let alone think of something logical at the moment to figure out what to do.

Then a thought crosses his mind; he could possibly call Bubba! The elephant is way smarter than him, so perhaps he would know what to do. Instead of calling 911, like a normal person (/jjj), Kickin dialed up Bubba after rushing out of the kitchen. Having to snag the Smilephone out of his jacket pocket before going back to the kitchen and staring at the microwave and the still on fire cup.

“Come on, Bubba, pick up. Pick up, pick up…please oh go-”

The phone finally stopped ringing with a click, Bubba had finally picked up after two minutes.

“Kickin? Why are you calling me?”

“Bubs! Heeeey! So, I have this funny question. Heh…how do you stop a fire inside of a microwave?”

“A fire inside of a microwave? Kickin, what did you do this time?”

“Nothing!! I mean— uh…ugh, well…I might have forgotten to add…some water to a cup of macaroni…”

Kickin answered Bubba, feeling a bit embarrassed for having forgotten such a simple thing. Especially now that he had said it out loud and was admitting to it. Even if it was to someone in his friend group. It was just so…embarrassing to him.

Kickin heard a heavy sigh on the other side, a bit of grumbling which made him feel a bit more embarrassed for being so forgetful. Rubbing the tips of his fingers with his free hand as Bubba didn't answer for a few seconds. Just those few seconds made him not only worry about his own situation, but also worry if he had finally gotten on the elephant's nerve once and for all.

“Alright, I'll explain what you need to do.”

Kickin beamed at that, glad that his friend was still willing to help. Giving his thanks, the chicken listened carefully. Doing exactly what Bubba instructed him to do, with a bit of fumbling with some items. Mostly due to the still lingering panic he felt from seeing the cup of macaroni on fire, though was doing well nonetheless!

Once the fire was out, with a sigh of relief, Kickin spoke to Bubba once more.

“Thanks again, man. I own you one, heh.”

“It's nothing, Kickin. Just be sure to add water next time. Now, I'm going to bed. Goodnight, Kickin.”

“I’ll try. Goodnight, Bubs!”

“Kickin…do actually be careful. Don't just forget this within two days.”

Without being able to say anything else, Bubba hung up. Rubbing the back of his head, Kickin looked over at the microwave with a small frown. Welp, he isn't going to be making any Mac and Cheese for a while now…

[solalunar-eclipse]

Sonic Boom - S3E19

Chapter title: Unknown From M.E. (Part One)

Summary: Knuckles has been having some odd dreams lately…what could be causing them? The team bands together to explore a new area and find out.

AO3 Link

First | Previous | Next

[The camera opens up in a first-person perspective. We see two red arms, ending in white mittens with double knuckle-spikes on each hand.]

The echidna pushed aside a tangle of vines, walking through a dense jungle. The scenery looked nothing like the forests of Seaside Island, instead appearing distinctly more tropical in nature.

It seemed quite familiar to the person walking through it, at least, since they climbed over fallen trees and pushed through the undergrowth with ease. Clearly, they were quite confident in their own abilities. 

Suddenly, however, a faint chanting could be heard off in the distance. 

The servers are the Eight Chaos…

The echidna looked up sharply in the direction of the voice, startled. After a moment’s pause, they began to walk closer to where they’d heard the chant. 

“Hello?” they called, their voice pitched high with youth.

Chaos is power, enriched by the heart…

The young person began to run through the forest, chasing the sounds to the foot of a mountain. They looked up at the peak and began to climb, digging their spikes into the solid rock. However, the next time the voices came, they sounded further away.

The controller serves to unify the chaos…

Abruptly, the echidna dropped from their perch, beginning to dig into the ground instead. As they burrowed deeper and deeper, they heard the chant one last time, guiding them into the very center of the mountain.

This is what we have been sworn to guard.

And with that, the echidna emerged into a room—a room that gleamed green from every surface, sparkling and shimmering like it was made of one massive crystal.

They reached out to touch the floor beneath their feet…

…and Knuckles fell out of his hammock in his home, gasping for breath.

[The intro sequence goes off perfectly well! The individual character introductions and team shot all stay the same.]

[This time, the villain intro shows a red glow that illuminates a massive cave painting, one that’s difficult to make out. However, it appears to depict many different creatures holding oddly shaped machinery. Some of them are being struck by a mysterious unidentifiable force, dropping their possessions in the process…]

[The intro then continues on, before ending with the title of this week’s episode.]

Another day, another attack from Dr. Eggman, located in the town square. As always, Sonic and all his friends were there to fight back, frustrating the ever-persistent (or perhaps simply just in-denial) doctor. 

“Come on, Sonic! Can’t you just give me one win?” he complained, hovering warily nearby in his Eggmobile.

“I already gave you a win, remember? It was on New Year’s Eve!” Sonic shot back, spindashing several badniks as he spoke.

“That one doesn’t count!”

“Yeah it does!”

“No it doesn’t!”

“Yeah it d—!”

Before Sonic could continue his argument with his nemesis, Knuckles stumbled into his side, having overshot his left hook.

“Wh-whoa!” the hero yelped, struggling to stabilize his taller friend. “Knux, you good?”

“Oh yeah, I’m fine!” Knuckles gave him a thumbs-up. “Just didn’t sleep a lot last night, but it’s no problem!”

Sonic frowned, but let it go for the time being, opting to smash more badniks instead of pressing the echidna on the matter. Soon enough, the tide of the battle was turned, and Dr. Eggman was forced to retreat, grumbling all the way back to his evil lair.

“Knuckles?” Amy called, tugging on her hammer from where it had gotten stuck in a bush. “What happened back there? You don’t normally kick my hammer instead of the robots…”

“Knux here says he didn’t sleep last night.” Sonic showed not a single sign of remorse as he revealed this information to known health enthusiast Amy Rose.

“Sonic!” the echidna cried, shooting him a distinctly betrayed look.

Amy immediately dragged her hammer out of the bush and de-summoned it as she rushed over to get a better look at Knuckles. “Oh no, you’ve even got dark circles under your eyes!” she fretted. “Do you want that sleep hygiene checklist I mentioned a while ago?”

He grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. “I dunno, I mean, I don’t drink coffee before bed or anything like that! I just had some weird dreams lately, that’s all.”

“They’re not nightmares, are they?” Shadow asked softly, giving Knuckles a cautious look.

“Nope! Just weird! It kinda feels like someone’s trying to tell me something…” he mused.

Sticks clambered up on top of Knuckles’s shoulders, squinting at him warily. “Do you need me to make you a tinfoil hat? I can make ‘em good so no aliens talk to you in your sleep!”

“Before we decide if it’s aliens or not, I think we should ask Knuckles what these strange dreams are about.” Tails said decisively. “It may be nothing, or it could be important, but we won’t know unless we have all the information.”

“Would you like to talk about it here, or would you prefer to go back to one of our houses first?” Amy asked kindly, taking one of Knuckles’s hands in her own and giving him a reassuring smile.

Knuckles beamed back gratefully. “The second one sounds great.”

Once they’d all settled down in Tails’s living room (“Just in case it does turn out to be something that requires further investigation!”) and Amy had helped make everyone drinks (“We may be close, but that just means I get to be a good host even in your homes!”, she’d quipped), she sat down on the sofa next to Knuckles, leaving a small amount of space in between them and looking up at him hopefully.

“So…in the dream, I’m somewhere else. I can’t see it super clearly, but it’s someplace that isn’t Seaside Island.” Knuckles began. “I’m smaller, I think, and I hear some people talking, so I go looking for them. It sounds like the noise is coming from inside a mountain, and I dig inside, but once I get there, all I find is this cave made of green crystals. Then I wake up! I just wish I knew who was talking.” He frowned, genuinely somewhat concerned by the fact that he couldn’t identify this mysterious person. 

Tails leapt to his feet excitedly. “So it really could be someone who’s trying to communicate with you! Is it the same dream every time?”

“Yeah, it is!” The echidna couldn’t help but be infected by his friend’s enthusiasm, brightening up as the engineer began to scan him.

“Huh…” Tails hummed, frowning down at his screen. “I’m not seeing much out of the ordinary, but my screen is a little on the fritz.” He tapped the side of his device, concerned.

Shadow teleported over beside him, making the fox squeak as his fur puffed up briefly. “Sorry.” he muttered, already looking over the device. “Can you scan the ambient wavelengths around Knuckles? That might be a better way to tell if someone else is sending him messages.”

“I guess…my software might have some trouble with something that subtle, but if I boost the strength, it could work.” Tails mused, flying over to his friend and adjusting several settings in an effort to improve the data.

The android moved a little closer to Knuckles as well, only to freeze, his eyes wide. “Tails? Actually, I have a feeling that technology, incredible as it may be, is not what is required here.”

“Why not?” Tails shot him a distinctly skeptical look.

“Because,” Shadow began, “he is currently surrounded by an incredible amount of raw Chaos energy.”

Suddenly, everyone began shouting at once, making Shadow wince at the shocking increase in sound. Thankfully, they all noticed the effect almost immediately, backing off and watching him and Knuckles expectantly, but with a distinct aura of concern.

“It isn’t necessarily dangerous.” the android explained. “Raw Chaos energy simply refers to energy that originates directly from one of the eight Chaos Crystals, without having been absorbed or filtered through a Chaos user’s body.”

The tension in the room dropped significantly.

“But Knux doesn’t have a Chaos Crystal, does he?” Sonic asked, still looking confused. “All he has is that Fregosi Sapphire thing.”

“Yeah! I think I’d know what jewels I do and don’t have!” Knuckles added.

Shadow inclined his head slightly. “This is true. However, distance is not always an issue when it comes to Chaos. From what I have heard, these crystals existed long before the time of even the Ancients, with some legends claiming that they are fragments of whatever force first brought Chaos energy into the world. Legends aside, there was enough scientific research done on them in my time to suggest that the Chaos Crystals do have a limited form of sentience. Essentially, they have their own wishes and desires, and they are capable of limited communication, if they find someone they deem worthy of their attention.”

“Um, that’s definitely not creepy or anything,” Amy said. “Seeing as we’ve spent time around them once or twice already.”

Shadow exhaled in a way that almost sounded like laughter. “Don’t worry. The crystals have always been supportive of people who intend to help others. They want the world and those within it to remain thriving as much as you all do.”

“So how do I find out which one’s trying to talk to me?” Knuckles asked.

“If you will allow me, I can do my best to help.” The android folded his arms. “I can assist you in tuning your personal energy to the same frequency as whichever Chaos Crystal is causing this, so that we can work together to find its source.”

“Why wouldn’t I let you?” Knuckles looked over at him, bewildered. “Go ahead!”

Shadow blinked, momentarily silent with astonishment. “You do realize that you are, essentially, allowing me access to your life force, yes?”

Knuckles shrugged. “I mean, I already trust you not to beat me up every day. I do that with all my friends! I don’t think this is any different.”

A small smile made its way, unbidden, onto Shadow’s face. “Very well then. Let’s give this a try.” He moved to stand directly behind where Knuckles sat on the couch, placing his hands on the echidna’s broad shoulders. “Are you ready?”

“As I’ll ever be!”

“Very well then, close your eyes.” 

As the other four looked on, golden energy began to glow and swirl around Shadow’s hands. It twisted and spun in the air, before slowly making its way down Knuckles’s arms to his hands. At the same time, its color gently faded from gold to green.

Abruptly, the energy shot towards the echidna’s heart, glowing so brightly it was almost difficult to look at—

—and then it vanished, and both of their eyes snapped open as the two suddenly gasped for breath.

“Are you both alright?!” Tails exclaimed.

“I believe so. That was…” Shadow wheezed, “…not a source of Chaos energy I have ever sensed before.”

Knuckles beamed. “I am in contact with it now, though, and I think I can find it! Thanks, Shadow!”

The android struggled to meet Knuckles’s eyes. “Well…of course. Anytime.”

“A new source?! Do you think you could direct me to it if we were flying in my plane?” Tails asked excitedly.

“I think I could!” Knuckles stood up from the sofa, a determined look in his eyes. “Let’s go find the thing that’s giving me weird dreams so I can sleep normally again!”

Shadow laughed quietly, shaking his head. “Only you all would have to hunt down a mysterious energy source because its mystical dreams were disturbing your sleep.”

“Well, it’s not going to hunt itself!” Sonic declared. “Alright, guys, let’s do it to it!”

Everyone stared at him blankly.

“Uh, I was just—I was trying a new thing.” Sonic stammered, explaining quickly. “Audiences said they wanted us to be a little more genuine, so I thought I’d give it a go, and—you know what, let’s just go find this weird energy thing!”

[Cut to Tails’s plane, carrying all six heroes as it flies over the ocean.]

“It should be coming up on our left now!” Knuckles shouted, trying to make himself heard by the entire team over the roar of the propeller. Tails quickly banked to the left, soaring downwards and coming in for a smooth landing on the beach of the island that Knuckles had indicated.

Once the echidna had hopped off the biplane, however, he froze.

It took a moment for his friends to notice that he was standing stock-still, staring into the jungle beyond the yellow sand of the beach. Amy walked up to him, giving him a concerned look. “Knuckles? Is everything alright?” she asked gently. Knuckles blinked rapidly, before looking down at her with a stunned expression.

“This…this is the island where I grew up.”

“WHAT?!” everyone collectively shrieked, staring at him incredulously. 

Knuckles grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “First my gliding, then this…I guess I forgot to tell you guys a lot, huh?”

“I knew you grew up in the wild like me, but on another island? How’d you even leave?” Sticks asked.

The echidna shrugged. “I didn’t originally mean to—I just went out on a raft one day trying to catch fish, but a storm blew in suddenly while I was out on the water. When I woke up, I was on Seaside Island, with no idea how to get back. And as much as I wanted to, once I met you guys, well…that started to seem less important.”

“Aw, Knuckles, that’s so sweet!” Amy latched onto his arm, her eyes wide and sparkling. 

Tails flew over to him, hovering around excitedly. “Does this mean we’re gonna get to see the village where you grew up?” 

Knuckles sighed, his mood suddenly much lower. “As far as I know, there’s nobody else on the whole island. If I had a family, I don’t know who they are—I hatched alone and learned to survive that way, too.”

Shadow walked up to him, giving him a sympathetic look. “I am glad you survived. It’s incredible that you were able to do so, and the world would have been at a loss had you not.”

The echidna had a small smile on his face at that. “Thanks…” he muttered, half to himself.

“And hey, that doesn’t mean you can’t show us around the place where you grew up! I want all the secret Knuckles lore!” Sonic added, shooting his friend an encouraging smile.

Thankfully, Knuckles perked up quickly and began to lead the way forward into the trees. “Let’s go check it out!”

After some navigating through the jungle, the six emerged into a clearing surrounding a massive mountain that soared up through the clouds, around which were clustered a variety of buildings. All of them were at least two stories tall, bolted into the side of the rock and made largely of intricately carved wood. Outside each one, a knotted rope hung from a hook, with different patterns of knots for each individual house.

“I used to live in this one here.” Knuckles explained, gesturing to the largest building there was. The building was marked above its door with a classic diamond-cut jewel symbol in green pigment. It was twice as wide as most of the other houses and rose eight stories into the air.

Tails whipped out his Miles Electric and began to scan it immediately. “This is a marvel of architecture! I’ve never seen wooden structures of this height before on Seaside Island, either Ancient or modern!”

Sticks frowned. “Hey, Knuckles, do you still feel that weird energy?”

The echidna jolted back to attention, having briefly been lost in his memories of the island. “Oh, right! Yeah, I do—I think it’s inside the mountain, just like in my dream! I can’t actually dig into it, though, it’s made of solid rock.”

“Well, maybe there’s an entrance somewhere?” Amy mused, eyeing the rock in front of her thoughtfully. “There’s a gem painted on the front of that building, so surely they must have known about the existence of powerful crystals, if nothing else.”

“Hey, lil’ bro, I know you’re all hyped about this village, but you think you could spare your scanner for a sec to find us a way inside this mountain?” Sonic asked, tugging playfully on Tails’s shoe—the only part of his brother he could reach, since Tails had started flying in excitement some time ago.

“Sonic!” the fox whined, shaking himself free and landing a safe distance away. “Of course I can!”

 He held the Miles Electric up, scanning the general area. “Ugh, there’s so much ambient energy here, it’s making my screen glitch out really badly!” Tails called, frowning at it—

—and then nearly dropped his screen when the glitching stopped entirely.

“Um.” he added nervously. “…thank you? To whoever…or whatever…fixed that?”

The entire team shared wary glances. 

“Sooo, if I can still trust this to be even remotely accurate, it says there’s an opening on the roof of that tall building that Knuckles used to live in.” Tails said.

“Nice one, pal!” Sonic zipped over and ruffled Tails’s hair, making the fox yelp and bat at him in an attempt to get his brother to release him once again.

Quickly, the entire team scaled the house, using their various skills. Amy hammer-jumped to get herself to the second level and clambered up from there, while Sonic just sped directly up the mountain alongside it. Sticks climbed the structure with ease, Knuckles punched his spikes into the rock of the mountain, and Tails, of course, simply flew all the way up (stopping to rest once). Meanwhile, Shadow actually ascended through the inside of the house before teleporting through the roof.

[Please envision a cross-section of the house with all of this happening at once for the desired effect.]

Once they were at the top, Shadow scrutinized the mountain’s face skeptically. “That…doesn’t look an awful lot like a door, I’m afraid.”

“Maybe Knuckles has to be the one to open it?” Amy suggested.

The echidna placed the palm of his hand hesitantly against the rock…and nothing happened. 

“I’m sorry, guys, I really thought it was up here!” Tails’s ears drooped unhappily at the thought that he’d led them wrong.

“No, I can feel it stronger through here—I’ll try again!” Knuckles insisted. He pushed both his palms fiercely against the side of the mountain, willing it to move as powerfully as he could.

And with that, a circular outline flared green around where he stood, before receding outwards into the mountain…leaving an empty, pitch-black tunnel beyond.

“Well, that certainly isn’t a safety hazard.” Shadow muttered.

Sonic smirked. “Just ‘cause you don’t have special light-up gear doesn’t mean you’ve gotta be nervous, Shads—we’ll keep you safe!” As he spoke, his bandages and bandana lit up, and the other three with glowing gear did the same. (Meanwhile, Sticks pulled out some of their bioluminescent paste and smeared that onto their face, arms, hands, and legs.)

Shadow stared at Sonic unblinkingly for a long, uncomfortable moment. Silently, he held up one hand, palm up, and let golden Chaos energy blaze to life around it. 

“Hmph. Show-off.” the blue hedgehog muttered, rolling his eyes.

“Let’s just get in there, alright?” Amy sighed, pushing past them both and into the cave. “We’re here to help Knuckles, not inflate either of your egos any more.”

The rest of the team filed into the cave behind her, walking one by one down the path. Between the six of them, there was more than enough light to see by. It illuminated all the walls of the cavern…as well as the split in the path up ahead. 

“So which way do we go from here?” Sticks asked, frowning at the two different tunnels. 

Knuckles closed his eyes for a moment, doing his best to focus. “I think we go…left.”

“I trust you, pal.” Sonic patted his forearm briefly, turning to go the way he’d suggested. 

“Can you really feel the source of all that energy?” Tails flew up to hover alongside Knuckles as they continued down the path. “What’s it feel like?”

“It feels sorta…comfortable? But also lonely, I think.” the echidna explained, before stopping as they reached another junction, this time with three pathways. “Uh…center this time.”

The caverns continued in a similar manner, branching and diverging in various ways, with Knuckles leading them through all of it. At one point, once they’d been walking for quite some time, Amy spoke up hesitantly.

“We’re sure this energy thing isn’t just leading us in circles, right?” she asked, smiling nervously. 

“I don’t think it would do something like that.” Knuckles spoke with surprising confidence despite his low volume. “Something like this…I think the people who made these tunnels knew it needed to be kept safe. If it really is as powerful as it seems—y’know, with all the causing dreams and fixing Tails’s scanner—then it’d probably be pretty bad if someone like Eggman got his hands on it.”

There wasn’t time for more than a second or two of silence before a green light began to shine from the end of the tunnel, immediately drawing everyone’s attention. Amy shook her head wryly. “I’ll admit it. I was wrong to doubt you, Knuckles.”

The team rushed forward, eager for some freedom from the dark, cramped tunnels. Quickly, Knuckles entered the chamber beyond—only to stop short, causing everyone behind him to slam into his back and then sprawl all over the floor. As they began to get up, in various states of grumbling and collecting themselves, they all froze and stared in awe alongside him at the place they’d found.

A massive cavern soared over their heads, formed entirely out of green crystal. Huge gem stalactites speared out from the ceiling, while the floor was polished and smooth. Various ledges were present at different heights along the walls, which formed a near-perfect circle around the jewel-like floor. And within every single facet, an otherworldly green glow shone, casting all of the heroes in its own color.

“Whoa, Knux…what is this place?” Sonic breathed. 

But it wasn’t Knuckles who replied.

“Chaos,” Shadow swore. “It’s the Master Crystal!”

[lysol1201]

Leonard - Leon Kennedy x GN!Reader

This is the Leonard story, but put into one post. I originally had all parts separately even though they were short, but just to see if this helps with not having to go through different posts, I'll put this out as well. Thanks <33

Lowercase is intended and the style is meant to be short. This story is meant to angsty, so be warned.

his name wasn’t leonard, and you proved that you knew.

Genre: Angst

TW: Hurt/No Comfort, Death

Word Count: 1644

Inspired by:

++++

“welcoming the graduating class of 1995!” the principle announced.

as everyone got prepared for their graduation walk, leon looked for someone to walk with. people usually asked someone before hand, but he chose to be the person that would accept whoever needed a partner still.

“hey,” you walked up to leon. “do you have a partner?”

“i do not,” he responded with a grin. “need one?”

“please,” you smiled and stood next to leon’s side. “i’m y/n l/n you?”

“leon kennedy.” he introduced himself.

“nice to meet you leonard,”

“it’s leon-“

then the graduation march began. everyone lined up and started to walk and it was way too loud to continue the conversation.

his name wasn’t leonard,

he wasn’t sure if you knew.

++++

leon was 19, already in his preparations to become a police officer, when he knew he couldn’t officially start until he was 21 as that was the law where he lived. he would scoff at the idea, but he still had a lot to complete to ensure he’d be a good one anyway.

leon was currently going through the screening process as well as getting his required examinations before taking on his physical and agility tests.

polygraph test, cleared.

mental health evaluation, cleared.

background check, cleared.

he was on his way to get into the force smoothly.

as celebration of hearing he cleared all screenings and examinations, he decided to visit the cool new restaurant that opened nearby.

even if he had to go alone, high school friends somewhat drifted apart, he was excited for it.

when he walked inside, he was shocked to see that the host of the establishment was you.

“oh, hey,” he straightened his back at the sight of you and smiled, walking a bit quicker to the podium.

“hey!” you exclaimed in response, remembering the boy you graduated with. “dinner date?”

“just me,” he shrugged.

“table for one it is,” you chuckled as you grabbed a menu and lead him to his seat.

“thanks, y/n,” he smiled genuinely at you as he sat down at the booth.

“your server will be martha, she’ll be right with you,” you assured him. “have a nice dinner, leonard!”

you walked away with a bounce in your step as you returned to your post where a line had began to form. he had no chance to correct you.

his name wasn’t leonard,

he wasn’t sure if you knew.

++++

it was leon’s 20th birthday. to celebrate, he sat alone at a small cafe studying for the police academy.

he was determined for this, preparing to do his very best at all the tests. he had trained physically daily and studied nightly.

and now, on his 20th birthday, he’s doing the same. just in a different environment.

“oh, hey!” he heard the familiar voice that belonged to you call him. “why are you here so late?” you walked over to him and chuckled at the boy at a table in the corner of a cafe reading a book about law.

“oh, hi y/n.” he smiled at you, happy to see your smiling face. “i’m studying for the police academy.”

“at a cafe?”

“it’s my 20th birthday today, so i chose to switch up the scenery,” he chuckled with a shrug.

you gasped. “it’s your birthday?” you asked rhetorically. “hold on!” you said, running off to the front of the cafe quickly.

before he knew it, you were back with a singular cupcake in hand and a lighter. “the cashier didn’t have a candle but he had a lighter, so you’ll have to blow this out,” you giggled.

you put the cupcake down in front of leon and lit the lighter, putting it slightly behind the cupcake to give from his perspective that there was a small flame above his cupcake.

“make a wish,” you whispered, hoping not to blow out the flame.

leon’s heart was beating at a million miles per hour. he didn’t know why. well, maybe he did. nobody ever did this for him. he never had this before. but you did. today. right now.

so he made his wish.

your happiness.

he blew out the flame.

you closed the lighter and passed him a small genuine and loving smile. “happy birthday, leonard” you spoke softly.

he chuckled lightly, “it’s le-“

“oh shit,” you muttered as you remembered something. “i was supposed to meet someone right now. shit! i gotta go! have a good birthday!” you said, quickly returned the lighter back to the cashier and then rushed out of the cafe.

leon looked at the cupcake in front of him and he couldn’t help but smile.

his name wasn’t leonard,

he wasn’t sure if you knew.

++++

leon was 21 years old. it was his first day at RPD.

and most likely, his last. since there was no one left.

leon ran around the raccoon police station, looking for survivors and trying to find a safe way out. the place was a wreck, destroyed, covered with blood and people that were no longer people.

any body he found was either dead or dead but walking.

until he saw one injured person still breathing.

you.

“y/n!” he shouted, running towards you in the RPD gear that marvin gave him. “holy shit, you’re alive,”

“not for long,” you coughed, holding your side. you moved your hand that was covered in your blood and showed him a large chunk of your side that was bitten. “shit hurts,” you attempted to joke, but all it did was hurt.

“don’t worry, i’m finding a way out, i can get you to the hospital-“

“i’m a goner,” you interrupted him. “i’m going to turn into one of those monsters.” you muttered with a sigh.

“let me help you,”

“there is no way to help me,” you spoke harshly. “actually, there is one thing.”

“anything, y/n,”

“shoot me,” you bluntly replied. leon’s eyes widened. “i don’t want to become one of those monsters. i don’t want you to see me as one of those monsters. please shoot me.” you pointed to his gun.

“i can’t-“

“can’t or won’t?”

“… won’t.”

“do it or i will.”

leon stood silent for a bit, looking at your disheveled self. he could tell you put up a fight. he was proud of you in that.

but then he thought about his wish.

“i’ll do it if you answer one question for me,” he cleared his throat.

“what is it?” you coughed.

“are you happy?”

you smiled softly and chuckled lightly, ignored the pain spiking through you. “yeah. i’m happy,” you admitted.

he smiled, a large sigh of relief coming out of him. he noticed his vision began to blur. “good. then my wish came true,” he grinned.

“your wish?”

“that wish you made me make for my 20th birthday?” he began to explain. “i wished for your happiness.”

tears began to fall from your eyes.

leon knew it was time. he took a deep breath and drew his gun.

“wait,” you spoke up before he could point his gun at your head. “can you promise me something before you shoot me?”

“anything,”

“live out of spite for me,

okay, leon?”

you looked at leon intently. he had no words, pure shock on his face. he was only able to nod.

you smiled, leaning your head back against the wall to get comfortable. you shut your eyes.

“shoot me.” you directed.

you knew from the sniffles you heard and the hesitation from the sounds he made while fiddling with his gun, that he wasn’t going to break his promise. you kept the smile on your face.

then he shot you.

leon cried.

his name wasn’t leonard,

and you proved that you knew.

++++

37 never felt so bad.

it was leon’s 37th birthday, and he spent it in a bar with the one person he was fine with inviting. chris redfield.

“hey, leon,” chris spoke up as leon leaned back in his seat, grabbing a lighter from his jacket pocket. “i got a question for you,”

leon just hummed in response, retrieving the basic lighter from his leather jacket and leaned forward once again.

“what are you exactly doing?” he asked rather harshly. “we’re at a bar and you have a cupcake out with no candle and a fucking lighter.”

leon shrugged. “tradition.” he replied softly, already a bit buzzed from the alcohol he had previously.

leon flicked on the lighter and placed it behind the cupcake so from his point of view it just looked like a flame above the cupcake.

“you gonna make a wish?” chris crossed his arms with a chuckle, yet it was with a judgmental tone.

leon didn’t pay attention to chris. he just looked at the flame and thought back to you.

it’s been 16 years. it’s officially been 16 years since you’d been gone. it had officially been 16 years since he killed you.

16 years of doing the same tradition on his birthday, with a cupcake and a lighter.

leon calmly blew out the flame of the lighter, closing the lighter and putting it back in his pocket.

“well, did you?”

leon just softly nodded.

“what was it?”

“can’t tell or it won’t come true,” leon sassed back, going in to the cupcake to finally eat it.

chris rolled his eyes. “what do you even live for?”

leon smirked.

“i live out of spite.”

and that was that.

every year he remembered to live out of spite.

just like he promised you.

so every year, he wished that he’d make it to next year.

he didn’t want to break that promise. not now, not ever.

“happy birthday, leon,” chris chuckled, ordering more beer for the two.

leon thought back to you.

“happy birthday, leonard,” you said.

he softly smiled to himself.

his name wasn’t leonard,

and you always knew.

THE END.

[hmshermitcraft]

Now the hermits know Pearl’s past isn’t something she talks about often if not at all even Grian knows a whole lot and they’ve known each other since they were toddlers! But she sometimes get into a funk and just avoids everyone for weeks on end they get worried. They try and go to her base but she’s not there Impulse and Gem haven’t even seen her nearby and when she does return she’s usually covered in blood with dead eyes her head down. Not to mention the fact there’s been a massive increase in wolves showing up on the server and not the friendly kind.

Now they want to respect Pearl’s privacy they do really! But the last time she showed up she was curled in a ball next to the Hotguy shop crying with large claw marks behind her and her normally baggy jacket she always keeps on torn to shreds showing a large selection of tattoos they weren’t even aware she had. So after getting her patched up and making sure she was ok they went to her base and sat in front of her with Xisuma pulling the “I demand an explanation” look which he hates pulling.

So after working up a voice Pearl explained her family wasn’t kind…in a traditional sense she comes from a long line of monster hunters who willingly or at least usually willingly become werewolves in order to fight back unfortunately she wasn’t one of those willing ones. Normally the process shouldn’t have side effects as long as it’s what a person wants but unfortunately her grandparents didn’t care for that so they forced the transformation which resulted in the tattoos on her body. So now Pearl has a raging monster inside her that unless she lets loose every once and awhile it can hurt her badly which is what she tried to do since she’s been doing since she’s been on hermitcraft and this is the end result that their seeing when the monster forcibly takes control.

And the last thing she expected was to be hugged by all of them with a good majority of them crying-Mumbo, Keralis your gonna drown Scar at this rate!-while the other majority was already trying to figure out to see if they can remove it or at least a way to ease the symptoms of it. And in that instant Pearl remembered why she fell in love with them all in the first place this curse be damned.

Rando anon

Jokingly, some of the hermits are offended that she thinks they could be taken down by a mere werewolf to begin with. Pearl shakes her head fondly, knowing no wolf is going to help her win that argument.

Xisuma throws himself into research, whilst some of the other hermits band together to find a way to help Pearl manage her symptoms. The wolf needs to be let out occasionally to run off energy, so they need a safe space it can do it! Really, it's just like designing a minigame, and that's something the hermits excel at.

Pearl gives her input, as well. Mostly it's telling people areas the wolf will be able to escape. It can jump over walls that low, yes it can open doors. Gates too. Iron doors take longer so it usually gets bored and gives up.

They eventually end up with a selection of minigames for Pearl to choose from when she needs it. There's ones for running, hunting, fighting- whatever the wolf needs that night! Xisuma promises to keep up his research, but Pearl feels so much better already. It's nice to wake up the morning after a transformation feeling refreshed and energised. She used to always feel like she'd been dragged backwards through a hedge maze.

(The hermits still aren't quite sure how to tell her about the time the wolf came to them and flopped over for belly rubs, though. They guess the previous arrangement didn't feel good for it, either.)

[hccn-overseer]

Issue 32, 12/06/2023 - The Overseer

Issue Masterpost About the Overseer

News from the Shopping District

By Mateo

There has been a lot of activity in the Shopping District as of late, with shops getting busier likely due to the time of year, so I’ve decided to make a little recap of the past few weeks!

Several newer citizens have been taking the time to tour around the shopping district to explore and meet potential friends, and many citizens are seeing familiar faces in nearby shops. There are people that may or may not be going on dates, and others learning that they have more freedom to be who they are and enjoy life more, and yet more who are just visiting their shopkeeper friends. 

Our own Roo has been venturing around, meeting new people and making friends, and we are all very proud because socialization is difficult.

Open Mic Night at Get Vexed Diner, run by citizen Atelo, is always an amazing option if you want to sing to your favorite song without getting judged. Citizen Stitches, a plushie shop, is temporarily closed so that co-owner Jax can have a day off. Nox, of Nox’s Flowers (and Sculk Clearing), could probably use some positivity in these trying times.

There are several shops open dedicated to clothing, a few bookshops with mysterious owners, places where art drives the entire shop, several bakeries, and the well known Overseer Headquarters, among others like the pirate ship off in the distance that sells various treasures and trinkets.

There are so many talented shopkeepers that if we were to name all of them, the list would be longer than the wait for someone to get home so you can see their response to your latest message.

Not everything is fun and games, however. A shop has had to close down in the past few weeks due to a shift in management and repairing damage done to various parts of it. The Pharmacy™, formerly run by citizen Ender, has been taken over by citizens Avid and Cordelia (a new addition to the server) because of an incident last week involving sculk catalysts, a frying pan, several unsuspecting bystanders, and a mooshroom island. The two have been giving their best efforts to de-sculkify the shop and fix it up so it can get up and running again, but it is a slow process.

Other places have been affected by sculk spread, with several shops, including The Pharmacy™ and Nox’s Flowers (and Sculk Clearing), being visited by a citizen by the name of Mos, who is having a midlife crisis at the ripe old age of seventeen, but that is about par for the course of the Hermitcitizen Lifestyle™. If anyone sees them, just be careful.

I also write bearing a suggestion from Raidne of Raidne’s: Tailoring and Outfits for All Occasions and a newcomer, a skeleton named Roman with a pretty cool cape and active hatred of the sun. Please consider, if you haven’t already, that there are a lot of people on the server who can’t be out during the day due to the lack of shade and being partially or fully mob. If you can, if you have a shop, it might be a nice idea to have covered walkways in the shopping district so that people who are hurt by the sun can still come around and say hello.

Now onto other news below the cut!

Affiliate Summaries

By Mateo

Mumbo: Send help they're making the Josh Hutcherson whistle edit with irl Mumbo and it's scary, and also they're luring British people with tea— OH GREAT HEAVENS

Pearl: Soup (in the soup bowl)! And Wet Cat Wednesday!

Scar: The Scarland art book has been released and affiliates are celebrating! Go check it out— it's full of very talented artists.

Grian: A chandelier with birds on it. Don't ask, it's just majestic.

Joe Hills: Joe Hills (Joevember has ended).

Anyways that's all that news! See y'all next week!

Weekly Weather Report

by: Mateo

These are in Celsius! Apologies, fellow Americans!

Wednesday: Temperatures will reach highs of -1° and lows of -12°. Light snow is expected with little wind.

Thursday: Temperatures will reach highs of 0° and lows of -9°. Skies will be cloudy with wind speed of 20 miles per hour

Friday: Temperatures will reach highs of -3° and lows of -11°. Expected flurries and wind speeds of up to 30 miles an hour.

Saturday: Temperatures will reach highs of 2° and lows of -4°. Skies will be partially cloudy with little wind, but about a 50% chance for light rain later in the day.

Sunday: Temperatures will reach highs of -1° and lows of -8°. Expected thunderstorms early in the day but clearing up in the afternoon. Wind speeds from 10 to 15 miles per hour.

Monday: Temperatures will reach highs of 0° and lows of -7°. Skies will be clear with little to no wind.

Tuesday: Temperatures will reach highs of -4° and lows of -12°. Skies will be clear with higher wind speeds of 15 miles per hour.

Wednesday: Temperatures will reach highs of 3° and lows of -10°. Skies will be cloudy with wind speeds of up to 30 miles per hour, with chances of snow later in the evening.

Scarland Volcano ready for action!

By Azurecake16

Following the recent opening of Scarland, work has begun on the park's next area, Adventureland! Alongside stunning gardens, and Ellie the Elephant, this area will feature the long awaited Volcano of Scarland! Made using almost 50 000 blocks, this attraction towers over even the main castle, and is surrounded by seemingly charred forests, and is buried deep in the jungle! Wander through Adventureland to see it for yourself, it’s impossible to miss!

With many rides, plenty more secrets to come and more areas being built up, we here at the Overseer can’t wait to see where Scarland will take us next!

ADVERTISEMENTS

By Jamie

—————————————————

Greetings to all citizens! As you all very well know, Scarland is one of the fastest growing places of fun on the server, with dozens of our friends and fellow hermits working there! This past week the official Scarland Art Book was published and is open for FREE download. Please go check it out at the link!

—————————————————

To all Garden members : This Friday there shall be a meeting in the sculk bolder amongst Dwayne (Grian's Base). Please bring a mandatory daisy for entry, as well as any other florals you deem fit. Do not be late. —————————————————

CALLING ALL AVIANS! There shall be a council meeting held at the treehouse in two weeks time to discuss the possibility of a flying (elytra) course! If you have any ideas on the theme or how the trials should be set up please be prepared to present them on the 20th.

—————————————————

Fun and Games

This week's fun and games are brought to you by Azure and Rookie!

Brain Teasers by Azure

Coloring page by Rookie

And that's all for this week folks! Big thank you to our new writers and contributors and thank you to you all for reading!

[princeblue]

The clothes.

-

(A little Drabble i created in my headcanons channel in the server lol, decided to post it here without any revision so take it as you will.)

—

Sanemi in a fit of rage destroyed Genya’s clothes that he somehow managed to keep.

He was drunk and it was the yearly anniversary.

The first one.

A whole year with a brother truly gone.

It had sat neatly in his desk gathering dust until then.

Once he realized what he had done he never sobbed so hard in his life, not since genya had died.

He shakily takes it to nezuko and asks her to fix it, she does, sadly she does. She doesn’t remember much about genya, but she remembers he was kind and tells sanemi as much.

Eventually time comes and goes, sanemi never touched another bottle of liquor after that. For a while he sits it neatly in his desk and lets it gather dust, then one night when the locusts are singing and it’s hot out, it reminds him of the night they went firefly catching. How Genya’s smile lit up the night sky.

He takes it out and brings it closely to his chest, he’s nearing twenty five.

Eventually he sits down and creates a will, his money as a hashira that’s hardly been touched will go to nezuko only, he can’t forgive Kamado, he hates Kamado nearly as much as he hated himself. Not for hauling a demon around, but for protecting his sister when sanemi failed to protect his brother.

For leading his brother into the battle and getting him killed, hating himself for neglecting genya, maybe if he didn’t he would’ve been alive today.

He gives it to kiri, who smiles sadly and says genya would’ve wanted him to live, it’s something he’s heard so many times. But what is done is done, sanemi finds it in himself he doesn’t have much around here, might as well travel.

He travels around, finds beautiful scenery, tastes amazing food, each time it tastes like bloodshed. Wherever he goes he keeps Genya’s clothes with him.

Nearing his 25th birthday he returns home, tengen and giyuu visit him, nezuko too, married and a woman now. Tanjirou comes, Sanemi still refuses to forgive him. Until Tanjirou gives him something, the last physical bit of his brother.

A tooth.

Sharp and unnatural, a demons tooth, but Genya’s tooth. Sanemi feels like he must have gone insane sometime ago as he clutched the tooth and sobbed.

He feels himself growing weaker and weaker.

The leaves are falling and so is Sanemi’s health.

The celebrate his birthday, the night before it happens. Sanemi touches liquor again, but this time he offers it to Genya’s headstone. Wanting to give his baby his first drink with his older brother. He says his goodbyes, it’s bittersweet, tengen will be alone soon.

He’s buried with the tooth and clothes, Tanjirou makes sure the tooth is encased safely in his cold boney hands. But even in sleep, death, whatever you want to call it. No one can deny the peaceful look, no one can deny the sound of children nearby when the funeral procession lacks any children. Somehow, they know.

[strangelittlestories]

On Christmas Eve, Ebeneezer Scrooge fell asleep in the server farm of his Cryptocurrency mine. In the background, the soft wash of LED displays and gentle hum of cooling fans filled the basement. He'd recently expanded his operation, having gotten a great deal on hardware in the Cyber Monday sales. So he was sung to sleep by the gentle guzzling of electricity and the slow accumulation of what might (by some) be considered wealth. Throughout the long night, he was visited by three ghosts. The whole business played out more or less as you'd expect, so we won't overly dwell on it here. Where things really started to go FUBAR was when Scrooge awoke… Looking out the security cameras on the snowy morning, Scrooge spied an urchin child. He pressed the buzzer on the speaker and cried out to them! "You, boy! What day is it?" "What? I can't hear you." "Hold on, I'll come upstairs!" Scrooge ran up the dingy stairwell of his minimalist and kinda grungy compound, stopping only to disarm his top of the line security system. He stepped out into the brisk winter, and very nearly forgot to reset the alarm in his excitement. Then he remembered he had prime numbers in there, damn it! So he did reset the primary alarm, but didn't bother with the non-lethal countermeasures, and that was something at least. "Thanks for waiting!" He huffed. "So, boy … what day is it?" "Not a boy!" Came the shrill reply. "Girl, then! What day is it?" "Not that either!" "Look, kid, this isn't a game of what's your fucking gender. Just tell me what day it is!" "It's solstice day, sir!" Said the urchin, looking up at a dishevelled Scrooge with their big urchin eyes. "Wait, really? …You're sure it's not Christmas? I fell asleep on Christmas Eve…" "I guess you slept for near a year, then, ‘cos I celebrate solstice and it's the gods-damned solstice." “I don’t know how to process that!” Cried Scrooge. “Maybe there’s a specific detail you can focus on to ground you?” Suggested the urchin, in a surprisingly helpful bit of trauma advice. “OH!” Exclaimed Scrooge. “Tell me, child, the butcher’s nearby. Does it still have that big turkey in the window?” “The butcher’s closed down six months back, I’m afraid! But I think there’s an Amazon Fresh around here somewhere?” Said the urchin. “That’ll do!” Scrooge rummaged around in his pockets. “Here, take this printout of a Jpeg of a poorly drawn frog and go buy me the biggest turkey you can find in Amazon Fresh. Then deliver it to Bob Cratchet!” “Even Amazon won’t take your NFT bullshit as currency, mister!” “Okay - I can give you cash.” Scrooge paused for a moment. “Do you have Venmo?” “I’m a street urchin.” Replied the street urchin. “Of course I have Venmo.” “Great. I’ll transfer you now - keep the change.” “I don’t mean to look a gift crypto bro in the mouth, sir, but aren’t you famously stingy? Like, your name’s literally a synonym for tight-fisted penny-pinching.” “That’s the old Scrooge. I got visited by three ghosts last night and now I’m a new man.” Said Scrooge, proudly, before added conspiratorially, “At first, I thought I’d just drank a bad batch of Soylent. But they were pretty convincing in the end.” “So you’re going to donate all your money to charity or start a non-profit or something?” The urchin said with open-mouthed awe. "I don't know. It's kind of ambiguous. I might do those things, or maybe I'll keep being rich and be a bit nicer? "Okay, so now you're closer to a Bill Gates rather than full Musk/Bezos on the scale of evil billionaires.” The urchin looked directly into the camera for a full three seconds. “And we’re supposed to celebrate that? “Look, it was pretty fucking radical for its time, okay?” Said Scrooge, snapping his fingers to stop the urchin breaking the fourth wall any further. “Are you gonna buy the turkey or what?" “I dunno, man. On the one hand, it feels like if you really changed your tune, you’d do more than buy one turkey for the single poor person whose name you know. On the other hand, you said I could keep the change. So this really is a bind for me…” “If I’m honest,” Said Scrooge, “I really didn’t think it would be this difficult to be charitable. No wonder Elon is the way he is.” “Sigh.” Said the urchin. Saying the word out loud, rather than just sighing, which I think tells you something about the level of frustration here. “You know what, this isn’t gonna work.” “Huh?” Said Scrooge, somewhat nonplussed. “Spot! Here, boys! Heel!” Called the urchin. In the distance, a low rumbling growl could be heard. Out of the shadows of the misty winter morning, a giant three-headed hound emerged, its jaws snapping at Scrooge in triplicate. “AAAARGH!” Yelled Scrooge, now so nonplussed as to be minused. The urchin pulled out a matte black flip phone, decorated with a few tasteful flowers, and made a call. “Hi Persephone, it’s me, Charon.” Said the urchin. “Yeah, I’m up here on psychopomp duty. Yup, it’s the Ebeneezer Scrooge case - y’know, the tech bro who drank too much Red Bull and had a heart attack? Well, we gave him another shot this year, but he’s still a bit of a dickmagnet. He’s made some progress - he understands basic empathy - but we’re still a bit stuck on the ‘myth of the benevolent billionaire’ stage.” In the background, the sound of screaming tech-bro and snarling monster dogs was fading into the distance. “I think we’re gonna call it for the day and give it another try solstice.” Charon continued. “Yeah, Cerberus is dragging him back to the underworld now. Yeah - he did a great job as the three ghosts too - definitely earned a treat. Cool - see you in a few.” Charon flipped the phone closed and took a deep breath. They took a pair of bronze coins out of a pocket of their ragged hoody, and placed them gently over their own eyes. “Hades bless us. Everyone.” They said to no-one, then disappeared.