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magneto-was-fucking-right · 1 year

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Envy (Part 1)

Summary: Simon Riley's sleep is rudely interrupted by the commotion coming from next door, and this time, curiosity (and horniness) gets the best of him. Pairing: König x Reader (x Ghost) Word Count: 2.5k

Content Warnings: Unprotected sex (Wrap it before you tap it!); Perv! behaviour (voyeurism); degrading vocabulary.

Read part 2 here

It was three in the morning.

He knew that because he had checked his digital watch every two minutes during his agitated “rest” in the musty sleeping bag, spread across the filthy floor. He couldn’t sleep. The heat of the middle eastern countries didn’t quite affect him anymore, years of experience on the field forcing his body to grow accustomed to the ridiculous temperatures he had never experienced in England before. The mosquitoes couldn’t bother him either, since he seldom exposed his skin, his face covered with a light-material skull balaclava. His stiff shoulders and hardened back sometimes felt damaged beyond repair from the numerous nights spent on hardwood or concrete floors, a soft patch of dirt and grass if he was lucky, but his aching muscles weren’t the reason for his troubled sleep.

The continuous bang of the bed’s headboard against the wall was. And so were her moans. Simon Riley felt as he if was quickly spiraling into insanity as he shut his eyes tightly and feverishly tried to ignore the mattress’ springs, the slap of skin against skin, and the worst part of it, his desperate moans. He always felt a deep, sickening rage towards the Austrian soldier, as his pathetic little whines and obedient pleas echoed through the walls, begging her for more. More kisses, more skin, more wandering hands through her naked flesh and supple breasts. More pressure on her hand as she palmed him through his fatigues, or as she jerked off his length coated in her spit. Nasty slut, he thought bitterly every time he heard her dirty words, commanding him to comply to her fantasies “like a good boy”. He was angry when he heard her seduce him in the safehouse once more. He was furious because he knew she must do it on purpose. She had to. There was no way she didn’t when she knew Simon would be sleeping right next door, that she was a loud fuck and so was he, because who wouldn’t be loud when she was riding it that good and that deep. She wanted him to hear it. She wanted him to think and dream about it. Simon was sure of it.

And therefore, when he had gotten in his sleeping bag to prepare for a few hours of rest, he hadn’t even tried to fall asleep because he knew it would happen again. She always used the same tactics with König: she went for a shower in the old house’s low pressure tepid water and a bar of Dove soap that Simon definitely hadn’t sneaked a whiff from before, making it clear that he was to watch her six. But he always got to watch more than that, as she usually left the door open. Simon knew this because he had once heard the naïve colonel warn her that she had forgotten to lock it, to which she had responded only with an amused giggle. How stupid can he be, Simon had grinded his teeth throughout the whole interaction. Then, as the door to the room was closed in a very clear failed attempt at some sort of privacy, the smothered laughter began, followed by unclear mumblings in German, and soon enough, sighs and whimpers. He folded so easily, Simon thought. He tried to convince himself that he wouldn’t have, that he would’ve given her a harder time trying to get him laid. That he would make her beg him to fuck her before he even took her clothes off.

But the truth was, every time one of her delicious moans travelled through the walls, or a slightly opened door, he was immediately fighting back a raging boner that ached to be relieved through her touch. It was once again the case. He palmed himself through his pants in the sleeping bag, cursing them out as he wondered how long they would take this time. Usually, König came rather quickly. Loudly too. Sometimes inside, sometimes on her tits and her open mouth (he knew this was her favorite because it made her moan like a whore the entire time), and sometimes on himself, as she forced him to run his fingers over his soiled abdomen and suck them clean. What a pathetic fuck, he thought.

He knew she was riding him this time because she always set a frantic pace, that despite her best efforts didn’t match the speed to which the Austrian could plow into her from bellow if he wished to. Bang, bang, bang, bang – the poor wall kept being beaten over and over again, and he heard his usual plea.

“Please Schatz, I can’t hold it for much longer.”

“Of course you can König, you’re such a good boy.” She grunted in between panting, the wet slaps slowing down to a passionate grind.

Simon gritted his teeth, fighting the urge to peek, because maybe, just maybe…he had carved a hole with his knife in the weak cement wall that morning in preparation, just small enough to provide him with a little tease if the two lovers decided to get down and dirty once again. It’s so wrong, he fought himself mentally. Fucking hell, what’s wrong with me?

But all he could think about were the sounds of humanity’s most primal, animalistic instincts that flooded from next door and clouded his mind in a sex-drunken haze of languid desire. I need to see. Just once, just out of curiosity, and then I’ll be able to sleep, he tried to convince himself as he roughly got up from the sleeping bag and carefully moved to the area of the wall where he had shaped the peephole. He felt his cock twitch in his briefs, painfully hard.

There she was, sat on top of him in full glory, her round breasts on his face as he suckled on both of her nipples at the same time, his large hands pushing the fat of her tits together. Simon didn’t know where to look at first. His mind couldn’t quite process the wholeness of her fully naked body, at last obtaining answers to the curious questions of his lustful mind: as he had so often wondered about, her body was deliciously curvy and supple, her pubis covered in soft curls trimmed to perfection and her wet cunt sunk halfway König’s large cock. He could see scars in her abdomen and right shoulder, most likely old combat wounds that she had luckily gotten away with. Her hair was messy from the Austrian’s passionate touches, giving her a natural erotic aura that seemed to linger all around her and the way she moved so confidently on top of him. Her cheeks were flushed, her skin gleaming with sweat from the physical effort of both riding König and taking the slightly painful stretch of his thick shaft. Simon had to give it to him, the man was built like a fucking Greek god, with firm muscles all the way down to his navel. Her hands roamed his body freely and it seemed to make her feral: once she reached his perfectly built abdomen she bit her lip, pushing him away from her breasts and forcing him to lay flat on his back once again, before returning to her killer pace.

“Break is over big guy. Your face looks too good to be hiding in my tits.” He whimpered at her comment, blushing profusely as her breasts bounced on top of him once again, now covered in his own saliva.

“I-I won’t last, Schatz.” He warned, breathing heavily and holding on to her hips for dear life.

Ghost couldn’t take his eyes off her, dipping his hand on his briefs and slowly pumping himself to the view.

A mischievous smirk spread across her angelic features as she rode him faster, bringing him to the brink of a bed shattering orgasm, “Yes you will, my sweet.” She observed his face attentively, looking for the little nose scrunch he did every time he was about to cum. It was much easier to know now that he was comfortable enough to leave the hood that usually covered his face right next to the pile of his clothes. Once she saw it, she halted her actions completely, pulling herself off him, disconnecting their bodies and making him grunt in frustration. “Sei ein guter Junge, König” (Be a good boy, König), she commanded, making his cock twitch as he heard his native tongue.

Simon’s insides were burning with envy, wishing he would be given the chance to correct her bratty attitude, dominating her into submission. How he longed to sink into her slowly, feeling the warmth and wetness of her cunt, stretching her open inch by inch until she was a moaning and begging mess. His hand moved faster on his cock, but for now, all he could do was watch as she kissed the Austrian passionately on the lips, before moving down his body slowly, a trail of wet kisses all the way from his neck, which she had filled with hickeys and love bites, to his groin, his cock twitching against her cheek.

“If I put you in my mouth, will you behave and not cum until I tell you to?” She teased, holding his fat cock in one hand and gently cradling his heavy balls with the other. Simon gritted his teeth once again, fighting the urge to reply “Yes” himself.

“Ja Schatz. I promise, I do, I promise.” König’s eyes were shut, most likely trying to think of unerotic things that would help him hold on for a little longer, but once her tongue gave a wet lick from his balls all the way to the tip of the head he was done for, whimpering in pleasure as she worked the best sloppy blowjob of his life.

Simon pumped himself so much harder now at the sight of her head bobbing up and down as she progressively took more and more of the man’s cock, that he was fighting his own orgasm, bound to happen at any moment. He watched as she languidly sucked on König’s pink tip like a lollipop, saliva running down his veiny shaft and coating her chin and lips, as she hummed with her eyes closed.

“You taste like me” She moaned, since he had been inside of her only a few minutes ago. König moaned as she deepthroated him expertly, chocking slightly on his girth, tears in her eyes as she went all the way to the base, before coming back up and coughing. He fisted the sheets roughly and mumbled gibberish in German as she repeated the process over and over again, interrupting it only to suck on his balls once and again, making sure they weren’t neglected.

“I-I’m gonna…” He interjected, forcefully holding her hand away from his shaft as he almost came without permission. She removed her mouth from his cock, smirking.

“I won’t torture you any longer, baby. You’ve been so good to me today. I’ll let you cum, but inside of me.” She whispered softly and Simon’s body shuddered involuntarily as he watched, trying to hold off his climax. He felt as flustered and horny as when he watched his first porno, almost completely overwhelmed by his instincts that wouldn’t allow him to think properly.

And then something unexpected happened. She looked right at him through the hole in the wall. Simon held his breath, his heart racing as he halted his movements, his hand still inside his briefs. She can’t possibly see me. He reasoned with himself. They had the small light on the nightstand on, but the room in which Simon “slept” in was in total darkness. He had positioned the peephole very carefully, in a part of the wall with several other smaller holes that the safehouse had sustained from its abandonment. How had she noticed?

He was frozen in place, and she smiled innocently, before laying belly down on the bed, faced turned to him and her round ass perked up in the air. She sucked on her fingers softly, with her eyes closed, before spitting on them and moving her hand back, coating her folds generously to make sure she was well lubricated once again. Simon couldn’t breathe as König moved behind her, sinking back into her with the weak whimper of a man desperate for release. Simon restarted his movements on his cock, staring back at her eagerly, as if in a trance. He could see every change of her expression, every scrunch of her nose and tremble of her lips as the Austrian rammed her from behind roughly (still not roughly enough for his taste, but he couldn’t exactly go on giving him instructions from behind the wall). She moaned and whimpered and screamed, the depraved sounds of wet skin slapping as König’s heavy balls hit her clit with every slam of their hips.

Ghost let out a shaky breath as he was close too, and strangely enough, seeing her face contort in pleasure was getting him off much harder than seeing the way her ass recoiled with the power of König’s strokes, his large hands tightly secured against her hips. Her eyes still looked so innocent, even as she arched her back like a slut and drool fell from open mouth as she rode her cock-drunken haze.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck” She cried out, her eyes tightly shut as her hand moved to rub her clit quickly as König pulled on her hair softly “Don’t stop!” she whimpered in a broken voice as she felt him hit that sweet spot inside of her. Simon felt sweat dribble on his forehead under the balaclava, his wrist aching from his continuous ministrations. König let out a deep guttural moan as he felt her clench around him, her body shuddering uncontrollably as she orgasmed, her cunt squeezing his cock and milking him for all he got. She let out a muffled scream as she buried her face on her bed sheets. Simon couldn’t contain a low moan as he felt himself soil his pants, a ridiculous amount of white, sticky fluid pooling in his briefs and soaking though his pants. König had come at the same time, his pace faltering as his hips slammed against her two more times before he buried himself as deep as possible and moaned loudly, feeling his warm seed fill her to the brim. He lay his body on top of hers momentarily, kissing the top of her head tenderly and then her back.

When she finally opened her eyes, still panting and recovering from the high, she looked at the hole again, smiling mischievously. She got on her knees, turning to König, behind her, and kissing him softly, purposefully arching her back slightly and allowing Simon the perfect view of her spent pussy, still swollen and dripping cum onto her thighs. His hand pressed harshly against the wall. How he wished he could’ve been the one making that mess. How he wished he could be the one to ruin her.

As it turned out; he wouldn’t have to wait very long…

A/N: you guys wouldn't believe how many imagines I have on my laptop that I'm either too lazy to finish or don't consider good enough to post :'). I'm trying to get my work out there more often so you guys get to enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it. Do reblog if you can and let me know if you'd like to be tagged for the two upcoming parts, which will include smut with Ghost x reader and finally Ghost x reader x Konig!

#ghost cod #konig cod #konig mw2 #konig x reader #konig call of duty #ghostxreader #ghost smut #konig smut #simon riley imagine #simon riley smut #ghost imagine #ghost x reader #simon riley x reader #cod mw2 #mw2 #konig x reader x ghost

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littlemissayu · 1 year

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TWST Boys as ✨ PARENTS✨(Part 1)

TW: kids, pregnancy, reader is depicted as female, domestic, fluff

ft. :Heartsabyul, Savanaclaw | pt.2 ; ft. Octavinelle & Scarabia | pt.3; ft.Pomefiore, Ignhihyde | pt. 4; ft.Diasomnia

Riddle Rosehearts-

This man only has 1 kid, maybe 2 but that's kinda pushing it. I think he would be so worried about messing up his child the way his mother messed him up. He'd be strict yet dotting on his children; like he'll make sure their homework is done by a reasonable time and then praise them for doing really well on an assignment, especially if it's a subject they genuinely struggle with. If I'd say a boy dad or girl dad honestly, I think it could go either way, but I'm leaning towards boy dad.

Trey Clover-

I heavily believe he will have a big family anywhere from 4 - 7 kids. And these kids are absolutely close in age because I know the two of you are gonna get very busy, it feels like you're always pregnant with other people. Just imagine Trey with a mini him (or you) helping him crack the eggs in a bowl while they're wearing matching aprons <3. He would be a gentle parent but would put his foot down went he needed to. When it comes to girl dad or boy dad I can only think both!!

Cater Diamond-

At first he wasn't sure he wanted kids bc kids are a lot to take care of, but after the two of you being together and going through so much. He realizes deep down he did want to start a family with you. He would probably want only one or two but your first pregnancy you end up with triples; then you two said that's it until you got pregnant again with twins!!(My headcanon that Cater's special magic makes it more likely to have twins, triplets, etc come for here!!). It wasn't what the two of you anticipated but you couldn't be happier

Your pair of triplets ended up being 2 girls and a boy, then your twins were girls. He's a very fun dad always staying on top of the trends and slang. He has a hard time laying down the law with his kids sometimes, so you have to do it most of the time but when he really has to he does. *Bonus: You guys have 4 family photo shoots a year, and multiple photo albums*

Ace Trappola-

He probably has 3-5 kids, but from time to time it feels like you have 4-6 kids. He's always getting into trouble with them, playing pranks on you and others, even each other. There is no quiet in your household, it doesn't exist til everyone's asleep. Your kids are the most playful and competitive children you've ever seen, but they know to dial it back from time to time; Ace told them "When your mom says it once, she might be joking, if she says it twice she more likely serious so listen, if you make it to three....your the only name going on that tombstone". You guys are the most chaotic adorable family ever.

Deuce Spade-

He has 3 kids and not a single one of them is male, bc this man is %100 a GIRL DAD!! At first he was nervous about messing her up but after your first girl turned 3 and your second is 1, he couldn't imagine having a boy. He is the most proud girl dad you'll ever see. Is so protective of his amazing girls(that includes you btw), would fight off mosquito if it bit one his girls, no matter have stupid he looks. Spoils his little girls in any way he can, luckily you're there to make sure their not TOO spoiled.

Leona Kingscholar-

This man has 2 children and always makes sure one never feels less than the other. He knows what it's like to be stuck in your siblings shadow so he tries to make sure that never happens to his kids. While he won't always be present since he is still part of the royal family and therefore will have certain royal duties to fulfill; he will always do his best to be there for his kids. He does sleep less then he did before since his life is busier, but he always makes sure to take a nap everyday so when he's with his wife and kids he'll be able to be in a better mode to see his beautiful family. He would have one girl and one boy.

Ruggie Bucchi-

3-8 kids. His kids are the rowdiest, sneakiest kids you've ever seen. Although most of the time they're super sweet(to you). The first time you two talked about kids you agreed on only 2, but after having your first 2 rascals. You two got some more baby fever and ended up having only a few more. You did have a good paying job so you could take care of your little pack of children. The Bucchi household never has a boring day because there is always something really exciting or crazy that is happening. Overall he has more girls than he does boys. You first daughter stays a daddy's girl <3, but dw he loves all his kids equally!

Jack Howl-

4 kids, an even amount. He isn't the most expressive Dad but his kids can tell how he feels based on body language and physical acts. While to others it may seem as if he couldn't care less about his kids, it is the complete opposite. Always making sure their ok, celebrating their accomplishments, and always encouraging them to do what they love. His kids can tell through these small acts that he loves them. Your husband loves to take early morning runs, ofc but when your kids are babies he would take them in their stroller so they can get some fresh air to get them in a good mood. He does that so that maybe if their baby is in a better mood you won't have to much stress when trying to figure out what they need; it makes both of your lives easier. At first the two of you though you'd only have boys bc of your first 3 but then low and behold, your last kid was a baby girl<3!!

Heartsabyul Masterlist

Savanaclaw Masterlist

TWST Masterlist

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dedalvs · 1 month

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Would it be reasonable to use a mirative as a way to say that you "ended up doing X" like saying "I ended falling asleep" or "I'll end up getting sick"? I'm having a hard time confirming anything about how languages encode intention, or the lack thereof. After some thinking that's what I came up with, though, but I dunno if I'm just reachinga bit too much with that.

Sure? If it makes sense in your language.

I'm going to pull out a paragraph from the article on mirativity on Wikipedia that I believe helps to illustrate one of the central problems conlangers face in interacting with linguistic research:

As you can see, there's a back and forth here involving Aikhenvald (because of course) and the one who proposed the category of mirativity (DeLancey) and others. In my opinion, the entire argument is f*cking ridiculous and is best settled by asking, "Who tf cares?" It reminds me of the Wikipedia article on the hortative that has red flags at the top saying, if I may paraphrase, "Uhhh...wtf?"

In short, both linguists on either side of this argument believe there's a trophy shelf called GRAMMATICAL CATEGORIES where certain features may sit proudly with their name emblazoned on a plaque above the name of the linguist who discovered it. On the one side, you have DeLancey saying, "Mirativity deserves its own trophy with my name on it!" On the other side, "No, what you've discovered can be encoded with other grammatical strategies, therefore it doesn't deserve its own trophy, and you get your name on nothing!"

Meanwhile, languages do need to have a way to express things like "We ended up going to the slam dance protest after all" and "He's apparently really good at juggling mosquito hawk wings", so what does it matter if either of them get a trophy on the shelf or not?

For a conlanger, what matters is how your language is going to express these meanings. It is not the case that you have to unambiguously express every shade of meaning without resorting to complex explanations. If we could do that we wouldn't have fiction. Part of the trick with learning how to create a conlang that feels more natural (whether you're going for a naturalistic conlang or not) is that the majority of meaning are expressed with non-dedicated morphological constructions.

For example, if you look at everything as morphemes, then there should be a morpheme for everything. If you want to turn a statement like "John is giving a fish to the flower" into a question you simply take your question morpheme and stick it somewhere. But look at English!

STATEMENT: John is giving a fish to the flower.

QUESTION: Is John giving a fish to the flower?

No morpheme there at all but a little switcharoo with the word order. Some linguists and a lot of conlangers want to get all galaxy brained and say "MAYBE THE WORD ORDER CHANGE IS THE MORPHEME", and, indeed, maybe the real conlang is the friends we made along the way, but a better way to look at it is we use what we have to express new meanings before creating something new.

So, if your state zero is you have something that express mirativity (i.e. surprise at some state of affairs), then, hey, why wouldn't use that for "it ended up that"? It's kind of surprising if you end up doing something. It's running counter to your expectations. Sure! If you want to get all "my eyeglasses put on a pair of sunglasses" on it then you can have your genunine-shock-mirativity suffix and your we-didn't-intend-to-but-it-happened-anyway-mirativity suffix and someone-told-us-it-would-happen-but-we-didn't-believe-them-but-then-it-happened-but-we-weren't-dismayed-mirativity suffix, etc., etc. If you keep going down that road, though, you end up with there's a unique word for every possible thought, and you end up with an ultimately unlearnable and unusable language.

In short, you do you. As long as you can explain it and it makes sense to you, then it works.

#conlang #language #linguistics

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torturedcoveydepartment · 3 months

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Here’s how I think the capitol managed to brainwash career districts into voluntarily signing up for possible death

Brainwashing is a complex process that involves manipulating a person's thought patterns, beliefs and attitudes to change their behavior. There are several methods and techniques used by people who engage in this practice.

Repeating a message or idea over and over again can help to reinforce it and make it more likely to be accepted. This can be achieved through different techniques such as propagandizing posters, chanting, or simply repeating a phrase or idea. Emotional manipulation plays an important role in decision making. By deliberately manipulating a person's emotions, such as making them feel fear, uncertainty, or guilt, it can be easier to control their behavior. This is also pointed to the pride of voluntary participation and winning.

Reward and punishment can be used to condition behavior. If a person receives rewards for doing something, they are more likely to repeat the behavior. Such as people serving time as peacekeepers for the available food supply. Conversely, punishment can be used to deter a person from doing something.

Both districts got a loyal relationship to the capitol, with assumed better standards of living than other districts. If looking at 2, they are militaristic & in training of peacekeepers - lecturing of fighting for the honor of Panem (just like after the French Revolution, when nationalism has its rising) I think D1 had a good providence of privileges and favors made with the capitol - being kept subservient as the capitol used examples of other districts (therefore loyal, yet not crackable during the rebellion)

District 4 is also considered a carrier district, though I believe training kids into weapons doesn’t prove loyalty, but is an answer to oppression and a survival mechanism. But then - it’s all about pride and glory - what we’re willing to do for it. As if the games are a contest such as the Olympics. Everything we do in a certain extent will become normal. Humans kill animals like it’s a game - in hunting packs, rewarded with points, money and pride. The next step is killing your own kind which ain’t far away.

What these three districts have in common got an array of requested products by the capitol - leading to a better ability to get fuel in forms of food. District 4 is pretty obvious since they got the fish. One and two are both privileged, wealthy and needed - making them wealthier. When a society doesn’t need to focus on the light insurance of food - people specialize as a group and can develop skills and knowledge on what they know will happen annually. The other districts are weaker, and that’s just a fact. So volunteering with the echo of authoritarian propaganda saying that the other districts are as weak as the mosquitoes they smash - it’s all just a easy child’s play.

#yapping as always #the hunger games #careers #hunger games #tbosas #district 1 #district 2 #district 4 #sunrise on the reaping #coriolanus snow #panem

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cordership · 1 year

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I posted this on a discord a while back, but I decided I should post a version here too. That being said, I present to you:

I HAVE GAZED INTO THE ABYSS AND THE ABYSS ASKED ME IF I WANTED TO WATCH A GAME

The culmination of a feverish night of theory crafting after a sudden epiphany like a vision from an angry god, which may or may not be pertinent to the plot of “20021, a Football Story” by Jon Bois, whenever that comes out

See, okay, the whole deal with this thing is; If either Nick and Manny get caught and fail to bring the footballs home, or succeed and bring the footballs home, it will become a big story that it was only two guys who stole the footballs from Georgia Tech. This tells Michigan State that the locomotive lateral was performed by two guys, and thus, it would have been almost impossible for them to split the balls up, meaning the 9 balls that MI ST went up by at the end of the locomotive lateral would have been all the balls that GTECH had (given that it dropped in rank to the 0 ball teams at the same time as MI ST increased by 9). If someone from MI ST took a screenshot of their scoreboard before and after the lateral they would be able to tell that by the time the lateral was completed:

1: MI ST has 24 balls

2: GA SO has at most 14 balls because they were a place below MI ST before the lateral when Michigan had 15 balls

3: SC ST has at most 8 balls because they were a place below GTECH, which (based on the number of balls MI ST increased by and GTECH’s ranking afterward) had 9 balls before the lateral

4: CIN, HOW, and TEX likely have 3 balls each, and if they’re not sure MI ST can collaborate with one of them. Additionally, if you know that a certain team has a certain number of balls at any point in the game, then if the ranking group that team is in never drops below 2 teams, then you will always know everyone in that ranking group will have that same amount of balls even if the original team drops out of that ranking group, due to the sheer unlikelihood of every team in a ranking group gaining or losing exactly the same amount of balls at the same time. Remember, it can be days between scoreboard changes. There is a good chance that every team already knows the tied for 5th ranking group have 3 balls each.

5. If you know CIN, HOW, and TEX each have 3, then MO through to UTEP must have 2 balls each

6. There are 28 teams with exactly one ball each. The 1 ball teams extend into the remaining teams section, where you normally would not be able to see rankings and wouldn’t be able to tell which ones are 1 ball teams and which ones are goose egg (0 ball) teams. However: all teams in the same rank are organized alphabetically, and you can see that the alphabetization resets between Washington State University and Air Force Academy. Therefore a MI ST player would be able to know there are 28 one ball teams.

So: 24+14+8+3*3+2*5+1*28=93

111-93=18 balls hidden off the field, one more than the number UAB is hiding in Stannard Rock Lighthouse

Will Michigan State find 18 missing balls alarming? I don’t know. Depends on the kind of story Jon Bois wants to write. I want to believe they will, starting a frenzy that uncovers UAB’s hidden dynasty as the most powerful team in the entire college bowl, which somehow forces UAB to resurrect their steamroller play One Last Time.

Maybe that’ll give Val something to talk about, other than loathsome mosquitoes lurking in limestone quarry ponds, which may or may not have contributed to the construction of the Empire State Building.

I can only say one thing for certain:

Stay in school, kids. It makes you better at cross-country football.

#17776 football #17776 #20020 football #20020 #jon bois #the locomotive lateral

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monocodoll · 10 months

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Drug Dealing(MonocoDoll's Vile Ventures) Mod Report(Weed Edibles, Marijuana License, Felony Consequences, Smuggling, Cocaine/Meth Rackets, Heat System, Steroids, Doctor Appointments, Lean, Possibility of PMA in MDMA, House Arrest, and small update to Adderall) Part 2

Doctor Appointments

Doctor Appointments are used to get prescribed medication such as Adderall, Xanax, PainKillers, Cold Medicine, and Estrogen blockers. Your sim is limited to one doctor visit a day.

To Visit a Doctor, your sim will need to go to the Hospital Rabbithole. Costing 100 Simoleans

After selecting the option, your sim will go into the Hospital for around an hour and a half. If the doctor finds that your sim needs any medication, they will provide it to your sim.

[Being Prescribed Adderall]

-Adderall is Prescribed to Sims with the Absent Minded Trait.

-Athletic sims have the chance of being misdiagnosed and therefore may be prescribed Adderall. By Default 10% chance

[Being Prescribed Xanax]

-Sims with either Stressed, Feeling Anxious, Scared, Strained, Feeling Out Of Sorts, Impending Episode, Delusional, Terrified, Fear, or Upset moodlet will be prescribed Xanax.

-Sims with the Unstable trait will also be prescribed Xanax.

[Being Prescribed PainKillers]

-Sims with either Bad Landing, PwnedByBull, Lost The Brawl, Ouch My Face, Hurt Hand, Mosquito Bite High, Mosquito Bite Mid, Mosquito Bite Low, Cat Scratch, Shredded dignity, Saddle Sore, Forcibly Dismounted, Kicked, Bitten, Hurt Foot, or Tooth ache will be prescribed Pain Killers.

[Being Prescribed Cold Medicine]

-Sims with either the Germy, Pestilence Plague, or Sick and Tired Moodlet will be prescribed Cold Medicine.

[Being Prescribed Estrogen Blockers]

-Sims with an Enzyme level of 60 or above and have not yet received permanent liver damage. Will be prescribed Estrogen Blockers.

[Being Prescribed Nothing]

If the doctor finds no issues with your sim. The sim will be prescribed nothing and be sent on their way.

Lean

I had also mentioned Lean on a previous report. However, they were not fully developed at the time. I decided to go back and work on implementing Lean into the game.

[Effects While Under the influence]

Lean will temporarily remove Sleepy, Tired, Exhausted, BuzzCrashed, OrganicKonaLiftBuzz, OrganicSlappicnoBuzz, an OrganicMidnightMudBuss. As well as provide a small boost to your fun. However, Lean will make Sims feel Dazed.

[Withdrawals]

While the sim craves Lean, they will gain the Feeling Anxious, Stressed, and Strained moodlet. They will also take a 1/5 hit to their energy and a 2/5 hit to their fun meter.

[Overdosing]

If your sim consumes too much of the drug, they have a chance at overdosing. It can be either fatal or non fatal. If fatal sim will die. If non fatal the sim will pass out.

Possibility of PMA in MDMA

Anytime your sim purchases Normal Quality MDMA from a Drug Dealer NPC. There is a 10% that the MDMA Baggy or MDMA Pill Bottle may contain PMA. Purchasing High Quality MDMA however, is excluded from this possibility.

If your MDMA has PMA inside, when your sim goes to consume some of the MDMA, the sim will consume PMA instead. Which will result in the effects of MDMA to take longer to take effect.

To check whether your MDMA has PMA inside, you can now purchase Stay Safe Test Kits at the grocery store. Once you have these in your inventory. You can select any MDMA Baggy or MDMA Pill bottle and check whether PMA is inside. Selecting the option will inform you how much PMA is inside. The kits have up to 5 uses.

House Arrest

I also decided to go back and implement a house arrest feature. Now if your sim is arrested and have less than $2500 worth of Illegal product, they will be sentenced to House Arrest for a day.

They will have a total of three hours to get to their home. Otherwise they will be arrested if they are not home by the time the moodlet expires.

Once they are home, they must stay in their home lot for the duration of the house arrest. Stepping out of their home will immediately notify law enforcement and therefore your sim will be arrested. And they won't be getting House arrest if they are arrested due to a breach in their house arrest sentence.

Small Adderall Update

I decided to go back to Adderall and have it have an additional function. On top of what was previously mentioned on reports about Adderall. Adderall now temporarily replaces the Absent Minded Trait with the Perceptive Trait. Once the effects of Adderall wear off. The sim will regain their Absent Minded Trait. If the sim does not have the Absent Minded Trait, then one random trait will be temporarily replaced with Perceptive.

And that is all I have to report on for this month. We went over Weed Edibles, Marijuana License, Felony Consequences. Smuggling, Cocaine/Meth Rackets, Heat System, Steroids, Doctor Appointments, Lean, Possibility of PMA in MDMA, House Arrest, and the small update to Adderall.

I was honestly all over the place this month. A significant amount of progress was made this month. For next month, I'm not too sure what to work on. At the moment, the only major things left are the animations and reactions of the sims that you smoke around. And some minor features to work on next would be to make Lean Craftable, make the overdoses chances tunable, Be able to cut Cocaine Baggies into lesser quality via Baby laxatives, Correcting Spelling errors, Making Images for the moodlets, Make the LSD Sheets into more of a Simlish style, and a Shroom harvestable (I honestly forgot about them when I initionally made all the other drug plants).

Additionally, I also decided on a name for this mod. I have been calling it The Drug Mod for quite a while now. However, during this month I decided on a name. I'll call it MonocoDoll's Vile Ventures. Another nice little detail I want to add to the release for this mod is to have a cover art for the mod upon release. I commissioned my friend. Which is the same individual who made my OC. So I am looking forward to their upcoming sketches.

Now I am going to go back to being a ghost. However, I want to thank everyone again who has been patient.

#ts3 modding

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jahayla-parker · 1 year

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Note/confession: this was an unplanned fic that I’ve written to shamelessly offer myself some semblance of comfort (or as I told @ell0ra-br3kk3r , remedying me needing my Freddy fix after the events of my trip; which you’ll more or less read about below- except unlike y/n I don’t actually have Freddy to comfort me 😭)

Bite Me : Freddy Carter x Reader

Description: 2.3k wc, y/n is fortunate enough to be looked after by her wonderfully caring husband Freddy after her recent vacation took an unexpected turn. Fluff, hurt/sick comfort.

Warnings: not proofread yet, one curse right at the start, mentions of bug bites and bugs, mentions of bug bite symptoms and treatment (including prescriptions and other medical settings & topics), minor mentions of a small amount of blood (from scratching too hard).

“Fuck me,” y/n whimpered, her body feeling truly miserable. She had been on a trip with friends to several beaches over the last week and now she was covered in bites. Prior to being bitten by them, she’d never even heard of no see ums. But, that didn’t stop them from aggressively attacking all areas of y/n’s body.

Freddy frowned as he watched y/n twitch as she tried to restrain herself from scratching at the inflamed, red, aggravated bites. He’d been bitten by the particular bug only once before and only a handful of marks formed that time, but he still knew how terribly itchy the welts could be. He even recalled having wished to have been bitten by mosquitoes instead as no see ums are far worse. As such, Freddy felt horrible for his wife.

“We’re almost there, darling,” Freddy encouraged softly. He reached across the console to grab Y/N’s hand, his thumb cautiously rubbing the back of it while avoiding the multiple bites present there. When y/n hummed begrudgingly in response, Freddy gazed over at her and his eyes once again tried to scan just how many bites she was covered in. He’d tried to count them upon her return home, but she just wanted to sleep as she’d gotten in at the early hours of the morning today. Unfortunately, as Freddy suspected, y/n had only been able to get a couple hours of sleep before waking up due to the pain and discomfort. Therefore, he was now driving her to the urgent care clinic nearby to be seen.

Y/n had initially been against Freddy’s idea, feeling like she was utilizing resources that would be better used by others. But, after Freddy had made it a point to authentically count out each of the bumps on her right lower leg, she quickly changed her mind. Freddy had only counted the bites on the area between the base of her right knee and the top of her right ankle. Yet, his counting was cut off by y/n when he’d reached 146 bites in that area alone.

It wasn’t uncommon for no see ums to bite in bunches with multiple bites on an area. But, Freddy hadn’t seen anything like this before. He could only imagine the amount of bugs that had ventured onto her legs as they decided to make a meal of her. Especially when he realized it wasn’t just her lower right leg that was bitten countless times. Instead, Freddy quickly realized the bites also more than covered y/n’s upper right leg, all the way to her bum. His despair over her predicament increased when he’d seen that the red itchy bites had mapped all over both legs in the same manner, the fronts and backs of her arms from her hands to her shoulders, her neck, chest, and entire upper and middle back areas as well. As ridiculous and impossible as it was, Freddy wished he could’ve protected his lovely wife from such an awful occurrence.

Freddy knew he couldn’t reasonably expect to count every single bite, much less when driving. But, the simple fact that when he’d looked over to do so he’d seen her agony broke his heart. Freddy sighed as she clutched her hands tightly together to keep from scratching futilely at the marks. After stopping at the next light, he leaned over and pressed a sympathetic kiss to her forehead. “I know you’re miserable, but you’re doing so well, love,” Freddy encouraged.

Freddy prepared himself to try and convince y/n to take the vile-tasting liquid medication the doctor had passed her way. Only, before he could even open his mouth, she’d confirmed with the doctor the appropriate process and then promptly downed the cup in one go. In fact, Freddy’s suspicions of the severity of her condition were confirmed when she went for a second toss of the contents in the cup to be sure to not miss a single drop of the remedy. He brushed some hair from her face and handed her a glass of water to wash down the aftertaste, hating that was all he could do for her.

Freddy listened to the doctor’s advice very carefully, asking plenty of follow-up questions to ensure he knew how to best help his wife. He’d easily memorized that in addition to the liquid steroid medication she’d just taken, the doctor was prescribing y/n some very strong prescription antihistamines to take twice a day at home. Freddy had discussed bathing and showering restrictions with the provider, making mental note to not let her take anything other than a cold water bath or shower until the welts were resolved. He had to come to terms with the notion that y/n’s severe discomfort might not be fully remedied for over two weeks even with the treatment offered. Freddy hated that idea and wanted to cry when he saw y/n holding back tears over the thought of this lasting that long.

“Oohhh,” y/n whined, a sarcastic laugh exiting her lips after. “Gaaahhh, Freddyyyyyy,” she cried out. She shifted around in her husband’s passenger seat unable to get comfortable. “It, it iiiitttcchhesss”.

Freddy’s eyes flickered from the road briefly to look at y/n. He sighed deeply with a frown. “I know,” he replied solemnly. “But-, no darling, no scratching,” Freddy directed, pulling her arm away from her thigh.

“But,” y/n croaked, tears in her eyes. She couldn’t believe how insanely itchy her entire body was. Not to mention, there was also this simultaneous burning sensation from the bites and she was exhausted from not sleeping. Y/n genuinely didn’t think she’d been that uncomfortable before without being in excruciating pain. “It itches so badly,” y/n pointed out weakly.

With his eyes turned back onto the road, Freddy took the hand of Y/N’s he’d grabbed moments before and brought it to his lips. He placed a loving kiss on the backside of her hand. “I’m truly sorry, darling,” he acknowledged, “but scratching, well, it’ll only make it worse”.

“Oh bite me,” y/n exclaimed, using her other hand to scratch her ankle aggressively.

Freddy sighed and shook his head. He understood her desire (to the extent he was capable of that is since her situation was far worse than anything similar that he’d ever had). But, he still despised the idea that she could be harming herself by doing so. As such, he tapped one of the few clear spots on her leg and lightly shook his head at her. “Besides,” Freddy murmured, opting for another approach to his response. “I’m afraid things biting you is what got you into this situation, no?” He teased playfully, earning an unamused glare from y/n despite her small whimperish laugh.

Y/n grimaced as the itchy sensation once again fluttered through her body from head to toe and back. She began rubbing her legs against each other in hopes of having the friction ease the desire to actually scratch the bites. Y/n knew it still wasn’t likely an ideal solution, but something had to give, and at least this way she wasn’t risking opening the welts.

“Darling, it’s time,” Freddy said as he entered their living room. He quickly passed y/n her favorite water bottle and one of her newly prescribed antihistamines. They both sighed in minimal relief as she visibly swallowed the pill. It was obvious they were both hoping the pill would start to help her discomfort soon.

“Thank you,” y/n said quietly. She set the water bottle down, a small smile forming as she realized her husband had explicitly cleaned her emotional support water bottle for her to use. “I’m sorry,” she sighed, noticing the confusion the sentiment made form on Freddy’s face. “I’m being difficult and whiny,” y/n admitted, “I know I am, but-“.

“Y/n, love,” Freddy coed warmly. He cupped her face; partially choosing that contact option because it was the only part of her body he could touch without further igniting the itching feeling constantly inside of her. “You can whine and complain all you want,” he said tenderly. “You’re in an absurdly unpleasant and downright desolate state,” Freddy frowned in sympathy. “You’re not being difficult by wanting to, or actually scratching, you are fighting the urge the best you can. I know that.” “Why don’t we watch something on the telly to distract you a bit?” Freddy suggested considerately.

“I am freaking miserable,” y/n said in a singsong voice. She laughed humorously as she slid her shorts back on over her irritated skin, restraining from scratching the bites. She heard Freddy’s sympathetic sigh over the faint sound of his footsteps as he made his way to their bathroom. Y/n turned on the sink faucet, groaning as she prepared to wash her hands with warm water for sanitary purposes despite knowing how much worse her symptoms would be as a result.

Just as the water trickled onto Y/N’s hand, she noticed a small bug on her left at the edge of the vanity corner. It was some small black bug, but that’s all she could tell from that angle. As such, she reached over and moved the decorative item that was blocking her eyes from determining what kind of bug it was that had broken into her home. Y/n quickly realized it was a tiny spider as it began dangling from a thin web against the wall.

Without hesitating or even thinking, Y/N smacked her bare palm against the bug. The realization of what she’d just done hit her instantaneously as she pulled her hand back and saw the squished black mark on the white bathroom wall. “I don’t fuck around with bugs anymore,” she declared thoughtlessly. Y/n didn’t realize how unhinged her behavior or remark were until she heard the way Freddy’s chuckles reverberated around their restroom.

Y/n swallowed thickly as she hurriedly washed her hands. She tried to hide her bashful expression as she spun to where Freddy was in order to dry her hands. Only, it seemed he’d noticed and it only fueled his laughter further. Y/n shot him a fake glare that quickly shifted as she burst into genuine laughter of her own over her actions.

“Bloody hell,” Freddy laughed. He snaked his arms around y/n’s lower back to avoid most of her bites. “I am absolutely enamored by you, y/n/n,” he confessed with an amused grin. “And, quite impressed, you not only didn’t ask me to kill the spider for you, but you used your bare palm to do so on your own and then trash talked it,” Freddy said as he shook his head.

Y/n giggled and cautiously rested her head against Freddy’s shoulder. She made sure she was positioned so that none of the areas of her skin that were covered in bites touched her husband. Not because they were contagious, as they weren’t, but rather to keep her symptoms from increasing. “Let’s not talk about that again,” y/n hummed bashfully.

“Oh, but, darling, we have to talk about that all again still,” Freddy argued playfully. He laughed lightheartedly at y/n’s exaggerated groan, knowing the giggles that followed it showed her true feelings over the situation.

Freddy gasped whisperingly as he entered the bedroom. He figured it was taking y/n too long to change into her pajamas, so he’d wandered that way to check on her and possibly offer some help. Only, it seemed her discomfort had intensified to the point she’d caved into the burning desire to scratch at the inflamed bites. For, Freddy had entered the bedroom to find y/n rapidly scratching any and all areas of her body she could get her hands on; her hands flying around as they moved between areas with aggressively intense speed and force. Yet, it was the already visible result of such actions that made Freddy uncontrollably gasp.

“Oh love,” Freddy whined quietly. He could only imagine how bad her body was feeling if she had resorted to painfully dragging her nails all over her skin in hopes of even temporary relief. Especially as she’d done so to the extent that several of the once red-from-inflammation welts were now red from the trace amount of blood that had begun to leave the now open bites.

Instead of scolding y/n for something he knew was a last resort effort for her, Freddy exited the bedroom and quickly returned with a wet towel. “Let’s clean these off with a cold cloth, yeah?” He suggested as he knelt down before her seated position at the edge of their bed. “Place your hands on my shoulders please, darling,” Freddy requested, planning on using that as a way to keep her from continuing to violently scratch at her body. “Perfect, thank you,” he hummed as he slowly brought the cold cloth to her bare skin.

Freddy took his time cleaning the blood from y/n’s skin. He had intentionally taken longer than was necessary because he recalled how the doctor mentioned a cold compress could help ease the inflammation and therefore hopefully the itching. It was only once Freddy had felt the cloth reach room temperature that he fully removed it from her skin.

When he heard y/n sigh quietly in slight disappointment, Freddy realized instead of ending the round of treatment, he should step up his game. As such, he held onto Y/N’s hands as they remained on his shoulders and lowered them to his chest as he stood. “Darling,” Freddy spoke softly before he kissed her forehead. “I’m going to draw you a cold bath, we’ll give that a try”.

Unfortunately, this went on for quite some time. But, Freddy never gave up on his efforts to ease y/n’s misery. And, no matter how bad it got, y/n was never able to feel truly desolate because she knew her husband would do whatever he could to help her. Eventually, things resolved and Freddy attested that he was going to be sure to remind her to pack & use bug spray for all of her travels even if he wasn’t there to apply it to her skin himself.

Taglist: @ell0ra-br3kk3r @missdreamofendless @nikfigueiredo @b3kk3r-by-br3kk3r @alex-kazbrekkersimp @opheliaofficial07 @historynerd77 @el-de-phi

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artifacts-archive · 6 months

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Fly Necklace

Egyptian, ca. 1450 BCE (New Kingdom)

Fly pendants are known in ancient Egypt from Predynastic times through the late New Kingdom. They had an amuletic function, and were probably thought to frighten away not only real flies, mosquito, and other insects, but also different kinds of evil, including enemies. Therefore, a necklace of large golden flies was one of the most desired gifts of honor, which high ranking military persons could receive from the king. The smaller version of golden flies, were used by men and women as protective jewelry, and were also placed in tombs for the deceased.

#artifact #Egypt #new kingdom #necklace #jewelry #gold #carnelian

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dynamic-k · 1 month

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hi im back home

after a 12 hour flight

in which my dad threw up

and i have 20 mosquito bites

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-

Anyways, this has lead me to think:

Do they have planes in Stick City? (That is what the place is called, right?) Do any of the Becker siblings get car sick/plane sick/motion sick???

Wait are there other cities outside of Stick City? And if Stick City is named that because there are Sticks living in it does that mean other cities have other species???

Hold up- IMAGINE A HOLLOWHEAD CITY!!! It could be like- a Swap!AU of Super Sticks!! Like- hollowheads weren't the recessive gene and the Becker's are actually sticks?? EEEK

Also, is Stick City in the Outernet?? And if they have different worlds, would they have planets? Or areas of the web that are connected to each other with portals and stuff that count as different worlds?

Yeah I think you can tell I'm trying to make the Super Sticks and Spark AUs actually fit together.

WORLD-BUILDING IS SO HARD WHYY

i have some more questions but i think i should wait considering you've gone 2 camp or smth like that

It's funny, the moment I get back home you leave yours xd

aoshrflaouhdfpiuhdasfihsa jet lag lol

Have a nice day!!! :D And enjoy your camp!!

-R

ps if anything here is factually wrong and I've been rambling on about nothing actually true its cos i didn't bother to fact check it im lazy

Finally I have some time to answer this before the ask gets moldy-

:D Hi! Missed you! New ask yay!

Planes in Stick City? I never once thought about this, so here I am now thinking about it-

See this is why your asks are so helpful!! I get to world build by answering questions I hadn't thought about until right this moment- :3

I have decided that motion sickness is a thing that exists! Do with that what thou will. I think the hollowhead Beckers beloveds would be immune to normal motion sickness.

Red was already canonically prone to dizziness and motion sickness, hence the suppressants he'll get ahold of later in the plot when it comes up there's a minor issue with his teleporting armor. :>

[/proud-of-myself-for-casually-spoonfeeding-future-lore-to-everyone]

Stick City was just the fanon-wide accepted name for the Outernet city we see from time to time in canon, and when I was starting Arc One, it was the name on my brain so therefore, was used.

I suppose, it does make sense for there to be implications of a Lizard City or something-

I think Stick City is the capital of the Outernet. For the world of Super Sticks, I mean.

(Not for canon, because then that would be a really bad capital to have- You see how shabby everything seems, and how indifferent the sticks are and how small it appears, aside from the mass that is Rocket Corp-?! That's a city, but it ain't no capital-) (...Is this just how I see the canon city? Does- Does anyone else think this too-? ..Is it just me here-)

In SuperSticks, I would absolutely say Stick City is the capital, hence the name that focuses on the species known as sticks that take up 98% of the entire Outernet. And also my SuperSticks version of Stick City is a lot more industrialized and expanded, truly worthy of being considered a capital city. THE CAPITALLLLLL-

And any other neighboring cities of sticks would have different names, like, uh.. Circuit Town and.. maybe, uh... Conduction, by itself as a landmark something.

I want to spend hours of my time coming up with map accurate expansions and hyperspecfic names down to the restaurants of my imaginary Super Sticks Outernet world now-

There aren't planets, since the Outernet is virtual. There's basically world barriers at the edges, as I mentioned in a previous ask.

Also humans literally cannot travel to the Outernet, since it's virtual. Every stick figure is just tiny pieces of code to a human!

Can't canonically smash the very Human AU: The Spark, with the very code-structured heavy binary related stick figure society of Super Sticks, together. I need to author plot magic a portal and make a skit/non-canonical crossover.

Now, portals that can go to different areas of the web? THAT could happen. :3

I think I'm wracking up Arc Three and Arc Four ideas, help-

[My brain works too fast, I literally just received a vague-ish idea of an extremely extensive webwide adventure in 4 to 8 seconds.]

....

HEHE Seconds-

Thank you so much for the ask!!

#Ask Scarlett #Super Sticks AU #Scarlett Post #...puns #..okay just ONE pun #..lee mee lone.

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darkmaga-retard · 5 days

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In a recent interview with CNBC Bill Gates discussed how to handle “vaccine hesitancy” using real-time censorship imposed by artificial intelligence (AI).

The billionaire Microsoft co-founder and former jeffrey Epstein pal, said those who encourage people to avoid vaccines are “inciting violence” and are therefore a threat to public health.

He has suggested a totalitarian approach which calls for speech “boundaries” that can weed out “vaccine misinformation” in real time.

Natural News reports: Gates’ “philanthropic” organizations are heavily invested in vaccines, from the traditional antigen-based biologics to the experimental mRNA jabs, which are linked to excess mortality worldwide. He recently announced plans to turn all vaccines into mRNA and expand the realm of vaccination to include hundreds more diseases and potentially thousands more boosters. Gates’ resume includes the mass injury of teenage girls via HPV vaccine programs in India and the spread of vaccine-derived polio strains through polio vaccine campaigns in third world countries.

During the covid-19 scandal, Gates frequently appeared on the mainstream media networks, urging every person in the world to stay home, lock down and get vaccinated. He has proposed that individuals submit to his climate change proposals, too, which include: blocking out the sun using chemtrails, controlling global farming and ridding the world of cow farts, forcibly releasing millions of genetically modified mosquitoes, and getting populations to eat bugs and switch to fake meat.

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abugeatbugworld · 3 months

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Friends in Low Places

Hey guys! My friend @theowlgoesmoo is writing this really interesting story about what would happen if Hopper kidnapped Dot after the gang's first trip to the anthill. It inspired me to write this shorter story about one of Dot's experiences during that time, featuring a new character: Hopper's nephew, Nymph.

The story is finished and I'll be adding installments to ao3 over the next week or so, but in the meantime you can read the first part of it below!

“Hey, runt!”

Dot’s spine went rigid at the sound of his voice. She clenched her fists, doing her best to ignore the goosebumps crawling along her skin.

“What do you want, Nymph?” she demanded. Her voice cracked on the last word, which sounded like an insult but was actually the name of the insect addressing her.

There was a whirring of wings, then a voice so close to her antennae it made her jump.

“Look at me when I’m talking to you, brat.”

Dot gritted her teeth. It was Offering Day at an ant colony far from the sombrero, which meant most of the gang would be gone until close to sunset. The mosquitos who usually worked the bar were taking their lunch break by the lake, which was probably a strategic move on Nymph’s part. He always found ways to get her when she was alone.

She reluctantly obeyed the order, turning until she was eye level with Hopper’s nephew.

Even though Nymph was one of the younger and therefore shorter members of the gang, he still had four seasons and at least two full inches on her. Right now he was squatting as low as his legs would allow him to, which was somehow worse than when he loomed above her. That’s because it gave Dot a clear view of his face, which was narrower than most of the other grasshoppers’ and dotted with small bumps along his chin and forehead. His exoskeleton was a mottled brown and green, which Dot assumed meant that his dad — the mate of Hopper’s dead sister — was the same sickly green color as the rest of the gang.

At first glance he wasn’t an ugly bug to look at, but the more time Dot spent around him, the more she got to know him.

The more she got to know him, the uglier he became.

Nymph’s skinny face split into a smile. “Much better!” he exclaimed, pinching her cheek painfully between his thumb and forefinger. “I just wanted to see that cute little face of yours.”

Dot shook her head free from the grasshopper’s grip and folded her arms across her chest. She could feel her heart hammering against her wrist. “What do you want? I still have a bunch of chores to do before your Uncle Hopper gets back.”

Nymph stuck his lower lip out in a pout. “Why do you never want to spend time with me, huh? You’re always hanging out with my Uncle Molt. I hear you two laughing and having a great time together. Why don’t we do that?”

“Because your Uncle Molt is nice to me,” Dot deadpanned, her wings buzzing with irritation.

“I’m not nice to you?”

Her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. Nymph was circling her now, his eyes flashing with wicked-looking glee. She had to spin in place to keep pace with him, which only made her feel disoriented. Part of her wished he would just get whatever horrid thing he was about to do to her over with so she could get back to her work.

Then she felt hot breath on the back of her neck.

“My Uncle Molt has never shown you a cactus up close, has he?”

Cold hands closed around Dot’s torso, pinning her arms against her sides. A scream escaped her as Nymph lifted her into the air and launched into flight. Bar stools and tables whirred dizzily past them, and Dot found herself squinting against the bursts of sunlight cutting through the gaps in the woven straw of the sombrero.

Nymph landed on the other side of the sombrero, right in front of the feather cactus that served as one of the bar’s few decorations. A single pink flower, its petals bigger than Dot’s whole body, bloomed from the side of it. She found herself being held less than an inch away from it.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Nymph sneered from below, his fingers tightening around her with each word. “Doesn’t it make you want to take a closer look?”

Dot squirmed in his grasp. Molt had shown her this very plant in the early days of their friendship, warning her to keep her distance from it.

“Those dandelion-looking things around the flower may look soft and cuddly, but underneath them are thorns even sharper than Thumper’s teeth.”

Molt saw the look on Dot’s face.

“Sorry, sorry! It was the best analogy I could think of. I’m just trying to say you should stay away from the cactus. Just like you should stay away from Thumper.

I mean…ya know what I mean.”

Now Nymph was moving her closer to one of the dandelion-looking things. Dot could see one of the spines poking through, the one Molt had compared to her biggest fear. Her nose was just millimeters from its tip.

“What do you think, runt? Don’t we have cool plants here in the desert?”

Nymph was laughing now, laughing at the fear Dot was sure he could feel in her trembling body. It reminded her of the way his uncle often laughed at her — the mean uncle, the one who bossed her around and made her do his (literal) dirty work and threatened to feed her to his pet. The one who took her way from her family and brought her to this awful place just to prove a point.

It did something to her, that laugh belonging to someone she disliked who reminded her of someone she disliked even more. It didn’t make her feel afraid or helpless like it had in the past.

It made her angry. Fire ant angry.

“You want to come down now?”

Dot clamped her lips together and nodded. She could hear the grasshopper smiling when he spoke his next command.

“Say the magic word.”

Nymph waited a few seconds to turn Dot around, giving her just enough time to take a deep breath and begin gathering her ammo. She felt herself being rotated in his hands until she could see his ugly face sneering up at her.

Dot glowered down at him, then shot a fat glob of saliva right between his eyes.

She watched her spit bubbles trickle down Nymph’s forehead and along the side of his nose. His eyes were the size of blueberries, his crooked teeth visible inside his open mouth. His expression looked a lot like the one that had been on Hopper’s face for just a millisecond after Flik told the gang leader to leave Dot alone (before he regained his composure and decided to kidnap her just to teach the colony a lesson.) Both were stunned by the idea that a tiny ant would stand up to them.

Dot enjoyed about thirty seconds of triumph as Nymph processed what had just happened. His lower right hand reached up to wipe the trail of spittle that had reached his chin, then held it in front of his face as though making sure she’d really done what he thought she had.

Nymph’s eyebrows narrowed into a scowl she’d never seen him wear before. His eyes, normally yellow like the middle of a dandelion, turned into something like melting honey.

No, not melting.

Boiling.

Dot’s heart pounded hard against her ribcage as Hopper’s nephew looked up at her in fury. He still had her arms trapped against her sides, so there was nothing she could do to defend herself except wriggle and kick uselessly at the air. She half expected him to impale her on one of the cactus spikes, then sob to his uncles about how he’d witnessed her jump from the top floor of the sombrero in an attempt to test her wings and couldn’t catch her in time.

To her surprise, he lowered her back down until they were at eye level again. They stared at each other for a moment, both their chests heaving. Dot mustered up the fiercest glare she could give him. In the distance she could hear the tinny buzz of the mosquitos starting to pack up from their lunch break, and she sent a silent prayer to the Great Tree back home that one of them would come inside in time.

Nymph’s grip on Dot tightened until it felt like her lungs were being squashed. He held the spit-covered hand up to her face, palm facing her and fingers slightly bent so his sharp nails were pointed directly at her. A tiny drop of her saliva had come to rest in the dent where his palm met his wrist.

Then the grasshopper’s face split into a smile that was even more frightening than his scowl.

Dot swallowed. Her mouth was bone dry.

“Bad move, brat.”

Friends in Low Places (4320 words) by Nomadimouse Chapters: 3/? Fandom: A Bug's Life (1998) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Dot (A Bug's Life) Additional Tags: Original Character(s), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Other familiar faces whose names I won't say, Bullying Summary: In an unexpected twist of events, Ant Island's youngest princess has become a reluctant guest of Hopper and his gang for the summer. Most of the grasshoppers pay Dot little mind, but Nymph is an exception to the rule. In fact, Hopper's nephew has taken quite a bit of interest in the only other kid living in the sombrero. And he's determined to make her life a living nightmare.

#thanks owl for the inspo and permission to share!!#a bug's life #ao3 fanfic #fanfiction #disney fanfiction #pixar fanfiction #dot #princess dot #pixar oc

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inochinoyomikata · 3 months

Text

NILFRUITS - Pomme Prisonnière - "Night Rule" Short Story English Translation

I’ve been bound to the night that never dawns

—

What is strong or weak?

There are times when I suddenly think about it.

What do I like, or dislike?

I often wonder about this.

Living, dying, what is that?

I stop thinking about that.

Because none of those things are relevant to this world.

But all the people who come here are unusually uniform in their thinking.

While I have already completely forgotten about it, there may have been a day when I thought that way too. When I touch the words and feelings that everyone has shared, I feel as if, from the edges of my heart, water is quietly dripping.

At these times, what are things that I can do?

I am always thinking about that.

In this world, that is the only thing I am allowed to do.

If I keep my eyes closed for too long, I feel like I’m being swallowed by an endless darkness.

Every joint in my body, within me, loses its warmth.

It feels as cold as ice.

It’s possible that this might be reality.

When I meditate, it becomes reality. Upon realizing that, I felt an unmistakable terror. Everyone else surely was the same. If so, I want to help them forget for even a little while.

Their sad memories, and their painful memories.

Like that tower. That tower of pretense.

Even if it’s only a little bit, I hope to be a presence that illuminates someone.

***

In the night, I was overwhelmed*.

*Speaker is using 「僕」(“boku”), a masculine I pronoun.

—

A certain park. This place, with its large grounds and playground, is a place of relaxation, crowded with families and children — or it was. Like a lingering scent, the faint memory of it wafted in my brain, and it was like that.

I knew that I was a person who would never willingly go to such a peaceful place with family warmth, but now was different. I stood beside an enormous piece of playground equipment swallowed in shadows. I gaze at the footprints of the rain that has just passed.

Reflected in the puddle of water beneath my feet were empty streetlamps that lit up without power, and my tiny self, not even half as tall as they were.

I took a breath, and greeted my reflection in the water with “good morning.” In this action, there was unavoidable irony.

When I looked up, I saw a dark and gloomy night sky that seemed unaware of the term “starry sky.”

Thick clouds were drifting in a gradation that melted seamlessly into the darkness. Below them, buildings competed with each other for height. Not to be defeated, the landmark of the city, the radio tower, shone in blue.

Observing the night carefully, it became clear that there were many different kinds of night. Night was something that changed its expression from day to day.

However, it may depend on the viewer's mood and state of mind. A night seen through the filter of a viewer’s gloomy mind is, therefore, considered a gloomy night. Conversely, however, is the cause of someone seeing a depressing night not mean that one’s mind is also depressed? That question remained.

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? The time for thinking about questions and answers without hints of a solution flows aimlessly and meaninglessly.

—

In this world, Winter would soon arrive. The slightly cold, dry air ruffled my hair. However, I don’t have a single sensation of shivering from the cold.

As I walked out of the park that served as my hideout and headed toward the city, I suddenly considered. There is a phrase, “the curtains of the night are falling,” and I think it is a very beautiful and attractive metaphor.

I don’t know much about its origins or background, but the historical use of mosquito nets, an object that is also used as a seasonal term in haiku and other forms of poetry, is also very elegant.

It is a simple and emotional expression that people today, surrounded by functional and rational artifacts, would never come up with.

I say, but even after that scorn, I must not forget I am also a part of the crowd.

As an ordinary person, I cannot escape from the shortsighted and wicked scheme that retro = fashionable and trendy = snobbish.

I was so mentally exhausted that all I could do was distract myself with such trivial thoughts. I had begun to get used to the idea of being mentally disturbed. The fact that I was beginning to get used to it was completely overwhelming.

From here, let’s go back to the beginning.

What overwhelmed me was this “night that never ends.”

—

I could recognize that this world was not the one I had lived in before.

I had come to that answer more than once, and my immediate suspicion was that I had gone mad.

The first reason was that I had no desire to sleep, no matter how much time passed. Literally, it could be said there was none.

I feel as though, naturally, I had always been a person who could operate without sleep for long periods of time, but I don’t know if that’s exactly true, just a feeling. Whatever the case, I could sense that sleep was not something I needed. This was a big problem.

Next, my appetite. I had no appetite either. From the start, I don’t think I was a person who was concerned about food, but that was just a feeling, and in the end, I don’t know which is true.

In the midst of all these unknowns, what was certain was that I was originally a person who could sleep and eat as much as anyone else; a person capable of living a civilized, minimalist life.

Up until now, it is still possible to dismiss this as a problem that only affects me, but there was an anomaly that goes far beyond this and is still spreading even now.

It was that, no matter how much time passed, the scenery remained as “night” forever.

This is not a metaphor or a psychological state, but rather, how it sounds at face value: The scenery never changes from “night.”

To put it more concretely, the moment the hands of the clock move ahead of 24:00, they point to 18:00. To say simply, it’s looping. The world resets itself at six hours.

From the darkness of the world, I can see the slanting sun that illuminates the building at the moment. Whenever I saw that orange light, I was disappointed that it was not the light of the morning glow.

Just this was unusual enough, but it was not the only thing eating away at my spirit.

—

There were no people at all. They didn’t exist.

Outside of myself, there was no one.

—

There was not the slightest sign of life, to the extent that the word “deserted” seemed almost cute. Without exaggeration, I felt that I had become the only person in the world. So much that I had no choice but to believe so, there was no one.

It was a so-called ghost town.

It was as if only human beings had suddenly disappeared.

However, all of the traces of humans living, and of their daily lives, remained.

I could not hear people speaking, and no matter where I went, there was no activity. They had disappeared from this place.

Cars and trains were moving. However, there was no one in the seats. It was only for a moment that I felt as if I had tasted the world of the future, where autopilot was a reality, and all that remained was a feeling of strangeness and artificiality. I wondered if there were any passengers on a plane as it flew overhead with a sound cutting the air. It was the height of winter, and the city, with its illuminations, store lights, and streetlamps, was interestingly unchanged, eerie, and very desolate and bleak.

Eventually, I came up with a hypothesis.

Perhaps it was not that I had gone crazy.

The world itself, which encompasses my existence, must have gone crazy.

I have no choice but to believe that in order to consider myself normal when that was not the case. Outside of that, I didn’t want to deny nor affirm anything else.

—

At first, I was upset, but gradually I found myself becoming accustomed to this strange “world of night.” It became obvious that adaptability is the most essential skill in human history.

But the question naturally arose. How in the world did this happen, and what am I involved in? War, pestilence, or even a science fiction style alien invasion. Of course, there were no answers, and all of these questions seemed to me to be a string of words that could be dismissed as just reading too much manga.

I thought I might be able to figure out what was going on where I lived. However, this was an illusion as sweet and fragile as a sugar candy.

Relying on my memory, I went to my own house. It was a small apartment, 6 tatami 1K, with nothing but the necessities of life—so bad, in fact, that there were no necessities at all. To call it the nest of sad creatures who love solitude and poverty was a fitting description.

The stupidity of this action had exactly the opposite effect of what I had initially planned. There were no special clues in the empty room, that was as if they had gone to sort out their personal affairs, and the longer I stayed, the more I wondered who I was, what my purpose was, and what my dreams were. I sit in this place where there is no entertainment, no sound, no sense of life, no hope, and everything is foggy except for the fact that I lived here, and I become melancholy and depressed.

I was not overreacting or anything, but more and more I was unsure of the meaning of my life. Eventually, I went outside.

After finding the giant playground that was my current hideout, I never thought of returning to that room again.

I don’t know the meaning of my life. Up until now, I do not know why I have been living, and the loss of identity is not something lukewarm. It is completely absent from one’s brain.

I wonder if I am a student or a working adult. As I was reflected in the show windows I saw when I walked around town, I had an appearance that could hardly be described as that of a working person. However, everything was beyond the realm of my imagination.

In addition to physical abnormalities, had I also suffered from amnesia? Naturally, I was further tormented by a sense of despair.

—

How many days have passed since I got lost in this world?

No, I wonder if the concept of passing days even existed to begin with.

How many laps, I wonder. It seemed like an eternity.

The clock on the radio tower went around from 18:00 to 24:00, repeating the night forever, and in this world where silence licked my skin, I simply continued to roam.

My body, which knows no fatigue, was too well suited for travel. With no accumulation of physical fatigue, little variation in temperature fluctuation, and unlimited time, I thought it would be a good idea to make an unplanned, aimless journey.

However, it turned out to be a foolish plan, and I ended up returning to this city, my original starting position. Although it was only a feeling, one thing I have learned was that I was not an active person to begin with. It was an undeniable fact that I was acutely aware of the emptiness of traveling without a purpose.

Another thing I discovered about myself was that as soon as I set foot in an unfamiliar place, I began to feel a fierce nausea.

It was a discovery that did not bring me any joy and I once again had no idea where I wanted to go or where I should live. My body, my mind, were they both trapped in this narrow world? The lights of the city were shining brilliantly as usual, oblivious to the concerns of others.

Before long, I sat down on a bench on the sidewalk and observed the buildings lined up in a row, without any sense of purpose.

I didn’t like the commonly used expression “cogs in the wheel of society,” as it gave me a cluttered and greasy image. What about an alternative, the lights of society? Wouldn’t it give a somewhat delicate and fantastic impression?

The reason I suddenly had such a thought was that I was looking at the building I had been staring at earlier, I believe, a prominent and large trading company, and I saw countless windows still glowing brightly even at 22:00.

When I observed closely, the light in another window came on and went off. I got the impression that it was a cheap lighter.

There was no warmth in the light, just a cold, sharp flash of “society” that scorched and killed bodies and minds. That is…if these people were real.

The place was so worthless that it carried meaningless thoughts on its tired, lukewarm sighs.

I can see traces of human existence and life, but the original human beings are invisible to me. In this world where nothing changes, only my spirit is clearly worn away.

I suddenly remembered a story about a famous anechoic chamber in the United States.

It is said that about 99.99 percent of the sound is absorbed by the walls and is called “the quietest place on earth.”

Strictly speaking, there is no perfect silence in this world, but in the absence of people other than myself, I suppose it can be considered so in a broad sense.

What I am trying to say is that when there is extremely little external stimulation, human beings are easily distracted. It is said that people who are placed in an anechoic chamber can become mentally deranged within an hour and even experience visual and auditory hallucinations. I have never heard of anyone who has experienced it, but it is said that the surroundings are so quiet that the sounds one naturally makes in life—such as the sound of a heartbeat—seem loud.

Another similar story, about a person who is put in an empty white room and goes insane, is analogous to what I am trying to say.

This world of night is unmistakably pushing the person I am to the edge.

What is completely different from the anechoic chamber experiment is that even the sounds that I make are becoming inaudible.

I have completely lost interest in myself and my own life.

I know. If I end it already, maybe that would be fine.

I have no intention of saying proudly that I have done my best and endured, but I think there is no meaning or significance to my life as it is now.

In this world, I think I should cast “change” through my own body. Running like ghosts were cars and trains. Even the tall buildings. Just by training to look down on them in my imagination, I was filled with a strange sense of elation, even though there should have been no ups and downs in my mind. The reason for this is unclear, but my gaze is naturally and effortlessly focused on them.

I hope that the legacy of the high level of culture mankind has accumulated over the years will destroy this worthless life.

Thinking such, I stood up and turned around, and an unbelievable sight flashed into my eyes.

—

Standing there was a girl.

A girl, probably human. I put the word “probably” in my head because she was wearing clothes with an entirely out-of-this-world coloring and design, so much so that I had no idea where they were sold.

She looked like the protagonist of a story. Or perhaps someone from the future, or an alien. She had an unrealistic look and appearance.

The girl was probably in an old electronics store — she seemed to be looking at the TVs piled up through the window without a care.

I was stunned, but calmly analyzed what action I should take in the future.

I had spent so much time wandering around, but I couldn’t find what I was looking for, a person. Why this timing? I suppressed my palpitations and carefully confirmed that the scene before me was not a hallucination. After a while, I finally decided to call out to them.

As if to test my voice, I said, “Um,” without effort.

The girl slowly turned her head toward me. Her crystal-like eyes didn’t seem to reflect any words of caution.

I didn’t know how to explain in the shortest possible way that I was not a suspicious person.

As I choked on my next words in dismay, the girl smiled kindly at me. In an instant, my eyes were drawn to her. Up close, she looked more and more inhuman. Her appearance was like an exquisite and delicate doll from a fantasy world. And yet, she had a somewhat enchanting ambiance.

Eventually, the girl smiled and shook my hand vigorously.

I was stunned again, but it was short-lived, and before I could catch up with my understanding, she took me out of that place.

I tried repeatedly to say words to calm down the reckless girl, and I tried earnestly, too, but there was something wrong with her. The girl looked back at me every time I said something, but she smiled at me. She seemed to have no interest in explaining why, and even less interest in having a conversation.

It was unclear where she was going, but she had a face of enjoyment as she ran along.

In the world of night, under the dreary sky.

In the darkness where solitude and silence melted away.

She led the me, who decided a few hours ago to commit the eternal act of suicide, to somewhere.

—

I was taken by the hand and arrived at a small, old shopping mall. In all honesty, it might be better to say the place was run-down.

I had a feeling that I had visited there before in the “original world,” but I was not sure of the details. However, it did not seem to me that the facility was functioning as soundly as it had in the past.

I had already explored most of the facilities in and around this town, but for some reason, I felt no need to visit this place, or at least I thought it was too creepy to visit, so I didn��t come here. The shutters were not closed, there were no guards, and the cozy space was open. I entered as my hand was pulled.

In what looked like an event space half as small as the park grounds, lights and string lights hung apologetically in a cluttered manner by the escalators adjacent to the plaza.

The girl took me out to the square and finally let go of my hand.

Warmly, she shows her smiling face.

She seemed a little proud, as if to say, “This is my hideout, my favorite place.”

The girl, as if to say, “Wait here for a moment,” showed me her palm, and then ran to the back of the pathway.

A few moments later, she came back holding something with both hands.

It was the same bundle of lights and string lights I had seen earlier. Judging from the size of the bundle, it did not seem to be that long. At best, it was long enough for a few people to jump rope.

She held her left hand up and down hard in small increments while holding that string of lights with her right hand. It appeared that she was telling me to sit down. For now, I sat down at a random spot.

Perhaps she was trying to put on some kind of show for me?

I looked around, with the girl hastily unraveling the mass of lights at my side.

There was nothing special or remarkable about this place. I didn’t think there were spotlights or anything like that.

I figured that there was no electricity at this time of day to begin with. In fact, all of the lights near the escalators were turned off. Moreover, from what I could see, the light that the girl was holding was not battery-powered, but an outlet-powered one.

Why, then, had she brought this futile item with her? In what ingenious way did she intend to use it?

A few moments later, the preparations seemed to be complete, and the girl stood still, holding the plug at the end of the light like a rhythmic gymnastics ribbon and slightly wrapping it around her body.

What in the world was about to begin?

Unable to read the girl’s thoughts, I simply stared in awe at her mysterious acts. At that moment, when my mind was dulled, unable to think of anything.

—

The illumination lights surrounding her instantly began to glow.

—

I didn’t understand what I was seeing.

Right before my eyes, something incredible was happening.

In a reserved manner, she was clad in many bright and colorful lights.

She let them swing.

My heart, which should have been so quiet, suddenly started beating.

In the silence and the darkness, it pulsed and surged through my whole body.

The girl started to dance.

—

It was beautiful.

It was beautiful, even too much.

“It’s beautiful,” I said.

So much so that no other words could describe it.

Such words could not be stopped from leaking from my own mouth.

Unable to contain my emotions, the words leaked out.

The hearts of ten people are ten different varieties, there are an infinite amount of them.

Therefore, the ways in which a heart can be saved are completely different from person to person.

Music that someone may find repulsive and criticize may be the very hope of life for a different person.

What may be a boring and untouching movie for someone may be a masterpiece for someone else who may be unaware of how many times they will encounter it in their short life.

To put it simply.

Her dancing unmistakably saved my life.

Not because of a technique.

It had nothing to do with high or low level of expressiveness, or the unconditional reflexes based on faint memories.

Purely, sincerely, plainly, serenely, innocently.

My heart was struck by that scene.

In a scene that was delicate, extraordinary, fantastic, and overflowing with emotion.

Within the darkness that dragged me into this pessimistic world that could be called eternal, a girl who wore a ray of light.

No matter how hard I tried, I was unable to move my eyes away.

—

For some reason, a tear spilled out.

What? I wondered, but from one after another the tears kept falling, and I couldn’t stop. I repeatedly wiped them away, but the scenery blurred, and the phenomenon knew no bounds.

Dripping down, to a comical extent, the droplet overflowed like something from a manga.

Swirling in the air was reassurance, emotion, confusion, and sorrow. Were they all jumbled together? I had been trying to calmly analyze all of my own mind and thoughts from an outside view. But I could not read them at all. I could not put them into words.

Why was this? Why was I moved to tears by this scene? I could not come up with any perfect answers.

—

If I could just stay with her.

If I could see her dancing happily like this from here on.

It doesn’t matter if there is no dawn.

Even morning. I don’t even need another day.

—

That’s what I really thought at the time.

—

After that, we visited my base at the park.

It was relatively close to the shopping mall we had just visited, so it only took us a few minutes to get there.

When I looked at the girl, our eyes met, and she was still smiling at me. My heart that was pounding seemed a lot louder than it used to be.

I had so many questions for her.

Just as I was about to speak to her, she ran towards the playground.

She jumped on it, climbed on it, showing me that she was having fun playing on it.

For the time being I sighed, “Oh well.”

Unaware of my state of mind, the girl was enjoying the playground equipment, smiling at me, and occasionally waving her hand.

What that girl wanted to say, or what she wanted to do, I didn’t know. After seeing my depressed spirit, was she trying to express the importance of returning to childlike innocence?

However, seeing another human being moving around happily on this massive playground that I had come to think of as a symbol of my loneliness, after living up until now as if I were the only person in this lonely world, was a little moving to me.

Before I knew it, the girl was sitting perched on a covered guard tower at the top of the playground.

I also decided to head there before long.

The girl was dangling her legs and swaying a little. I climbed up and sat down with my back to her.

I had climbed up there once before when I was at the base, but the only view I could see from there was an inorganic scene of tall buildings lined up in the distance, and it was completely uninteresting and unappealing. After that, I never went up there again.

Now, the reality that there was another person nearby — that girl — had certainly changed something in me.

Once again, I turned to her and began to ask questions.

Who are you?

How did you get that light to shine?

What is happening in this world?

Are there other people?

For all of these questions, the girl did not seem to have any intention of playing catch-up with words.

She just tilted her head and smiled.

After the unbearable atmosphere spread, I came up with a hypothesis.

This girl might be the source of this world of night.

Her unrealistic appearance and special abilities reminded me of aliens or humanoid weapons. Did she change the whole world fundamentally with her super-scientific or surrealistic ideas and technologies that I could have never thought of? All of these ideas. Which could have been dismissed as a result of reading too many science fiction novels and manga, passed through my brain without me being able to say them out loud.

Contrary to my wild thoughts, I did not feel any type of dark emotion of attitude that could be called hostility from her.

No, I still don’t know. While my guard is low, she may take that opportunity to reveal sharpened claws and fangs that she had concealed.

She’d just say, “There were survivors.”

But, if that’s the case, that’s fine, I thought. I was already exhausted. Of this world that was being eaten away by the darkness. With no substance, no future, nothing, this meaningless world of night. If only she could put an end to this life, I thought, I would be fine with that. Because I was serious, I told her so, without trying to hide anything.

But the reaction was more obvious than I expected, and it backfired.

For the first time, the girl had a sad expression on her face.

Her pale eyebrows lowered, and glassy eyes looked at me with a clear sadness. The girl began to stare at my fake smile and the movement of my lips. Feeling awkward, I questioned her about the significance of her actions, but received no response.

After a few moments, the girl’s sad expression changed, and she smiled cheerfully. Then, as if she had just thought of something, she jumped down from the playground with great vigor. It was quite high, but she landed without incident with a gentle look on her face.

I couldn’t hide my fear for the girl, so I hurriedly got off the playground safely and went to her.

I wondered if she didn’t understand my language. I could certainly sense a gentile atmosphere. Perhaps she is “unable to speak.” I don’t know if the cause would be mental or physical, but it’s a possibility.

After all, I still don’t know who she is. What does she think, what is her purpose, what kind of character does she have? I had too little information to seek a rich personality. Perhaps it was just a convenient delusion, but she was like an oasis in the desert. I decided to let it go, by thinking of her as a kind of remedy in this world.

—

And so, my new life began.

She was always by my side.

My loneliness and anxiety had long since disappeared into my unconscious.

Some nights passed. I realized that she, like me, was a person who could live without sleep, without food, and without fatigue.

Some more nights. As usual, there was no conversation. None, but she was expressive.

Basically, she was smiling. I, too, felt as if I had long forgotten what a smile was after coming to this world, but the word “mirror” reminded me of it. I suddenly remembered it. Little by little, I felt that I had begun to smile at her actions.

We began to count the cycles of the night together.

At first, we had decided to write the character for “correct*” in the sandbox, but in this world, it rains from time to time, making it pointless, so we decided to write it on a playground post by scratching it with a stone. Since the time display on the radio tower was just barely visible from this spot, one of us put it up as soon as 18:00 was reached, the first one to do so won.

*「正」 is a character meaning “correct” that is also used for tally marks.

I was forgetful and often let her take the lead. I guess there is no such thing as a lead, and this game is never going to end. She often laughed when she won.

The 32nd lap of night.

I tried to climb the radio tower. I had never thought of visiting there before, but the girl insisted on going, so I had no choice but to accompany. But as it turned out, the elevator did not work, and she could not go up. I gently patted her rounded back to comfort her depressed state.

The 55th lap of the night.

The two of us often took walks together in the city, but that day we changed our minds and went a little farther out of town. But I still felt unwell. Why was I feeling so bad, even though I did not feel physically tired at all? The girl looked at me with concern. I assured her that I was fine, and showed that I was going to get through it.

The 86th lap of the night.

We decorated the shopping mall. She took care of the plaza, and I took care of the aisles. It still didn’t look as though the lights were working, but I finished decorating following her body language. Then the two of us walked side by side through the mall.

Then she used her mysterious power again.

The lights she had decorated the mall with began to glow when she touched them, one after another. I didn’t care about the logic behind it. The fact that she was doing this to make me happy, combined with her kind and joyful smile, was beyond doubt.

The 100th lap of the night.

As usual, nothing happened, but we celebrated.

In a proper manner, I told the strange girl that it was the 100th anniversary. It was very proper. “It’s a nice number,” I added to reinforce the adequacy of my words.

In response, she just laughed cutely. I laughed along with her. From there I tried to climb the radio tower again to commemorate the event, but the elevator was still stuck for some reason. It seemed that I was disliked by the tower. I encouraged her again with a little more enthusiasm this night.

The 127th lap of the night.

For the first time, without warning, I actively tried to hold her hand. She didn’t react in any particular way, but I could see in her eyes that she was expecting me to take her somewhere. Just as she had done when we first met, I should probably take her somewhere.

The usual park, which I had thought was not a suitable spot, had been slightly decorated around the 110th lap, so there was a bit of atmosphere. She didn’t seem to understand.

The 184th lap of the night.

As I walked around, I began to notice that the color of the night was getting darker and darker. At first, the sky was often a dark blue, but recently, it has been pitch-black. I didn’t see so many gradient clouds anymore. Come to think of it, we didn’t see sunsets anymore either. When I said this, she seemed to look sad for a moment, but she immediately turned a silly face and tilted her head in a deliberate manner. Such a gesture was unbearably endearing.

The 200th lap of the night.

We celebrated. “It’s the 200th anniversary,” I said. The girl clapped her hands in acknowledgement. I told her I had decided to climb the radio tower for a third time. The elevator was still not moving, but I told the girl her power might have something to do with it. For example, if we assume that her power is to manipulate electricity in various ways. Truthfully, I thought it was just stuck because she was afraid to get on the elevator. When I told her that, she seemed to get the idea and looked away with understanding eyes. We decided to use the emergency stairs to climb up. Why didn’t you think of this earlier? I chastised my former self, but that soon fizzled out as we finally arrived at the seats that were known as the main deck. The girl was quite excited to see the panoramic view of the city. However, she didn’t seem to like being so high up and didn’t get very close to the windows. At any rate, I was glad to finally have had this encounter with her.

The 226th lap of the night.

She was playing on the playground when she slipped and almost crashed while falling. Miraculously, I was just below her and was able to catch her. She weighed almost nothing and felt as if I was hugging a piece of styrofoam. If it had been me before, I would have been surprised at how unrealistic it felt. But it didn’t matter anymore, her surprised face and eyes met mine, and we stared at each other closely. I immediately set her down, and when I warned her to be careful, she looked apologetic. I soon realized that there was really nothing to be careful about, since we have no sense of pain. At the same time, for some reason, I have not been able to look her in the eye since then.

The 250th lap of the night.

Today was another walk. Yet again, after a little while, I held her hand. When I did, for the first time, she looked a little embarrassed. For some reason, I was embarrassed by this new reason, and we didn’t look at each other while holding hands. In the end, we still didn’t look at each other again after we let go of each other’s hands.

The 299th lap of the night.

I thought back on the nights until now.

Even without words, I knew that I had lived with her.

A strange sense of pride was born in my heart.

Tomorrow — and I’m not exactly sure if that is the right word — I will tell her exactly how I feel about her.

Because it’s the day of our anniversary.

However.

Before tomorrow arrives, there’s something that was bothering me.

As I thought, I was not mistaken.

The number of lights in the city was clearly decreasing.

After that 250th lap, the decrease became blatant.

There were no cars or trains running anywhere. I wondered how long this had been going on. Furthermore, the sky seemed to be getting darker.

I tried not to pay any particular attention to it, but I was a little uncomfortable walking in a place that was too dark when I walked with her.

Perhaps there was something wrong with the electricity supply in the city. What happens in this world is obviously not common sense. It wouldn’t be strange for anything to happen.

Because it’s self-contained, I’ll try to find the cause another night, I thought.

—

The 300th lap of the night.

Time passed quickly, and in no time at all it came.

I brought her to the shopping mall plaza.

And then.

“Let’s escape from this world.”

I said so.

We’re going to escape the world together.

Starting now, we’re going to search for a way out.

We must find it.

No matter where we end up, we’ll live together.

“Together, let’s live.”

She looked embarrassed, but happy.

As it is, I want to see that face.

As best as I could, I conveyed my feelings.

—

Then.

Suddenly. A black mass appeared behind her.

A black mass. That was the only way to describe it.

It was a sphere about five meters in diameter.

Behind her, with a presence like a total solar eclipse.

Over there, there’s something.

The moment I was about to speak, the view completely changed. She was not in front of me.

There were only powerless, drooping lights and inorganic shop windows.

Somehow, my body had been pushed out of the plaza and into the back of the passageway. From the impact of the black mass writhing in front of me, with its spines protruding in a creepy way.

My body flew to another place. I felt a strange, dull concussion, as I have no sense of pain, and my body that had been thrown rolls around. I was knocked away.

Over, and over, and over, and over I’m knocked away; over, and over, and over, and over I repeatedly struggle to stand, and it’s always the same thing before me. There was no will, no emotion, nothing of the sort, just a fundamental “rejection” that stands in the way.

—

There was still no sense of pain, but when I looked at my entire body, my clothes are frayed and torn, and my skin is cut and scraped. A feeling of unmistakable fear sets in, and I simply flee, uncontrollably, into the shadows of the building and the alleyways in the back.

Just when I thought it had dispersed for a moment, a strange sight met my eyes.

It was the middle of the city. Had I been transported from the shopping mall to the city?

I felt that neither the laws of physics nor the distance could explain it, but that was just the beginning. It was pointless to think too deeply about it.

With determination, I jumped out from where I was hiding and ran through.

I wondered if she was safe. I wondered if she was able to escape or hide.

What in the world was attacking us? No matter how hard I tried to think, I had no idea, and I couldn’t guess.

As I was running through the streets, I happened to be in front of the place where I first met her, an old electronics store.

For a moment. My eyes met with a stack of televisions through the window, and the next moment.

All the screens lit up at once.

In there was a human being.

Without a doubt, I couldn’t see the face — it was covered with something similar to the black mass that had attacked us, but human.

The sound was muffled by a storm of static and cracked, making it difficult to hear, but it seemed that a news program was being projected on the screen.

It was the first time in a while that I heard a human voice other than my own, and I couldn’t help but listen in.

“Earlier today…jumped down from…a mall in the city…the lights were on…he survived…unconscious and in critical…”

The audio was chopped in places, a familiar scenery was shown, and bloodstains jumped in for a moment. Before I could even give any thought to the meaning of that news report.

My body bounced on the ground with a tremendous impact and was sent flying forward.

It seemed that I had been attacked from behind with something’s entire might.

I could clearly feel some bone in my face shatter.

I immediately slammed my arm down and stood up, though.

—

There in front of me, just existing, as if to say “checkmate,” was the black mass.

It was moving several spines in and out, increasing its size as if it were expanding its own width.

It was like paint forcefully slammed against a wall.

Like a gaping hole in space.

Like a black hole that sucks in everything.

Like a monster with a gaping mouth, or rather, a monster made of a mouth itself.

As if it wanted to swallow me whole.

I hurriedly turned my back and tried to run away, but the black mass’s spines extended out, and clung to my body like a torimochi.

I resisted with all my heart, but the number of thorns that stuck to me increased as if it were taunting me.

My futile resistance and howls reflected off the skyscrapers and were swallowed by emptiness. What appeared in my blurred vision was a large display embedded in the building, showing the same news footage I saw earlier.

And then. The girl was in front of me.

—

Like the light that turns on when you flick a switch.

In front of me was just that girl.

How did she get here, why was she here, I could never know. Right now, I didn’t really care.

The origin of this black mass was right in front of me.

I understood it circumstantially, through intuition, and spontaneously.

Reflected in both of my own eyes was a sad expression I had only seen once before.

However, more than at that time, this expression was covered with an even deeper sorrow.

The reason, I don’t know.

I don’t want to see it.

I don’t understand, but I don’t want to see her look like that.

That kind of face, I don’t want to see it.

At this moment, I continued to chant from the depths of my heart.

—

I have crossed through many nights because I wanted to live with you. I was able to find the hope to live through the night.

I won’t ask you to save me anymore.

You have given me so much.

I have only gratitude.

But I don't want it to end like this.

So, say something.

Don’t make that face.

Tighter and tighter. The clinging darkness grips my whole body like an arm.

And it pulled me in.

Please. Say something to me.

Even just one word. I want to hear your voice.

—

Then. She pointed.

Beyond there, was this city’s landmark, the radio tower.

—

So, what was she trying to say?

You rejected me. And then you point up at that tower.

I don’t even want to look at it anymore. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen it.

The tower that marks the abominable hour. Repeating with the night, forcing us to face the reality that it is looped, a tower of that and nothing more.

It is an incompetent and worthless radio tower that just stands there and gives me nothing but despair.

What do you want to say about it?

Are you saying I am like that?

Am I like that, worthless, needed by no one, never wanting things to change?

Can I not be important to you?

Was I not important to you?

If that's the case, why do you look like you’re about to cry?

—

I want you to tell me.

Now is the time. Even if I were to disappear from this world from now on. The fact that I met you here, I will always remember it.

So that I will never forget.

I want to know your name.

I want you to tell me your name.

I screamed. The power of it made my throat tremble.

And the word that came back was.

—

“Sa, yo.”

—

Sayo. Sayo. Evening*.

*The characters that make up “evening,” 「小夜」, can be read “sayo.”

A string of characters that were almost unrecognizable to me flashed in and out of my mind. But I realize that such conversions are worthless. I know. I realize that it was not a word that indicates a name. It was in the next moment. Cruelly, I knew.

—

“Sayonara*.”

*Farewell.

She laughed, then cried.

She said that.

—

My consciousness fell into the depths of darkness.

And then the night left.

***

My eyelids parted and a breath burst out.

I could feel my heart and emotions pulsating, but at the same time, I had the sensation that my body was sinking into something soft.

A drop of water rolled down my cheek.

I was on a bed. That was certain.

There was no night or city reflected in my sight.

Just a dim ceiling looking down at me with an inorganic face.

Before I could even think about the girl.

Immediately, all I could see were things that were different.

The huge cast that encased my limbs, and the IV drip.

A peculiar smell, like some kind of medical solution, assaulted my nostrils.

Then, a few people in what looked like medical protective gear surrounded me.

They were talking loudly about various things. I couldn’t hear what they were saying very well. Is there something wrong with me being here?

I could not see or hear well, but I had a sense of pain.

The pain felt as if my whole body was slowly being burned.

My head and legs in particular felt as if they were cracking open. Contrarily, I could not feel anything in my right hand.

It was clear to me that my body had faced an abnormal situation.

After that — though I don’t remember much because I was dazed by the pain — I was carried to another room.

My entire body was checked over by a group of people in hazmat suits flying around me, in a place where various machines were densely packed.

I think I vomited and fainted several times. An acidic feeling of disgust crawled up the back of my throat and down my navel.

I don’t know how much time has passed since then.

After a long period of fatigue, outbursts, and questioning, my body and spirit were finally free.

—This is a hospital.

I was sent back to the hospital room again, and the male doctor began to explain things softly to me as I settled in.

We were facing each other, not through protective clothing, but in the flesh. The act of making eye contact with someone other than that girl was a sensation I hadn’t felt in a very long time.

—Do you remember what happened?

I couldn’t say anything in response to his words.

I had some understanding of why I was in the hospital, of course.

If I had not gone to heaven or hell, if I had miraculously survived.

If I had survived and held on.

Of course, I would be in this place.

The doctor, concerned about my state of understanding and realizing what had happened to “myself in the real world,” prefaced his talk with the words, “You may find this hard to believe…” and began to talk.

—

The disease is called Night Rule Syndrome. Also known as “Night.”

My body and mind were affected by the disease.

Although patients have been discovered worldwide since 10 years ago, the number of cases is extremely small and the route of infection and whether it is a viral infection in the first place is completely unknown. In Japan, the disease was designated as an intractable disease a few years ago, but the public’s awareness of the disease is not that high. In fact, I was not aware of it. I was told that I was the third patient in Japan.

The symptoms of the disease are more specific and unscientific than those of other intractable diseases, and many parts of the disease are still unexplained.

In the first stage of the disease, the patient completely loses consciousness and falls into a deep sleep.

Vital activities are normal, and brain and heart activity are slow and unaffected. In extreme cases, the patient is close to what is considered the non-REM sleep state.

Afterward, however, black ink-like spots occur in the cells of the body and skin. The black ink spots spread over the entire skin without any particular effect on vital activities.

In the second stage, the blackening progresses inside the body, and in the final stage, the entire body, including blood vessels, organs, and the brain, turns black as if swallowed by darkness.

When the process after that is observed, it is said to crumble and disappear like charcoal after combustion.

The word “vanishing” was an appropriate descriptor, as it was said that there is no trace of those spots.

The ingredients of the black spots were analyzed, but even at this stage, it is an unknown substance, and since it literally disappears seconds after leaving the host’s body, it is impossible to collect or preserve. Many countries have invested their money in various tests and experiments, but all have ended in vain. It is impossible to treat or operate on the disease, and no progress has been made in developing special drugs or vaccines. The trigger and reason for the onset of the disease are unknown. The only option is to wait for natural recovery, and the disease has had the alarm raised by many medical societies.

However, some of those who have developed the disease have recovered completely, and it is said that the dark spots disappear from the body without leaving any trace. And although the reason is unknown, it seems that antibodies are formed, and every dark spot on the body disappears, and the disease has never recurred. I am one of those, I was told.

All of this was hard to believe, but the atmosphere was not one where jokes could be made or said.

And while it’s even more improbable and unrealistic — what has been said about it before shakes me to my core.

When the limited number of post-recovery patients were interviewed, they all said they had lived in the same “world that repeats the night.”

When the overall responses were summarized, it seems that a part of the subject’s mental structure manifests itself in the world of night. The relationship between the psyche and memory has not yet been clarified, but it seems the psyche is simply taken over, and there are many ambiguous aspects of memory of real-life. In general, they also tended to be pessimistic and have a pessimistic view of life and death.

—

What was even more surprising was that although the locations were different, all of the people who developed the symptoms said that they had seen “a certain girl” in the world that repeats the night.

In some cases, they also found another person with the disease.

It was hypothesized that the “world of night” is a world shared in the brains of all patients.

—

The girl’s appearance fluctuates, and she looks alien or alien-like to some people. She understands the language and is very friendly. She was previously observed to be able to speak, but recently she is no longer able to speak freely.

Similarly, in a recent case, an abnormality in the world of night was observed. In the world described by the previous patients, there were many people, just like the real world, but recently they have disappeared without a trace. Instead, the light of things like buildings and vehicles remained on — in other words, it was as if all people except themselves had become invisible.

—

At that point, I cut off the doctor’s story.

I wanted to get an answer out of him regarding the girl.

And what the doctor told me was not what I expected, but was despairing.

The girl existed in the real world at this moment.

However, she is still under observation at a medical institution in Tokyo.

That’s right. The girl is also suffering from “Night.”

The only difference between me, along with the other patients, and her is that the progression of the blackening is very slow, and she does not require nutritional supplements or elimination, which is an extremely impractical and inhuman condition.

However, she has not woken up in the 10 years since the onset of disease was confirmed. In other cases, it takes about a week on average from the onset of the disease until the blackness spread over the entire body — for myself, it took three days from the time of the onset of the disease was confirmed until the time of recovery — though that timing is understood to be abnormal.

However. I was told that she doesn’t have much longer to live.

At last, everything had turned black except for a part of her brain and heart.

Only those two parts remained. The chances of survival are said to be hopeless.

Based on the stories of those who have been affected and the collapse of the night world, it was believed that the girl and the world of night are strongly co-dependent. I told him about my own experiences in the world, and he said without a single expression on his face that this hypothesis was quite well reinforced.

It was cruel to say, but the doctor seemed to think that the girl herself was “Night.” If she were to disappear, the disease of “Night” would disappear as well.

Saying that, he lamented without expression that this situation, which could only be observed while hoping for the best, was disappointing to a physician.

After listening to the whole story, I didn’t really care about the doctor’s hardships.

I no longer cared what kind of person I was in this world, the memories of how I got to my current position, the possibility of what might come in the future, and all the thoughts that welled up in my head. I was no longer attached to the things I had once tried to discard.

—

In this world, there was no place for me. Only in the world of night could I be me.

This thought clung to my mind like a kind of curse.

I turned my eyes away from the doctor, who continued to chat on and on, and looked out a nearby window.

A white curtain was hanging, blending into the gloomy-colored sky. The sparks from the lights embedded in the inorganic concrete groupings were slowly gaining warmth.

I felt a terrible tightness in my chest from the scenery that we had both been waiting for a long time to see just a few minutes ago.

This pain and suffering, nobody could understand it.

It was certain no one would believe me.

Therefore, I don’t need anyone to understand.

The doctor proposed that I keep “Night” a secret. He said it was a measure to prevent unnecessary chaos.

I immediately nodded. I just nodded, silently, obediently.

Holding on to everything, life went by.

A later tale with no accomplishments.

I was forced to spend many days with considerable inconvenience, I managed to recover to the point where I could lead a normal daily life. I am usually ungrateful to others, but in this case, I had no choice but to extend a small debt of gratitude to the rehabilitation staff.

It was six months after leaving the hospital. I was walking around the city at night for the first time in a long time.

The area around me was familiar, and I had explored it countless times. The only difference was that it was noisier, smellier, and brighter than I had thought it was in the world of night.

—

The place I aimed for was the radio tower. It was a place I would never have headed to before, a place I had no connection to.

At the ticket office, I received a pamphlet entitled “LUNA TOWER GUIDE BOOK.”

The pamphlet explained that the view from the main deck, which was 150 meters above the ground and offers a panoramic view of the city, as well as the corridor on the top deck, which was 250 meters above the ground, are illuminated with LED lights that resemble stars and the moon, creating a special nighttime experience — once again I realized that I was indifferent to this location.

I take the elevator up to the observation deck on the main deck. It is crowded with people, including many children and couples.

I weave my way through the crowd and approach the huge windows.

The lights of the city, which seem to spread out forever, dry my eyes. The glow, created by so many people, so much work, and so many connections, illuminates everything without any emotion. The many people present and the people viewing were all enthralled by the lights.

I myself was impressed, even if there was a slight memory correction.

It’s beautiful, I thought to myself.

—

At the end, in the world of night, the girl pointed to this radio tower.

But I couldn't help but wonder just what the reason for that was.

I looked at the cover of the pamphlet, and in combination with the questions I had about her just before I disappeared from the world of night, I arrived at one answer. I was tempted to deny all of the terrible words I thought just before I left that world.

What she had wanted to say, it was surely not just that. I decided that.

I thought that I would end up with one answer, and be finished.

Instead of going to the top deck, which seemed to be the other main attraction, I immediately got on the elevator and headed downstairs.

After all, this was not the right place for me right now.

After leaving the tower, which was taller and more blazing blue than anyone else, I started walking again.

—

At the top of the huge playground. There, just enjoying the gentle breeze, I gazed into the distance at the which, which was still bustling even this late at night. For some reason, I felt strangely calm.

There was not a scratch on the pillar. I knew that. I knew that the world of night was not physically linked to this reality.

So, I knew, painfully, that there was nothing more I could do. I understood that.

But I didn’t want to understand.

—

The time that was nothing.

The time I tried to forget.

The time I couldn’t forget. After all, it was the time that I had decided I wanted to live. Waiting forever. What if there’s no meaning in waiting for you forever in this world?

If there were a day that I could try something, could we meet again?

If such a thing was even possible. Squeezing, I held my heart through my clothes.

No, I’m sure it’s possible.

But even the time I spend thinking about such things is time I need to spend living.

There is only one light within my own pessimism, which, even if I try and try to brush it away, does not fade.

What you reminded me of in that world.

Surely, no one but us will ever know it again.

It will never end.

—

In the night sky that seems to swallow everything, a white mist seeps in.

Coated with a sense of still silence and floating, I felt a certain comfort in my heart.

“Farewell.”

—

I said that with a laugh. Then I cried.

And, unlike how the saying goes, I opened my eyes.

In this world, as was natural, the morning arrived.

***

In the night, I was overwhelmed*.

*Speaker is using 「私」(“watashi”), a feminine I pronoun.

—

How many laps had it been since I felt that way?

I already stopped counting.

I knew even trying to do anything was useless.

It was too late, there was nothing around. No light, no sound, no nothing.

Just darkness.

When I know it’s all for nothing, why am I thinking like this?

That’s the extent of how boring, narrow, and far too weak this world that is soon to end is.

At first, this world was in my hands.

This world grabbed me, and wouldn’t let go.

Or rather, it could be said, I chose that.

I knew it was wrong for anyone other than myself to be trapped in this world.

Because for anyone other than me, it seemed too painful. I thought that was wrong. I assumed.

Everyone who was lost looked the same as the others.

What those people didn’t remember, what kind of life they had lived, why they wanted to escape from the world, I knew all of it.

And so, I could do anything.

I could do anything to make those people feel like they wanted to escape this world.

That was my only reason for living.

I had long since forgotten the pain — it was the meaning of life that I could not find in the world before. I had bound myself to it.

Even if people thought of it as nothing more than hypocrisy.

I hope that it has reached someone. Because soon, there will be no trace of such thoughts.

—

Yes. This world will end soon.

My body won’t be able to hold out much longer.

I know, because lately I’ve been unable to do anything.

I wonder, what will happen after it’s over?

Will there be a new world?

Like me, will someone who the world likes be born?

And will it bring yet another victim to keep me tethered to this world?

Whatever the case, I hope everyone is happy.

I’d be happy if they think, “I’ve decided to live happily.”

Even if you don’t think you’re a great person.

Even if you don’t think you can become a better person, I don’t care.

I hope you never stop. Living, that is.

I’ve thought countless times about closing my eyes.

I think, because it’s so dark, it’s almost the same as if I’ve already closed my eyes.

But I’m sure that’s not what I mean.

I’m going to have a good, long rest.

I’ve been tired from being awake all this time.

It’s about time, I truly think so.

At that time.

In the distance, I was certain I saw something.

In the darkness, something shining.

Slowly, I walked toward that light, moving like a rusty toy gun.

I felt as though more and more parts of my body were falling apart.

But I kept walking without giving up.

—

And then.

There, with a familiar face, was a boy.

I was astonished, and tried to speak with him.

But no matter how hard I strained my voice, it wouldn’t come out.

Since the time I had said a single word of goodbye to him, it could not come out.

Immediately, I gestured with stiff movements.

—

He looked at me with the kindest eyes.

Then he laughed. He placed his hand on his chest.

He looked elated.

“It really worked,” he said.

“You won the bet.”

I didn’t seem to understand the meaning of those words.

But what I understood was that he had come to see me.

He had come to see the me who was already finished.

He too, is going to end soon.

Together, we’re going to end.

It might have just been my imagination.

But it was like I felt his warmth inside my body.

—

For some reason, tears spilled from my eyes.

Nothing was supposed to come out anymore.

I was supposed to have lost my temperature and light, to have become a useless body.

Yet, how could something so warm still come out of me.

I opened my mouth.

I had no voice, but slowly. I opened my mouth as if to be certain.

—

I was lonely.

—

I said so. Without words.

I didn’t have to proclaim it.

He must have understood.

“It was the same for me.” He said that.

I laughed along with him.

For only a moment, it felt as if I was in the park where the two of us spent our days together.

And then, there was no one there anymore.

Not me, not him. No one was there.

Just a park with a big playground.

And then, the night.

The night left.

Anything and everything left.

“Good morning,” was said.

“Good night,” in response.

Once again, the two of us told each other.

This world opened its eyes.

Then, the morning arrived.

#nilfruits #niru kajitsu #煮ル果実 #Night Rule #ナイトルール #Pomme Prisonnière #ポム・プリゾニエール #! Warning - this story contains potentially sensitive content!

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