#this took so much time and work and Inventory Suffering to do

[mononijikayu]

“slipping through my fingers” — gojo satoru.

Your little Satoshi pouted for a moment, clearly missing their presence.You were sure he was going to bawl about it as well, swaying him and reassuring him that he’s going to see them later on. But his loving father Gojo Satoru, was always quick to adapt and took over playing with him after breakfast. Crisis was averted in the department of tears as Gojo Satoshi giggled, his chubby hands clumsily trying to catch the ball Satoru rolled towards him.

GENRE: post hidden - inventory arc (2010s)

WARNING/S: domesticity, fluff, family, comfort, angst, trauma, implied death, violence, romance, hurt/comfort, character death depiction of death, depictions of loss and depression, mention of pregnancy, mention of breastfeeding, mention of postpartum effects, depiction of the aftermath of birth, depiction of parenthood, depiction of blood, depiction of killing, depiction of suffering, depiction of anxiety, mention of death, mention of grief, profanity, family drama;

LISTEN: slipping through my fingers by abba

NOTE: i had to skip nanami and toji because today is a very important day. today according to the united nations, is global day of parents. today we should honor parents, biological or not, or those we chose - they are people we should embrace. from gaza, to here in asia, to anywhere, all parents, all those who stand as our parents - they deserve all our love. happy global day of parents from me to you!!! i love you!!!

masterlist

u s and t h e m

kayu's playlist — side 700;

TIME PASSED BY SO FAST. The morning sun filtered through the light gray curtains, casting a warm, golden hue over the living room. It was rare for the Gojo household to be this serene. But you were happy that it was the case. It was as if a gentle rain of gentle peace had showered over your home the moment your son was born. It was as if he had completed this family. You knew you weren’t the only one that thought that way. 

You hummed softly, feeling the warmth on your skin as you prepared breakfast. It was a good morning.It was one of those rare days when your husband Gojo Satoru was at home. And that puts you in a good mood. Your husband doesn’t sleep much and more so. That has always worried you, even when he was your kouhai. Nothing had changed with the fact that he’s always out and about working and doing missions. 

But you worry still, that you aren’t there to soothe him and tell him it was alright to rest. When he’s home, you could do that. You didn’t have to worry as much as you usually do. Having him home means he could be here with the family. That also means he could stay in bed longer, savoring the simple pleasure of waking up next to you. These moments were precious, and you clung to them more than you could explain.

The start of the morning was happily slow, the house enveloped in a serene calm. You cherished the tranquility, knowing how fleeting it often was. As you moved about the kitchen, you could feel the warm sun against your silk robe. There it was again, the familiar sounds of the coffee maker and the sizzling of bacon omelets created a comforting symphony. The sound of the oven racks filled with fresh buttered bread. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, mingling with the scent of breakfast.

You smiled as you thought about Satoru still in bed, his tousled white hair spread across the pillow, a rare sight of peacefulness. You poured a cup of coffee for yourself, adding two spoonfuls of honey. You knew Satoru would probably not be drinking coffee. 

But just in case, you made hot choco he could heat up in the microwave later, adding just the right amount of cream and sugar to him. You take out the eggs from the fry pan and humming as you take out the buttered bread from the oven. Balancing the breakfast plate, you made your way to the living room, placing the plates on the coffee table.

As you expected, the morning birds were already there waiting for you to wake. Megumi and Tsumiki were already awake when you got out of the kitchen. They sat on the couch, engrossed in a morning cartoon, Tsumiki’s laughter and chatter filling the room with warmth and Megumi’s quiet hums as he listened to his sister’s commentary while drinking his carton of choco milk. 

Tsumiki glanced up and greeted you with a bright smile. "Good morning!"

"Good morning, sweetie!" you replied, returning to the kitchen for your coffee mug on the table. “Did you sleep well?”

“I did.” Tsumiki grinned, hugging you by your sides.“Thank you for helping me put my new butterfly comforters last night, Gen-san!”

You smiled at her, urging her to breakfast. “Then go eat, hm?”

You then moved towards the sleepy porcupine haired boy, ruffling his hair with a small grin. He looked away from the television, offering a small, sleepy smile. “You must have been up reading those novels again, hm?”

Megumi's eyes widened slightly before he looked away. “...no, I didn’t.”

“Hmm… so if I check your room, I wouldn’t see a pile of books—”

“No!” He got defensive, standing up from his chair, now almost fully awake.

You blinked and looked at Tsumiki, and the two of you giggled together.

Megumi blushed as he sighed. You patted his head softly, causing him to blush even more. “You know, you’re lucky that it’s a Sunday, kid,” you smiled at him. “You would have been sleepy all day.”

“.....It was good.”

You kissed the top of his head. “I know it was.”

"Where's Satoru-san?" Tsumiki asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"He's still resting," you said, settling onto the couch beside them. "He had a long week, so we're letting him sleep in today."

Megumi nodded, his attention already drifting back to the show. You called Megumi down to sit by you and Tsumiki as you both ate your meals. Megumi was not the type to indulge in breakfast, he liked just drinking his choco milk and going on with the morning. But some days, he liked to indulge himself. He sat beside you, and put his choco milk on the side. Tsumiki and you started to chatter about the cartoon while Megumi ate in silence, nodding along with what you both were saying. 

Tsumiki was happy to help you carry the dishes back into the kitchen while Megumi took a cleaning rag and started to clean the coffee table spotless. Tsumiki started talking about what she was planning to do today, all the while you listened and handed the plates for her to dry with the kitchen towel. Megumi came by soon after, asking for help to wash the cleaning rag.

 When that was done, Megumi took out the lint roller and started to check for any speck of dirt like crumbs. When he was done, you three went back to the living room and started watching a movie together. Tsumiki snuggled closer on your right while Megumi slept soundly on your left. You smiled and hugged her back, and massaged Megumi’s hair tenderly.

The baby monitor on the table crackled to life, and you heard soft cooing sounds coming from the nursery. "Looks like our little one is awake for the day." you said, standing up. "I'll go get him."

Tsumiki’s eyes brightened as she nodded. You stood there carefully, trying to be careful not to wake Megumi. You walked down the hallway, the morning light from the wide windows guiding your way. Entering the nursery, you found your six-month-old son awake in his crib, his bright eyes lighting up as he saw you like an ocean in the dawn. You grinned at him.

"Good morning, sweetheart," you cooed, lifting him into your arms. He babbled happily, his tiny hands reaching for your face. “You had a good sleep, didn’t you?”

As you returned to the living room, you saw your husband Satoru emerging from the bedroom, rubbing sleep from his cerulean eyes. He smiled when he saw you holding your son. "Morning, my treasures." he greeted, his voice warm and filled with love. “You both look so lively today, aren’t you?”

“You should say ‘good morning’ to papa, shouldn’t you, Satoshi?” You cooed as you handed your son gently giggled as Satoru took him in his arms. 

“You’re just so happy to see ‘e, hm?” Your husband grinned as he gently wrapped his arms around your baby boy. “You should still sleep with us. I miss having you on our bed, ‘toshi.”

“Our Satoshi needs to learn how to be an independent little boy.” You kissed your husband tenderly on his lips, pouting as you part from him. “He’s not gonna last in our bed with all the rolling he’s been doing.”

“But ‘toshi wants to be with his mama and papa, don’t you, little one?” He cooes against your husband, both big blue eyes looking at you. “See, he agrees!”

“Not enough to be an argument.”

“Soon enough, ‘toshi. We’ll get there, don’t worry!”

"We shall see, naughty boys." you replied, grinning at him. "So, did you sleep well?"

"Like a baby," he chuckled, kissing your son’s cheek.. "Well, almost as well as our baby here."

You both laughed, and Satoru leaned in to kiss you, his lips soft and warm against yours. "I missed waking up with you, y’know?" he murmured. “Knowing you guys are here waiting for me to come home and I can’t be here. It sucks.”

"I’ve missed it too,’toru." you said, feeling a surge of affection for the man standing before you. "Let's enjoy this slow morning together, hm? Make it worthwhile until tomorrow, hm?”

Satoru nodded, taking your son's tiny hand in his. "I keep noticing it. But he's growing up so fast," he huffed at you, a hint of sadness in his voice. "He can sit up now, and he’s rolling. Soon enough he’s gonna start crawling.”

You sighed, kissing your son’s little head. “I still can’t believe he’s already six months old, my love. He’s already so big.”

“Sometimes I wish I could slow down time," Satoru said wistfully, staring at your little boy as he grabbed the sheets in his fingers. “He’s already so big, and I can’t always be home.”

"I know," you said softly, taking a moment to take his free hand in yours. “And don’t feel bad. You’re doing your best. You know that.”

“I do know that.” He sighed, squeezing your hand gently. “But I just… ever since he was born, I just wanted to be his dad. Just wanna stay here at home and raise him. Not out there, fighting curses and stuff. I wanna see him and ‘miki and ‘gumi growing up together, y’know? I don’t wanna do the job anymore.”

You looked into his bright cerulean eyes, seeing the conflict and the deep longing. You knew your Satoru hated being a sorcerer. Everything about it was painful for him. But he liked being a teacher, he liked that job. He wanted to do it for the longest time because he always thought it was the best way he could make change work. He saw that nurturing the youth was the best way to bring the Jujutsu world into the modern world. 

But with all that, he also felt that to do what he does, to make it work — he has to sacrifice all the time he could be with you and the kids. And that, he hated more than he hated the sorcerer’s life. He hated being apart from what matters most in his life. Gojo Satoru was just a man too. He’s a man that longs for home, for family. 

"You’re an amazing dad, Satoru," you reassured him. "And I know it’s hard, but you’re doing what you can to keep us safe and happy. The kids know that too. They love you for it.”

He nodded, a soft smile forming on his lips as he glanced back at your son. “It’s just… every moment I’m away, I feel like I’m missing out. I want to be there for every milestone, every laugh, every tear. I don’t want to miss anything anymore.”

"I understand," you whispered, your heart aching for him. "And we’ll make the most of the time we have together. Maybe one day, things will change, and you’ll be able to be home more. But for now, let’s cherish every moment.”

Satoru leaned in, pressing a tender kiss to your forehead. "Thank you," he murmured. "For understanding. For always being here. For making this place a home."

"We’re a team, my love." you said, squeezing his hand. "And no matter what, we’ll face everything together, hm? We’ll always be together.”

Your little boy cooed and giggled, making you both look at him. You laugh as you both kiss his cheeks. Looks like he agrees with the two of you. The two of you sat there, soaking in the precious morning. Despite the challenges and the fleeting nature of time, you found solace in each other and the beautiful family you were building. It makes you look forward to more days like these ones. You wanted nothing more than to be embraced by this peace.

The two of you stepped out of your bedroom a little while later, with Satoshi safely nestled in Satoru’s capable hands. Megumi’s porcupine hair sprang up as he sat up from his sleeping position, Tsumiki greeting him awake with a small smile. The soft sounds of your son gurgling and babbling filled the air, drawing Megumi and Tsumiki's attention toward the three of you.

Tsumiki squealed in delight and walked toward you, saying good morning to Satoshi. The baby seemed just as delighted with her, his tiny hand reaching out to Tsumiki. Megumi approached as well, and when Satoshi noticed him, his other hand reached out toward Megumi.

“Good morning, little guy!” Tsumiki cooed, gently taking Satoshi’s hand. "Did you sleep well?”

Satoshi responded with a happy babble, his eyes twinkling with curiosity and joy. Megumi, trying to hide his own excitement, gently took Satoshi’s other hand, earning a giggle from the baby.

“Looks like someone’s happy to see his big brother and sister,” Satoru said with a smile, his eyes soft as he watched the three of them interact. “He’s definitely wanting to have some play time with you both.”

“Then we will, Satoru-san!” Tsumiki grinned as her eyes filled with the stars. “I’m excited to see him play with the blocks again.”

“Hm, ‘toshi managed to lift them up well last night, didn’t he?” Satoru grinned back at her, his cerulean eyes darting at his baby boy. “What do you think, ‘toshi? Can you top yourself today, little dawn?”

Megumi, still holding Satoshi’s hand, looked up at Satoru. “He’s growing up so fast. It feels like just yesterday he was born.”

“I know,” Satoru replied, his voice tinged with a mixture of pride and wistfulness. “But we’re lucky to see him grow and to be a part of his little dawnings, hm?”

You watched the scene unfold, feeling a deep sense of contentment. “Every moment is precious, everyone.” you said softly, leaning against Satoru. “And we’re making the most of them.”

As the morning sun continued to filter through the windows, casting a warm glow over your family, you felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude. In the gentle embrace of dawn's light, amidst the everyday hustle and bustle, there existed a profound beauty. It was in these simple, yet profound moments that the true essence of life revealed itself. Despite the challenges and the rapid passage of time, these moments of connection and love were what made everything worthwhile.

The morning rays illuminated the room, dancing playfully across the walls, and you couldn't help but marvel at the way they seemed to highlight the love that filled the space. Each tender glance, every shared smile, spoke volumes of the bonds that held your family together.

In these fleeting moments, as the world outside rushed by, time seemed to slow down, allowing you to savor the sweetness of the present. It was as if the universe had pressed pause, granting you a brief respite from the chaos of everyday life.

As you looked around at the faces of your loved ones, bathed in the golden light of morning, you realized that this, right here, was what it was all about. It was about cherishing the small moments, the quiet conversations, and the shared laughter. It was about finding beauty in the ordinary and love in the everyday.

And so, as the sun continued its journey across the sky, you held onto this feeling of gratitude, letting it wash over you like a gentle wave. For in these moments, surrounded by the warmth of your family, you knew that life was truly a gift worth treasuring.

Life could not get any better than this.

You couldn’t wait to see how it unfolds.

This morning will be a happy one again.

That you were never going to doubt.

YOU FEARED THAT BOTH OF YOU WEREN’T READY FOR THIS. A package arrived that morning from aunt Arisu and your mother. Satoru was confused, looking at his phone. He never ordered anything and even when he did, he would get a notification. He learned the hard way of not having a notification when he bought something and you were the one who saw it. He looked at you, shaking his head. You didn’t order either. You were a bit more suspicious with ordering online. Ever since your Mewtwo figurine arrived with discoloration, you were trying to be more careful. You shook your head at him just as much.

When you saw the letter from your mother, you instantly thought you knew what it was. She had been talking about how near Satoshi was with being able to eat solids. Last time you visited Mikoto manor in Kyoto, Satoshi was stealing her natto bowl. She had laughed it off, but now you realized that her laugh was pride for her grandson growing up. And now, both you and Satoru were sitting on the floor, surrounded by an array of baby food jars, each promising a different culinary adventure for your little one.

Sweet potatoes, peas, applesauce, and bananas were neatly lined up, each jar meticulously packaged one after another. You checked the bottom for the expiration dates. You don’t think Satoshi will be able to finish all of it. You don’t even think that Satoshi would like every flavor. He’s still drinking from your breast milk too. It was exciting, that’s for sure. But you were concerned about the fact that these will go to waste.

You held your son with one hand, his weight comfortably nestled against your hip, while the other hand deftly navigated through the array of baby food jars. It was a delicate balancing act, one that you had perfected through countless days of caring for Satoshi. As you carefully sifted through the jars, your fingers grazed over the smooth glass surfaces, each one holding the promise of a new taste sensation for your little one. 

Despite the occasional wobble as Satoshi squirmed in your arms, you remained focused, determined to find the perfect combination of flavors to tantalize his taste buds. With each jar you picked up, you couldn't help but marvel at the thoughtfulness that went into creating these tiny culinary delights, each one meticulously crafted to nourish and delight your growing son.

As you finally settled on a few jars to try, you felt a sense of satisfaction wash over you. It wasn't just about feeding your son; it was about nourishing his curiosity, his sense of adventure, and his growing appetite for life. And as you looked down at Satoshi's eager face, you knew that this simple act of selecting baby food was just the beginning of a lifetime of shared experiences and cherished memories.

Satoru let out a small sigh, running a hand through his white hair as he looked at the jars.”I don’t even know where Arisu got all this.”

“Apparently, my mom and her managed to find all this from one of the windows we hired at the temple.” You say, sighing as you arrange the jars in a safe distance from your son. “And it worked well for her daughter’s baby. So mom and aunt Arisu thought this was going to be good for Satoshi too.”

"I can't believe he's already six months old." he said, his voice tinged with a mix of awe and melancholy. "It feels like just yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital. And now, look at this. He’ll be eating this soon enough!”

You reached out, placing a comforting hand on his knee. "I know, Satoru. It feels like time is slipping through our fingers."

He gave you a small, wistful smile, his bright eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Remember when we finished the fifth-month photo album? I thought I'd be fine, but seeing how much he's grown...I couldn't help but cry."

You chuckled softly, squeezing his knee gently. "And now we're here, trying to figure out what our little boy's first solid food will be. It's a big milestone."

Satoru looked down at your son, who was busy gnawing on a soft toy, oblivious to the significance of the moment. "What do you think he'll like?" he asked, his voice soft and tender.

You glanced at the array of jars, considering each one. "Well, he seems to like sweet things. Maybe we should start with the applesauce?"

Satoru nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, I think that's a good idea. Applesauce it is." He reached for the jar, his fingers trembling slightly. "Do you want to do the honors, or should I?"

You smiled, seeing the emotion in his eyes. "Let's do it together."

Gently, you both lifted your son into his high chair, his curious eyes darting between the two of you and the jar of applesauce. You opened the jar, the sweet aroma filling the air, and dipped a tiny spoon into the puree.

Satoru held your son's hands, steadying him as you brought the spoon to his lips. Tentatively, your son opened his mouth, tasting the applesauce for the first time. His eyes widened in surprise, then crinkled in delight as he smacked his lips.

Both you and Satoru laughed, tears of joy streaming down your faces. "He likes it!" Satoru exclaimed, his voice breaking with emotion. "He really likes it!"

You nodded, feeling a swell of happiness in your chest. "He does. Our little boy is growing up so fast."

Satoru wrapped an arm around you, pulling you close as you both watched your son eagerly reach for the spoon, ready for another taste of his new favorite food. "I love you," Satoru whispered, pressing a kiss to your temple.

"I love you too," you replied, resting your head on his shoulder. "And I love our little family."

As the three of you sat there, basking in the glow of this precious moment, you couldn't help but feel a profound sense of gratitude wash over you. The soft light filtering through the windows cast a warm embrace over your little family, illuminating the joy and contentment that filled the room.

In that fleeting moment, surrounded by jars of baby food and the sound of Satoshi's delighted babbling, time seemed to stand still. It was as if the universe had conspired to create a perfect tableau, a snapshot of love and togetherness frozen in time.

As you looked at Satoru and then down at Satoshi, a wave of emotion threatened to overwhelm you. Here, in this simple moment, you found everything you had ever wanted—a loving partner, a beautiful child, and a sense of belonging that filled your heart to the brim.

You could have not seen this years ago.

But you were glad you didn’t then.

Because now, you were truly happy.

Beyond all words can truly be express.

ALL THAT PLAYING MADE SATOSHI TIRED. Megumi and Tsumiki excused themselves back to their rooms after spending some time in the living room. They said they had other things they needed to do. You didn’t question it that much, they always took time to play with Satoshi before they did their own things — so you let them go. 

Your little Satoshi pouted for a moment, clearly missing their presence.You were sure he was going to bawl about it as well, swaying him and reassuring him that he’s going to see them later on. But his loving father Gojo Satoru, was always quick to adapt and took over playing with him after breakfast. Crisis was averted in the department of tears as Gojo Satoshi giggled, his chubby hands clumsily trying to catch the ball Satoru rolled towards him. 

He was energetic for hours on end, very much on par with his father’s own energy. But after using all that energy playing with his father, your son started to get groggy. He started crying, getting hungry for milk. His contorted face looks exactly like your husband’s own face when he starts to get mopey when he wants his sweet snacks. 

Your husband rolled his eyes playfully, when you pointed it out while breastfeeding him. Satoru then took him from you, to burp him and put him to bed. Your breasts were still full after that, so you had to pump all the rest into a bottle to be frozen later on. By that time, you were too drained of energy. You put the bottles away and your husband Satoru kissed you and thanked you, telling you to go get some rest. He was the one who was going to deal with lunch. He wants to take care of you, he said. And he meant it. With those words, you fell in love with him again. And so you laid down on the couch, trying to take some rest.

Once Satoshi was down for his nap, he put him in his crib. He kisses his cheek, telling him to have good dreams. When Satoru saw you next, you were asleep in the living room couch. He couldn’t help but want to place a kiss on your cheeks. His bright blue eyes were full of awe as you rested on the couch. His precious wife. You made everything in life easier, that was sure. You worked hard taking care of the kids, of your baby, of him. You deserved to rest, he loves to think. And now, he wants to take care of you.

Satoru checked the fridge, humming as he took a look at the food inside. He wanted to prepare something nutritious for everyone but especially something good for you. You were still breastfeeding Satoshi, so your health was paramount in his mind. When he saw the salmon, he knew he was going to make some delicious grilled salmon. He'd read that it helps with the pain in your breasts. He saw the miso, and he thought it would be perfect for marinating the salmon. You’d like it a lot. There was some seaweed in the fridge too, and he thought it would be great in a soup. With some tofu, shiitake mushrooms, and a bit of meat, it would be both hearty and enjoyable.

He moved efficiently around the kitchen, his movements practiced and precise. He marinated the salmon in miso, set it aside to soak in the flavors, and started on the soup. The kitchen filled with the rich aroma of shiitake mushrooms simmering, mingling with the subtle scent of seaweed. As he carefully grilled the salmon, he could hear you stirring awake in the bedroom.

You always had a keen sense of smell, and the scent of the grilled miso salmon must have reached you. He grinned as he heard you padding down the hallway, still a little groggy from sleep. You walked up to the kitchen, wrapping your arms around him from behind. "It smells so good, 'toru," you murmured, your voice thick with sleep.

He turned his head slightly to kiss your forehead, his heart swelling with affection. “I made something special for you. Thought it might help with the breastfeeding pain.”

You smiled against his back, pressing a light kiss there. “You’re too good to me.”

Satoru chuckled, a warm, deep sound that resonated through his chest. “Only the best for my favorite person in the world.” he teased gently, turning back to the stove to check on the soup. “The salmon’s almost done. Just a few more minutes.”

You stayed there for a moment, savoring the comfort of being close to him, before reluctantly pulling away to set the table. You were carefully putting each bowl and each utensil, the glasses. You could still feel the grogginess in your limbs, but the delicious smells and the thoughtfulness behind Satoru’s cooking filled you with a warm, contented feeling. Your husband was the best person you could ever ask for, you think. And now, you could only love him even more.

As you finished setting the table, Satoru plated the food, arranging the grilled salmon and bowls of steaming soup with care. “Lunch is served, my darling.” he announced with a flourish, making you laugh. “Come on, you awake now?”

You both sat down, and he watched with satisfaction as you took your first bite of the salmon. “It’s amazing,” you said, your eyes lighting up. “You outdid yourself, Satoru.”

He smiled, feeling a deep sense of contentment. “I’m glad you like it.”

“We should call the kids so they can eat with us.” He stands up.

“I’ll come with you, so that we can eat together.” You follow him.

He hands you his own hand. “Well, take my hands.”

You look at him, blinking. “Why?”

“Because holding hands makes everything good.” He grins at you.

You giggled, intertwining his hand with your own. “Yeah, yeah, you’re so corny.”

“Hey! I’m just a man in love!”

The house was relatively a normal house, but it was quite spacious. It was obvious that Satoru spent some money finding a house which would fit all of your comforts. Megumi and Tsumiki’s room was on the other side of the second floor, just a few doors away from your own bedroom and just a little bit further from the nursery. You and Satoru quietly made your way through the house, you both humming a song stuck in his head. And now that he had hummed it long enough, you learned it and hummed with you too. 

The house was interestingly silent, but it wasn’t unusual. At times, Megumi was just reading a book he had taken home from the library. And Tsumiki would be too busy finishing her drawings with her windowpane. The silence was always comforting in the Gojo household. It was like being wrapped around you like a warm blanket. However,  as you got nearer the kids’ rooms, the tranquility was soon interrupted by faint, muffled voices. You were pretty sure that it came from Megumi’s room.

You exchanged a curious glance with Satoru before heading toward the source of the commotion. Your face furrows. Megumi and Tsumiki rarely fight. If they were fighting, it must be serious. You pulled Satoru towards Megumi’s door. Standing outside Megumi's door, you could hear the sounds of a hushed argument even more clearer now.

"Shhh, Megumi, calm down! you’ll wake Satoshi!” Tsumiki whispered urgently.

“We have to do it right!” Megumi retorted in a low voice, clearly frustrated. “No, no, don’t add that!”

“But it makes it even more lively–”

“It makes it messy!”

Satoru looked at you and you nodded at your husband. You and Satoru knocked gently on the door. But there was no response. Almost instantly, the room fell silent. You looked at your husband again, now confused. After a moment,  Fushiguro Tsumiki opened the door ever so slightly, a nervous smile on her face.

“What’s going on here?” Satoru’s eyes trying to check inside the room. You were pretty sure that he was trying to check with his six-eyes, if there was something wrong.. “You kids are getting lively, huh?”

Tsumiki opened the door even more and Megumi and herexchanged quick glances. You and Satoru entered a bit by the doorway before Tsumiki spoke up. “We… um, we were working on something.” She stepped aside, moving to the side as though she was hiding something. “Just for school, you know… like usual.”

Satoru raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by their attempt at secrecy. "School projects on a Sunday? Sounds serious."

“If you had projects, you could have told us, ‘miki.” You told her, patting her head. “You don’t have to do them alone.”

“N-no, it's fine. It’s nothing really.”

“Hm, you sure, ‘miki?” Your husband reinforced, then looked at Megumi. “‘bout you, ‘gumi? You okay there?”

Tsumiki's nervous smile widened as she tried to maintain her composure. “Yeah, it’s just a little project. Nothing big.”

But your curiosity was piqued. “Can we see what you’re working on?” you asked gently, trying not to pressure them too much. “If that’s okay with you.”

Megumi and Tsumiki looked at each other.

Tsumiki’s fingers were entangled like spider webs.

Megumi looked down at the edge of his cold feet.

You and Satoru knew those little tells very well.

But you wanted them to tell you about it honestly.

Megumi purses his lips before he lets out a sigh. realizing they couldn’t keep the secret any longer. He stepped forward, his own hands now fidgeting slightly. “Okay, but… it’s not just for school,” he admitted. “It’s….something else.”

Your husband’s dark glasses lowered, lips smiling. “Oh? And what is it, hm? Don’t worry, we won’t judge. If it’s fixable, it's nothing. If it isn’t, it's okay too. As long as you both are alright, okay? Besides, you guys must be hungry. We’ll eat after, okay?”

Megumi and Tsumiki looked at both of you.

They both slowly nodded at your husband.

He smiles at them, patting their heads.

“Okay so, what is it all about, kiddos?”

Tsumiki took a deep breath, her eyes shining with a mix of excitement and nerves. Her hands are still fidgeting together. “We were making something special. It’s nothing much….but….my friend at school, she’s Korean, and she told me about this holiday they have called Parents’ Day. It’s a day to appreciate your parents, and I thought it was really nice. To…..So…..I convinced Megumi to help me make something for you guys.”

Megumi nodded, still looking a bit uncomfortable. He rubs the back of his neck, feeling his face slightly turning red. “We never really knew our parents long enough to call them that, parents.” he said quietly. “But you and Gojo–san… you’re all we have. The closest thing to parents we’ve got.”

Tsumiki picked up a small, handmade scrapbook from Megumi’s desk and handed it to you. “We wanted to do something special for you both. To show you how much you mean to us.”

Your heart swelled with emotion as you took a look at the scrapbook in Tsumiki’s hands. Satoru, his eyes glistening with unshed tears, put a hand on Megumi’s shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. As you accepted the scrapbook from Tsumiki's outstretched hands, you felt a rush of nostalgia wash over you. 

Opening the scrapbook, the weight of the memories contained within the pages was palpable, each photo and memento a testament to the bonds of friendship and the shared experiences they had all treasured. Satoru's silent gesture spoke volumes, his cerulean eyes shimmering with unshed tears that mirrored the emotions swirling within Hiromi's own heart. The gentle pressure of his hand on Megumi's shoulder, squeezing it as though to thank him for this little gift. 

In that fleeting moment, as you held the scrapbook in your hands, you felt a profound sense of gratitude.. Their unwavering support and understanding had been a source of strength during the darkest moments of your journey, and now, as you reminisced about the past, it served as a beacon of hope for the future. Nothing else mattered, but the wonder of the future. Because they were here with you. Megumi and Tsumiki, and now Satoshi — all three were truly yours and Satoru’s world.

With tears glistening in your eyes, you turned to Tsumiki, your voice choked with emotion. "Thank you," you whispered,  "For this, and for everything. ‘miki, you and Megumi are our world, hm? Never forget that.”

Tsumiki's smile was gentle and reassuring, her eyes reflecting the same depth of emotion that permeated the room. "Thank you for loving us, me and Megumi." she replied softly, her voice a soothing melody in the stillness. 

“Oh ‘miki, you don’t have to thank us for that.” Satoru whispered, pulling Megumi closer to him. Megumi looked like he was going to lose it. But he didn’t push Satoru away. He just let him pull him closer. “This is…this is just….”

Opening the first page, you saw Megumi and Tsumiki's handwriting: “Happy Parents' Day. Thank you for choosing us. We may not be your kids by blood, but we’re happy that you still chose to love us. We love you. Tsumiki and Megumi.”

Tears welled up in your eyes as you read the heartfelt message. You looked at Satoru, who was equally moved, then back at Megumi and Tsumiki. “This is… this is the most beautiful gift we’ve ever received, you both.” you said, your voice choked with emotion. “Thank you so much.”

Satoru knelt down, pulling both kids into a tight hug. “You two are our family,” he said, his voice thick with tears. “We love you more than anything.”

You joined the embrace, wrapping your arms around all two of them. “Thank you,” you whispered. “For being the best children we could ever ask for. You both and Satoshi, you’re our world okay?”

Megumi and Tsumiki nodded, their eyes shining with tears of their own. "We love you too," Megumi murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

Tsumiki nodded in agreement, her voice soft yet filled with conviction. "You're the best parents we could ever have."

You cried for a while, just embracing each other. The lunch got cold, that was certain. But you could always heat it up again. This moment, this is what mattered. Time may be slipping from your fingers all the time, but you could live in these moments forever, you know that.

Wrapped in each other's arms, you felt the weight of the world lift, replaced by the comfort of love and understanding. It didn't matter that the food grew cold or that the outside world continued to spin on its axis. In this moment, with Satoru's arms around you, with Megumi and Tsumiki’s warmth on you, Satoshi’s warm small hands on your own —  you knew that you will live on happily. You could survive anything, if you have them. You could live in their solace.

As tears slowly dried on your cheeks, you knew that life was a series of fleeting moments, but it was these moments of connection and intimacy that made it all worthwhile. You held onto Satoru and the kids a little tighter, grateful for the love that anchored you in a world that often felt uncertain. You will be alright, that was for sure. 

Everything will be alright, you knew that well enough.

You couldn’t wait to see what could be in the future.

You couldn’t wait to grow old with the love of your life.

You couldn’t wait to see your kids grow up happily.

epilogue

november, 2018;

Fushiguro Megumi stood at the gates of Jujutsu High, his heart heavy with the weight of recent events. Shibuya had left its mark on him, both physically and emotionally, and now he found himself back at the place where it all began. But now there are other worries, other concerns that need him. He didn’t come and see you, because he knew you would forbid him from being in danger. And he can’t stop himself. He had to do what he could. Now, more than ever.

His purpose for coming back here, even though it was dangerous, was clear—to retrieve some of his belongings before disappearing into hiding. Before he finds Itadori, he had to get some things here, ones that were needed for survival. 

With determined steps, he made his way to Gojo–sensei’s office, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. The door creaked open, revealing a room frozen in time—a testament to the chaos that had engulfed their world.

His blue-green eyes fell upon the photo album, sitting on Gojo–sensei’s desk, untouched since that day, since October 31st. He purses his lips as he thinks about it. Should he go? He tried to stop himself, but he knew he couldn’t. He missed him. Megumi knew he did. But he didn’t want to say it out loud.

Because it wouldn’t be easy. He wouldn’t be able to move forward with what had to be done. Still, he needed some comfort. He needed some relief. To know what it was like to have known that man, that man who had raised him.

Megumi approached the room slowly, his footsteps echoing in the empty hallway. He gulped, his throat tight with emotion, before twisting the door open. Gojo-sensei's room stood before him, a sanctuary untouched by the chaos that had engulfed the rest of the world.

The air was heavy with the scent of incense, mingling with the faint aroma of coffee—a comforting presence that wrapped around Megumi like a warm embrace. He stepped inside, his eyes scanning the room, taking in every detail—the neatly arranged shelves, the piles of books stacked haphazardly on the desk, the soft glow of sunlight filtering through the curtains.

Gojo-sensei never really locked his room. Because people knew not to go in. It was only for him, this sanctuary. Not even the higher-ups had the courage to intrude upon his private space. Not even when they had attacked Jujutsu High awhile ago. And so since then, since he had been taken by others from Megumi, from the world that adored him —Gojo Satoru’s office had no occupants. 

Megum took small careful strides as hei moved forward, careful not to alert anyone of his presence in the premises. He pauses for a moment. He sighed as he let his hand reach out to touch the smooth surface of the desk. And there, nestled among a stack of papers, paperwork that man refused to ever do without you, Megumi found it—the scrapbook he and Tsumiki had given you and Gojo–sensei all those years ago.

As he gingerly lifted the scrapbook from its place, a rush of memories flooded his mind. He remembered the countless hours spent carefully selecting photos, writing heartfelt messages, and crafting each page with love and care. It had been a labor of love from him and Tsumiki, to you and Gojo–sensei. 

As he flipped through the pages, the images leaped out at him like ghosts from another worldly plane—smiling faces frozen in time, laughter echoing through the halls of  that house, moments of triumph and joy captured forever in glossy photographs. Each page told a story, a snapshot of their journey together, and as Fushiguro Megumi traced his fingers over the familiar images, he couldn't help but feel a swell of emotion in his chest.

It was a reminder of the family they had built years ago, in a home that was filled with tenderness—a bond forged not by blood, but by shared experiences, shared hardships, and shared dreams. And as Megumi held the scrapbook in his hands, he knew that no matter where life took him, these memories would always be his anchor, grounding him.

With a sense of reverence, he tucked the scrapbook under his arm, knowing that it was all he could have of his family right now. And as he left Gojo-sensei's room behind him, he knew whatever was going to come was not going to be easy. But he had this. Until you all met again, this would be enough. Until he had his family again, he wouldn't stop at nothing. He won’t let those people, those evil people, rob him of his family ever again.

[cherr-22]

TNGDH 36

The cause of the attack was a pack of starved wyverns.

It wasn’t uncommon for demonic beasts to come down near the territory after suffering from hunger during the long winter.

However, the damage was too much for that.

Not only was the castle heavily damaged, there were also quite a few casualties. An hour had passed since Kyle left, yet there were no news sent to the shelter. There was an uneasy silence.

“It was my first time seeing a wyvern like that…….”

The voice filled with fear got me jumping up. I hurriedly walked through the darkness towards the voice.

“How was it different than usual?”

“Ah, you’re the demonic beast specialist. The one close to the Grand Duke…….”

I nodded my head and pressed for further explanation.

“Originally, wyverns are low-level beasts among the dragon clan. They are vicious and often travel in packs, but hunting them is not difficult. However…….”

The man gulped nervously and clenched his shaking fists.

“When the knights’ spears pierced the wyvern’s body…… a terrible odor came from the blood. The spears and the ground… they corroded upon coming in contact with the blood.”

“A-and the wyvern was the biggest I’ve ever seen!”

“Its horn was pointed and sharp…….”

I unconsciously held my breath as I listened to them.

A beast similar to wyverns but larger, its blood emitting a foul odor and corroding anything it touches even after the beast’s death…

‘Drake…….’

It was a monster wyvern from the game I developed.

I took out the Demonic Beast Encyclopedia from my inventory and frantically flipped through the pages. Then, I read and read again the page that introduced the wyvern.

Everything I just heard was true. It wasn’t a wyvern from this world. It was an abnormal phenomenon just like the swamp goat case.

“……Ha.”

Haha.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

What on earth are you asking me to do? How could I bear this guilt?

*

Thankfully, the Blake estate was stronger than I had thought. The people who had been trembling and unable to sleep in the shelter last night got up the next day, wiped away their tears, and began rebuilding the castle.

They were strong people.

They were people who knew how to swallow down their sorrows despite the castle falling, their houses destroyed, and losing their loved ones. Everyone here was like that. They were people who worked hard for tomorrow.

I rubbed away my watery eyes and observed Kyle who was commanding the knights from afar.

He looked very haggard. It took a lot of time for the commotion to calm down, so he probably didn’t have even a moment to rest. He must’ve stayed up all night without having even a sip of water.

I looked down at the cookie crumbs left in my palm. I ate it in a hurry, but I didn’t know how many I bought during this mess.

I now barely had 20 percent of Miracle Points. I only realized now that I used up quite a lot.

I had no choice. I couldn’t disappear from the shelter suddenly, and I was afraid that Kyle might come find me when the commotion was over.

[‘Summon’ will be canceled in 3 minutes.]

‘I ate so many and yet I only have 3 minutes left.’

I smiled helplessly and went back into the castle. A bright light enveloped my body, and when I opened my eyes, I was back in the familiar study room.

[(。﹏。*)]

The system repeatedly appeared and disappeared while watching my reactions. I quietly watched the system windows before rolling over with a sigh.

Let’s first do the things we could do. Nothing will resolve if we rush things.

‘Right. Let’s take it slow, one by one…….’

I went into the hut, curled into a ball, and went to sleep.

I wished for tomorrow to come quickly.

*

The castle was busy the next day as well.

It’ll most likely be busy for the next couple days. The proof of that was Kyle, who didn’t come into the study at all yesterday. Although, I wasn’t sure if he came to my room to look for me.

“Stop worrying about him. He’s doing well.”

I mumbled to myself and pulled the bowstring.

Both the string and my arms trembled. I pulled as hard as I could, yet the trembling wouldn’t stop. It wasn’t this hard when Kyle was helping me.

“Ugh…….”

I lost my grip as sweat covered my hands. Ting. The arrow flew, hit the tree next to the target, and fell to the ground.

I didn’t know if I had no talent or if I didn’t have enough exercise. It could be both.

I held back my sigh and pulled out another arrow.

I think I already fired twenty arrows, but only a few hit properly. Still, I practiced everyday while thinking of the people who worked hard to return back to their daily lives.

A week has passed since then.

At first, I used ‘Summon’ and tried to help the people around me, but I ended up being in the way. They were well-experienced and already knew what they had to do, so I just picked up the bow instead.

As a result, my skills with the bow increased significantly, but I still wasn’t good enough to be of any help. There was no way I could improve with only two hours of practice per day.

“Six shots. You’ve improved a lot.”

A voice came from behind me while I was bandaging my hand. When I turned my head, I saw Kyle looking straight at the target.

“……Aren’t you busy?”

“The things that needs the most attention have been sorted out. We’re at the final stage of recovery, so there is no need for me there.”

“How did you know I was here?”

“I came yesterday too.”

“Yes?”

I had no idea.

I spaced out with my mouth wide open and tried to remember. Did I make any mistakes during my practice yesterday? I didn’t talk with the system, right? Or what about fisting up into the air?

[o(*°///°*)o]

I ignored the system’s strange expectations and smiled sheepishly. The system has been acting weirder and weirder lately.

But why did His Highness take time out of his busy schedule to see me secretly?

“You should’ve said something.”

“You were concentrating. I didn’t want to disturb you.”

He gently squeezed my hand. The tip of my finger twitched at his soft touch.

After practicing for a whole week, my hands turned red and swollen. I recover quickly but making the same wounds at the same spot prevented it from healing.

“Ugh…….”

“Shh.”

Kyle soothed me and applied ointment to my entire palm.

The round container smelled like grass that was dried and then boiled. It wasn’t a good smell. Still, I didn’t dislike it when Kyle applied it thoroughly onto my hands while blowing lightly.

I examined his complexion as he tied the wounds with a white handkerchief.

It was a concern every time I saw his tired face. Although, before I used ‘Summon’, I’ve already seen him as Cashew. Even in these hectic times, Kyle came to prepare my meal every morning. He didn’t kiss me though.

“Don’t overdue it. You can’t improve your skills by rushing.”

“I know. But…….”

“The wound needs to heal and toughen before you can build a new foundation on top of it. If you keep holding onto the bow with a hand that hasn’t healed, it’s not a surprise that you improve slower than you expect.”

His gentle voice made me relax my tense body. I glanced down and saw my hand was done being treated before I knew it. It used to sting from just a light touch, but now I only felt a dull pain. There was no discomfort when I opened and closed my hand.

In that time, Kyle cleaned up the area and put back the bow and arrows I used. He then lightly pulled at the hand that wasn’t hurt.

“If you’re not busy, let’s go.”

“To where?”

“The market is up again. They’re also selling the duck dish and quilted clothes you taught to the people.”

“Ah.”

I quickly checked the system window. I had roughly 30 minutes left.

‘……It should be okay if it’s just for a little while?’

As Cashew, I didn’t get to see Kyle often these days and as Shu, we didn’t talk much.

Even if Kyle wasn’t here, I was curious if they followed my recipe well and how they were selling the clothes. How has the castle been repaired and what expressions do the people have now? I wanted to know. I wanted to see what it was like now.

I cleared my throat and took his hand.

“Then exactly 30…… no, 20 minutes.”

“Alright.”

He smiled.

The tired handsome man looked even more handsome when he smiled. It’s not like his face fits my preference… wait. No, this has nothing to do with my preference. A face like this would make anyone drool.

As we walked towards the market, I swallowed my saliva. Kyle looked down at me and asked.

“Are you hungry?”

“……Uhhh. Yes!”

How sharp.

The corners of his lips trembled and drew into an arc. I avoided his gaze and hurried my steps.

“We should’ve ate before coming here.”

“No. There’s food everywhere here. We can eat those. Wow. That looks delicious! Oh, there are skewers over there!”

I felt embarrassed and rambled on.

In front of us was a stall selling demonic beast meat grilled until golden brown. Kyle paid for them and I took a big bite out of the skewer. I looked around the bustling market.

The people’s faces have become much brighter than they were a few days ago. There were still some places that haven’t been repaired yet, but it seemed like they were making good progress. They even finished making the funerals for those who passed away during the attack.

He spoke while I stood in place.

“There will be a memorial service tomorrow.”

He said it would be a long night. A hint of sadness could be heard in his low voice.

--------------------------------------------------------

Previous Chapter / Next Chapter

[dandylovesturtles]

once again writing fanfic for an AU that's not mine

uh hi so I guess it is Crying About Future Donnie Hours except this is actually a different future Donnie than the one everyone else is crying about.

I have wanted to write something for @kathaynesart 's Replica for awhile now and I got an idea and I decided to use @tmntaucompetition as an excuse to write and post it, so I guess you could say this is propaganda I didn't expect it to be the day after my poll though so I kinda scrambled a bit aaaaa lol

Replica is one of my favorite ROTTMNT comics, it's one of the first I found after I watched the movie, and I love it so much. If you haven't read it please do! However, there is one part of the comic in particular (and especially one line in particular) that has stuck with me since I first read it, and I think about it a lot. So consider this my little homage to that part of the comic, and to the character who says it.

Also there is a short section of this that is just dialogue from the comic so obviously all credit for that dialogue goes to Kat!

And Kat I really hope you don't mind me playing around in your sandbox a bit /)_(\

Anyway I don't normally title these but I did give the gdoc for this one the title: The Needed Functions to Appreciate It

I hope you enjoy!

~~~

As an AI, experiencing the apocalypse was different.

S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. did not have to feel the aching gnaw of hunger, or the bite of the cold. He did not feel the sting of acid rain on skin, or the seeping of blood from injury. All the physical sensations his family and friends suffered, S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. was spared them all.

That did not mean he didn’t feel.

…

“Hey Dee?”

The “Hm?” he got in response was distracted. Donnie was often distracted those days. S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. didn’t resent him for it. He knew how busy Donnie is - he cataloged and prioritized the to-do list himself, after all.

“I still have the timers Raph asked me to set for his training in the system, and all his old records. What…” He hesitated. “What should I do with them?”

“Oh.” That got Donnie to pause in his work oh so briefly. His finger tapped twice on the enter key without pressing. “You can delete all of that. Might as well free up memory space where we can.”

“Okay.” It was the right answer. Members of the resistance were allowed to set timers and save some personal files on S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N.’s system, and protocol dictated that forty eight hours after loss of vitals, S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. should clear such files.

It had been three hundred and fifty seven hours since Raph flatlined. He should have cleared these ages ago.

“Hey Dee,” he said again, more quietly this time, and Donnie actually looked away from his work and gave him his attention.

He hadn’t had a physical body since a raid over a year before; he was just an artistic representation on the monitor. Donnie promised to make him a new one, but S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. could see both the parts inventory and the to-do list and he doubted he would be able to do that. Usually it didn’t bother him, but he thought that day that it bothered him a little.

“I don’t want to,” he admitted, and Donnie’s face shifted to something more sad.

“Ah. You have developed a lot of sentimentality…” Donnie sighed, not unkindly. “Well, you can keep it. I won’t make you delete it.”

S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. bounced around the monitor a moment while he mulled it over. Donnie didn’t look away, though one of his battleshell arms took up the task of typing on his computer.

“Isn’t that not good, though, dude? Like… it’s useless now. It’s just taking up space.”

“Yes… sentimentality and practicality are often in direct conflict.” He leaned back in his chair, eyes roving to the ceiling. “Sometimes we just can’t let things go, even against our better judgment, because they remind us of something or… someone.”

S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. zoomed himself in so he filled more of the screen. “Do you get sentimental, Dee?”

Donnie’s lips quirked up in a smile. “Yes, unfortunately so. I find it vexing… though, Mikey would say, “That’s what makes you a person, Donnie, don’t fight it!” or something like that.” 

“But if it makes you hold on to useless stuff, or do things that aren’t necessary, isn’t that bad?”

“Ah, such is the nature of emotions, Shelldon - they often lead us to do things that are, for a lack of a better word, suboptimal… Sometimes I think it would be nice to have a switch so I could just turn the pesky things off. I would focus so much better if I never had to feel… anxious or frustrated or… or sad.” He slumped forward, hugging his arms around himself. “If I didn’t have to… to miss anyone.”

“...That’s the worst one,” said S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N., and Donnie nodded.

“Yeah… yeah, it is.” He turned to face S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N., eyes glossy. “But-”

ERROR: Memory file corrupted.

.

.

.

.

“It is a convincing replica. Expertly crafted. You act just like him… Be careful that it does not interfere with our intended purpose.”

“Need I remind you, one of my core purposes is to act as a support to Donatello’s family. That includes you, even if you have chosen to forego the needed functions to appreciate it.”

“A necessary purge to keep the Kraang’s whispers at bay.”

“Was it? That is not what Donatello ever wished of you. Even when you decided to take on this burden.”

“Not having to ‘feel’ has its… benefits.”

“And Donatello was quite firm that you not lock yourself away-”

“Such advanced artificial intelligence, yet you still fail to recognize your own ignorance.”

“To what, exactly?”

“To the bliss in not having to miss him.”

.

.

.

.

Username: OMEGABOOTYYYSHAKER9000

Password: ****************

MEMORY FILE ACCESS AUTHORIZED

Enter date: XX/XX/20XX XX:XX

RETRIEVING MEMORY FILE. . . SUCCESS

AUDIOVISUAL PLAYBACK BEGIN

“But even if missing them keeps you from performing optimally… Running from bad emotions means running from the good ones, too.” Donatello sighed. “At least, that’s what Mikey said to me after Papa… And it took me awhile, but I realized he was right. Don’t tell him I said that, though, or I’ll never hear the end of it.”

“Your secret is safe with me, dude.”

“Thank you, Shelldon.” He reached with his hand and touched the screen, and even though they couldn’t actually feel each other, S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. moved like he was nuzzling his palm. “When you see Raph’s training records, it makes you sad, but also makes you remember all the things you loved about him, right?”

“I guess, yeah… He’d always scratch my head when I came to give him his training report. When I had a body.”

“Mm, so that’s why you always went to do it in person.” Donatello chuckled, rubbing his thumb on the monitor. He was sad, then, thinking that he couldn’t build S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. a proper body. Always lacking the time and materials…

“Is it worth it, though?” asked S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N.. “The good feelings, when there’s bad feelings, too?”

“Maybe that’s one of the great mysteries of life, Shelldon. All I know is… I don’t want to give them up. Not anymore. And… it’s easier to deal with, when you’re not alone.” Donatello pulled his hand back, and looked at him very seriously. “Anata wa hitorijanai. That’s as true for you as it is for any of us. Your family will always be here for you, when you miss Raph, or anyone else.”

Maybe it made S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. feel better. He smiled, as much as his facial design would allow.

“Okay. And I’ll always be here for you too, Dee.”

“Thank you, Shelldon.”

“Love ya.”

“I love you too.”

End playback? Y 

PLAYBACK ENDED

[geo-winchester]

Oooooh, how about Mistletoe with the Moon Knight System (I know they’re technically Jewish, but I can so see them asking the reader to kiss all of them if they were to find one of them fronting under the mistletoe with the reader 🥰).

MISTLETOE

A/N: hi lovely anon, I know I should publish this a lot time ago and I’m sorry it took me a lot of time but here it is, I hope you like it and is what you imagine, I hope you’re having a great time this season and if you have any other request please let me know! Lots of love!!

Christmas celebration

———————

Your life with Marc wasn’t like any other, for start your boyfriend is the avatar from an egyptian God, and he also shares a body with two other guys who you love just as much as Marc, this was the first time you spend it together. The first time you kissed them under the mistletoe was when you were decorating Steven’s apartment, but it wasn’t Steven who you kissed first. Marc was in charge of the decoration this year and he decided that it was a good idea to ask for your help. You couldn’t help but laugh when you saw him having a hard time with the lights.

-Are you enjoying my suffering?- he asked you, you shook your head

-I’ll never do something like that- you said as you stood from your seat and helped him.

-Why don't I believe you?- he asked, you shrugged your shoulders.

-I have to ask- you said -This is something that looks like Steven’s speciality- he nods -So… why are you doing this?

-We agreed to take turns to decorate- he said -you’re lucky it’s my turn and not Jake’s

-I’m a little shock, I never imagine Jake decorating.

-His idea of decorating is just a stuffed santa- you laugh -Look what we have here- he said as he took the mistletoe out of the box and held it up between the two of you -it seems that you have to kiss me now.

-Really?- you asked him.

-It’s the tradition, they said that if you don’t do it, the one you love got hurt- he said

-Well then we should kiss- you said and he took your head between his head and kissed you passionately as the two of you smiled between kisses -I’m glad nothing is going to happen to Steven- he rolled his eyes.

-Do you want me to change your mind?- he said with a smirk, before he kissed you again, you put your hands around his shoulder making the kiss become deep -yeap the decoration can wait- you giggled as he carried you to the bedroom.

The second kiss belongs to Steven, the two of you were texting each other while you work and making plans to have lunch together, but all your plans blew up when he told you that his boss made him do some inventory. You surprised him at his job with his favorite veggie burrito.

-What are you doing here?- he asked you with that accent that drives you crazy.

-Do you really think that you’ll get rid of me that easily?- you said, making him smile -So let’s do our little picnic right here.

The two of you talk while you eat, you have to admit that you like it when Steven talks to you about history, he makes it more interesting as it was.

-Why are you smiling?

-I like when you talk to me about history- you said -I wish you were my professor- he raised his eyebrow -not it a creepy way, but… professor I don’t think I have enough to pass- you said making him smile -come on. I’ll help you with the inventory- he followed you.

-Wait- he told you to make you stop, when you looked at him he pointed to the ceiling, you smiled at the mistletoe.

-Let me guess, it’s the tradition- you asked, he nodded in response.

-Beside, I know for a fact that you don’t want anything to happen to me right?- he said.

-And why 's that?

-Because- he whispered as he got close to your ear -I'm your favorite- he said winking at you.

-Just don’t tell the others- you said before you finally kissed him -wait did you put that mistletoe there?

-Maybe- he said -I want my mistletoe kiss too- you giggled before you kissed him again.

With Jake everything was different, he was taught, he barely kissed you or took your hand, so you didn’t think he'd be the kind who wants to kiss you under a mistletoe, until you notice he starts to walk under them on purpose, so you start to make excuses to avoid them. That night as he walk beside you he tried to walk under a mistletoe again, but you pretended to search for something in your purse.

-No me jodas- he said.

-What?- you asked him.

-You know what- he said mad -if you don’t want me like the others is ok- he said -I won’t interfere when you're around- he said before he started to walk.

-Hey, you can leave me like that- you said as you stood in front of him.

-Why, so you can show me how you prefer Marc or Steven, no gracias- he said.

-What? Are you crazy?- you asked -if this is about the mistletoe…

-Por Que? Why you don’t want to kiss me?- you scoffed.

-I know it’s dumb but I want you to asked me- you said -You’re not the most expressive person but I want you to ask me for that kiss… I want you to kiss me because you want it, not for some silly tradition- he smiled at you and got close to you.

-I want to kiss you, Bonita- you smiled before you stood down the mistletoe.

-Then do it, handsome- he smile before he walked to you and kissed you and if you were honest this was your favorite kiss.

-Te amo- he said, you kiss him again.

-I love you too handsome.

Xxxxxx

Tag list: @writefightandflightclub @mariesackler @multifandomlife22 @mattmurdocksscars @phoenixhalliwell @autumnleaves1991-blog @supernovafeather @ofstarsandvibranium @santigarcia @itspdameronthings @ahookedheroespureheart @later-gators12 @22carolina08 @in-between-the-cafes

If you want me to add you to my taglist please let me know🙈

[invisibleraven]

From @theamd426 Falling asleep in class/work for teenage Reggie and Julie please!!!!

Reggie sighed as he clocked in, donning his vest. Overnight shifts were always the worst, but they paid more, so he took them on occasion. At least this way he didn't have to deal with customers, all he had to do was restock the shelves and take inventory.

"Hey Reggie!" Julie called as she clocked in. "Ready for an exciting night of work?"

He shrugged but offered her a smile. "It's better now that you're here. I was terrified I would be stuck with Brett."

Julie wrinkled her nose at that. "Ew, no one should suffer like that." Then she giggled, and Reggie joined her. Brett was a useless layabout who usually smelled of weed and made terrible racist jokes, so no one wanted to work with him.

"At least I get half the music choices with you," Reggie said, elbowing her. They had similar tastes, and had a playlist for whenever they worked together, a mix of the stuff they both liked, since no one else was working, no one else could argue about the music.

"Well crank it up and we'll get started," Julie said with a hip check.

With the music blaring, they got to work; first tossing out the spoiled produce, and taking out anything expired from the coolers. Rotating stock so the older stuff went in front as they put the new in the rear.

Reggie started on the inventory as Julie filled the shelves, then they switched the next aisle over, taking turns as they went to make the night go faster. Chatting as they went, about their upcoming senior year, their co-workers, their friends, and plans for university. The two of them had been friends for awhile, and had come to work here by coincidence, making their bond even deeper.

Being good friends also made it easier to get through the long night shifts together, even if they finished long before they were due thanks to how well they worked together.

"Wanna go chill in the patio furniture before we start on the cleaning?" Reggie suggested.

"Sounds good," Julie agreed, covering a yawn as they went. "Sorry, I should have napped this afternoon but Flynn was having relationship drama and best friend duties trumped my need for sleep."

"Ugh tell me about it, I have to listen to Alex whine about his ginormous crush on Willie more than I don't," Reggie replied. "However my nap plans got waylaid by Luke and his new bridge for Destination Nowhere."

"Think we'd get in trouble for sneaking in a snooze?" Julie asked as they lounged on the patio furniture.

"As long as we wake up in time to wipe the cameras," Reggie said. "Though you know Kenneth doesn't care as long as everything gets done."

"I'll set an alarm," Julie said, taking out her phone, yawning again. Reggie already had his eyes closed but murmured his consent.

This wasn't the first time they had done this-though they usually did so in the staff room where the cameras weren't, but like Reggie said, their manager wasn't a big harper for the rules given they had caught him napping amongst the holiday blow ups more than once.

They never napped long-half an hour at most, but it was a much needed refresher. Even if they were both a bit groggy when Julie's alarm blared.

"Alright, I'm up, I'm up," Reggie protested, rubbing his eyes.

"Five more minutes," Julie moaned.

"No way Molina, we gotta get the cleaning done then I propose we clock out early and go back to yours for a lengthy snooze," Reggie proposed.

"Why my house?" Julie asked as she stretched.

"You have a million couches and your family will let us sleep, unlike mine," Reggie replied.

"Fair enough," Julie said. "Let's get too, I can hear my bed calling my name."

Reggie nodded and they went back to work, leaving as soon as it was done and getting a quality amount of sleep once back at the Molina house.

Of course, they also forgot to wipe the cameras, and the next shift they were on, there was a screenshot of them snoozing printed out in the break room for them-surrounded by a big red heart and Kenneth's name signed underneath it. They both blushed, but decided that next time they caught him cuddling the stuffed animals, they were definitely getting proof as revenge.

Even if he was right about the heart by the end of the summer.

[fushiglow]

What is the best plotwist idea for jujutsu at the end of the work? 1.itadori reveals himself to be the villain. 2.nobara will hit the sukuna's soul. 3.sukuna stay good. 4.kenjaku merges with tengen. 2. do you think it's likely that if megumi came back again he wouldn't become a new suguru geto Why did he ''kill'' his teacher and sister Don't you think that if he really comes back he would be ''fine'' with everything he ''did''? I appreciate you answering my questions and thank you very much for always interacting with us.

I'm a big fan of the Yūji and Sukuna are twins/doppelgängers/the same person theories! So, I suppose my answer is number one, though I don't think it would make Yūji the villain on anything more than a technicality.

As for your second question, of course Megumi will be devastated by the blood on "his" hands, but I really believe he's going to come out the other side of this ordeal intact.

I see Megumi as the symbol of the new generation that Gojō was trying to nurture. He's a child from one of the three traditional jujutsu clans, and also the inheritor of the prized clan technique, powerful enough to defeat a Six Eyes user. Importantly, however, Megumi is also the son of the "black sheep" of that clan.

Tōji, who suffered greatly at the hands of the Zen'in clan, called his son "blessing". Thus, in Jujutsu Kaisen, Megumi is the physical representation of Tōji's hopes and dreams for a better future in this world of curses. When Tōji died, Gojō inherited his hopes and dreams and, indeed, his "blessing", picking up Megumi as his first student and saving him from walking down the path that perpetuates this cycle of suffering.

Because of this, I've always felt that the triangle of relationships between Tōji, Gojō, and Megumi is at the heart of Jujutsu Kaisen. Aside from the fact that Tōji is the man that set the story in motion during the events of Hidden Inventory, there's a lot of history and trauma between these characters. It's obvious how much of an impact Tōji had on Gojō, but the relationships between Tōji and Megumi, and Megumi and Gojō, remain relatively unexplored. I fully expect Gege Akutami to pick up those loose threads before the end of the story.

If Megumi is the symbol of the new generation that Gojō was trying to nurture, then I don't think he's doomed to follow in Getō's footsteps. For Gojō, Megumi is the bridge between the past and the present. His biggest regret was that he couldn't save his best friend. What will Gojō's legacy be if the very first student he took on in the wake of Getō's defection ends up the same way as Getō? It would mean he ultimately failed at resetting the system that led his best friend down that dark path and that would be a very bleak way to end the story.

We talk all the time about Gojō's many failures, but I think we're about to see the fruits of his labour (this also lines up with my personal theory that karma, fate, and cursed energy are inextricably linked in Jujutsu Kaisen — and Tōji, Gojō, and Megumi are at the centre of that!). While things look hopeless for Megumi right now, I think Yūji is the key to helping him out of the darkness he's undoubtedly lost in. They will ultimately become the proof that Gojō's efforts weren't wasted (though I still believe we're heading towards a bittersweet ending), because Yūji will save Megumi before the end of the story — just like Megumi saved Yūji at the start of it. Gojō had faith that his students could see this through, and so do I!

Thanks for the question, and sorry for taking a while to respond! ♥️

[necromaniackat]

Cruel Summer

Chapter 4: Night One.

Word count: 2.1k

When Felix left this morning in a hurry, you didn’t let his strange behavior get to you. Well actually, you kinda did. Your grandparents never had anyone over in fear of upsetting Brahms; so you’re taking a wild guess that this was Felix’s first time in the mansion. And he damn near shit himself on the way out. Which begs the question; what the hell happened in the two minutes you were gone?

Him leaving in the state he was in made you think he had a….–unexplainable encounter, aka this place got ghosts.

Once you brought your belongings in and got Bandit set up, you toke inventory of the house for the rest of the day; made guesstimates of how much something costs or how much you could get for it. You weren’t planning on selling everything, you wanted the place to still feel homey but not as cluttered.

The entire day you couldn’t help but feel like you were being watched, and you swore at one point you heard floorboards creak when you were standing still. Luckily for you the guy from Sky showed up at around quarter past two to hook up the wifi. Him being here did not help in the slightest, in fact it got worse. It got so bad you decided to drive to the next town to get something from the takeaway. Of course you got two deep fried pizzas as well as some chips with curry and a big bottle of Irn Bru to wash it down.

You felt utterly evil for gorging like this. If your mum knew what you were eating and how much you were eating, she’d be livid. Your mum still likes to meal plan and prep for you even though you’re eighteen and live on your own. Your mum and dad planned on having a lot of kids but after suffering a life threatening complication when you were born, your mum couldn’t have any more children. And that made you feel intensely guilty so to make up for taking away her dream, you let her baby you around a bit. Your mum meal plans and does your shopping for you so that you could focus on your studies and work. You give her the money but she does the labor. She even meal preps for you. Your mum invites herself to your flat to do other things for you and you just let her because then at least she’s living her best mum life and you don’t have to feel guilty about ruining your mum’s dream.

You also decided to do some shopping while you were out. You need to morning coffee otherwise you’re a major bitch. Your friends call you addicted to caffeine and maybe you are, it’s not the worst addiction to have. It could be crack.

Luckily the intensity in the house cooled down a bit by the time you returned. You set your things up in the master bedroom which had it’s own bathroom. You were happily nested in the blankets with your laptop playing your favorite true crime show, your tablet open in front of you and your supper in your lap. You decided around an hour ago was a good time to call it quits for the day, you’d just gotten back from getting your takeaway when your phone started ringing. Of course, it was your mum. Because you forgot to let her know you made it safe so she was having a full blown panic attack.

“So, how was your first day as a builder?” Your mum asked cheerfully, after spending the last fifteen minutes to talk about the latest gossip in the modeling world, well at least in London. You didn’t mind though. You enjoy hearing people bitch and complain, as well as gossip and spread rumors.

You took a swig of Irn Bru from the bottle and shrugged your shoulders even though you were talking over the phone and your mum couldn’t see you.

“I’m not gonna get to building for a while,” you responded as you suppressed a burp.

“Oh? Why’s that?” Your mum asked curiously. You could hear her telly in the background, obviously she was watching x Factor. You took a bite of your deep fried pizza with a little bit of ketchup on it.

“Because grandma and grandpa have a lot of stuff and I’m not keeping it all so I’ve been doing an inventory of everything,” You explained in a very teenager way. Technically speaking, you were still a teenager. But also an adult. You can go to the pub and have a pint if you wanted but you’re considered an infant by other adults.

“Well what all do you have to get done?” Mum inquired. You sighed and went down the long mental list of things you need to get done before the end of summer.

“I’ve still got to do more inventory tomorrow. I’m having a plumber come out next week to check the pipes and make sure everything is up to date. As well as an electrician. I’m redoing the wallpaper in the study, I’m also thinking about tearing down the walls that separate the rooms on the main floor to make it an open concept. I have to redo the guest bathroom. I’m repainting the other bedrooms on the second floor as well as changing the fixtures,” you listed off a few of the things you wanted to do to the place. Your dad had a plan, and now you were going to see it through.

“Jesus have mercy, Evelyn Elizabeth, this is why I wanted to come with you. You always bite off more than you can chew,” mum spewed in a tizzy. You merely sat there and listened to her doubt you once again. Your mum was right through, you have a tendency of biting off more than you can chew, and you usually go to your mum for help. But this time was different, you were doing this for your dad. Hopefully it gets to the point where the business runs itself. Or maybe you can open more bed and breakfasts. Although your mum seemed to have a lot of doubt in you and your ability to get stuff done.

“Wow. You lasted a whole twelve hours before losing your shit on me,” you told her, looking at the time. Your mum sighed heavily, you could hear her pinching the bridge of her nose.

“Eve, I’m sorry. I just don’t like it when you’re so far from home, it makes me nervous.” You knew this. Your mum refused to let you go to university in Scotland because it was almost a full day’s worth of driving away. You had to stay nice and close. Your mum almost had an aneurism when you announced you were moving out. Perhaps you’ve babied your mum a little too much, now she needs to have you within arms reach or she’ll lose her ever loving mind.

“I know,” you replied in a sigh. “–If I need any help with this project, I’ll call you first, okay?” You reassured your mum. Much like Adam, your mum was very hands on in your life. She was overbearing but in a cool way. She’d buy you and your friends alcohol but scold you if you got hammered.

“Is that all that happened today?” Your mum asked after a long pause. You couldn’t help but grin at her sudden cheerfulness. She acted as though a moment ago she wasn’t losing her mind. You always wondered if that was just your mum being super resilient or if her ability to bounce back so fast was actually a symptom of mental illness.

“An old lady told me I was cursed,” you announced in an amused tone.

“I beg your pardon?” Was your mum’s reaction. You chuckled to yourself and nodded your head.

“Yeah. I stopped at the local shop to ask for directions and this old woman told me I was cursed because I’m of Heelshire blood,” you reiterated in greater detail. You found this all too amusing. Earlier you thought it was creepy but now it was downright entertaining.

“I told you. I said I had a bad feeling about this and you went and did it anyways,” mum began scolding.

“Mum, it’s been a single day, you can’t make an opinion about something after a day. And I already told you, if I need help I’ll call,” you retorted, standing your ground. You knew this was just your mum being nervous about you being so far away. You knew deep down that she didn’t doubt you in the slightest, she just has a hard time cutting the umbilical cord. And you babying her didn’t help.

Your mum sighed heavily.

“I know, I know,” she said. You could hear the frown she wore. You pursed your lips tightly and rubbed your now aching forehead.

“How goes your own renovations?” You question, shifting the topic from you to your mum. Your mum and Adam buy houses to renovate them and resell them for almost double the original price. They’ve made a really successful career out of it. Your mum chuckled a bit and sighed again.

“We just finished the backsplash in the kitchen,” she told you with relief in her voice. You smiled.

“You guys finished painting already?” You asked in surprise. But before your mum could answer, bang!You jumped half way to Heaven when you heard something in the house come crashing to the floor.

“What was that?” Your mum questioned curiously. You carefully untangled yourself as you got off the bed.

“I have no idea,” you replied. The house was dark at this point, the only light on was the one in the bedroom you’re in. Every other light was shut off. Then there was another crashing sound, this time louder. You could tell it was coming from the kitchen.

“Mum, I’ll call you back,” you told her. Your mum said something about calling 999 but you paid no mind to it. You tiptoed towards your open bedroom door, peeking your head out into the dark hallway. You stopped and listened for a moment. The only sound you could hear was your laptop playing your show.

You repressed the urge to scream when you heard a noise that didn’t belong. Your heart was galloping in your chest and your entire body shook with fear. There were many key factors that make this your horror movie death scene. Late at night? Check. Only person home? Check. Big house with sketchy past? Double check. Hearing weird noises? Check. Going to check it out? Unfortunately check.

‘Yep, this is how I die,’ you mentally told yourself. You weren’t in the least bit mad at the situation. In fact, it was an inside joke that you’d die the most Caucasian horror movie death to ever Caucasian horror movie die.

You checked the other rooms on the second floor as you made your way towards the staircase. But there was no one there.

“Hello?!” You called out hesitantly. “–Is anybody here?” You added as you peered over the banister to get a check peek of the main floor. There were no more noises that didn’t belong. Cautiously, you stepped down the stairs, holding on the the railing with dear life.

“Felix?!” You called, unsure as to why Felix would be in your house at this time of night without telling you first. Unless he’s purposely trying to scare you.

You heart raced as you made your way down the dark staircase. Once you made it to the main floor, you checked the living room and the study; turning on the lights to flush out whoever was doing this to you. But there was nobody there. You checked the dinning room, nothing. But when you flipped the light on for the kitchen you were thrown for a loop.

Sitting on the counter open was the jar of Nutella and the loaf of bread, as well as an open can of beans and a cup of diluting. It looked like your midnight snack session; you grab anything that looks tasty and is easy to make. But this snack sesh wasn’t yours.

Nervously, you began to clean up the mess. The can of beans were completely gone, half the loaf of bread was gone and there was a decent dent in the Nutella. You tossed the cutlery in the sink with the cup before putting your hands on your hips as you looked around.

‘Somebody’s gotta be messing with me,’ you thought.

Tagged @hao-ming-8

[the-hellion-studio]

Bendy and the Dark Revival thoughts: Luke Rambles

So, I finished the game yesterday ! Pretty neutrally positive thoughts overall !

I didn't get in excpecting anything, BatDR became more of a running joke in my mind more than anything, so I really struggled to get hyped for the VERY SUDDEN release date announcement. I was pleasantly surprised of the game's weight, I was expecting something akin to the monstruous 80gb of security breach to be welcomed by a dainty 15gb which might be stupid but I like my games on the lighter side. The trailer didnt rock my nuts too much but it turned me mildly optimistic despite the absolute LACK OF SUBTITLES that I find absolutely unexcusable as it is the most basic accessibility feature you can implement both for hard of hearing folks, people with audio processing disorders, and non native english speakers that struggle with spoken english.

But besides that, maybe this game can be good, I thought.

Ill organise my own personal opinions below ill try to put all the negative after everything but im a little hater it will seep through the cracks sorry

VISUALS:

Now as a Morrowind fan I'm not too much of a graphics whore, I'll settle for anything as long as it plays nice but um. The shits bussin. They really took BATIM and faceapp filter yassified it. I guess they upgraded from a mouse to a graphic tablet. Genuinely it looks awesome. The ink is inking, the sepias are soft and really enjoyable to look at, the light effects are quite nice- although I would have enjoyed a little less flickering lights (head hurty, wouldve been nice to have a toggle so photosensitive folks can also enjoy the game but oh well) but overall it looks GOOD.

AUDIO:

Music and sound ruled !!!! I wish I could have enjoyed it fully in both ears (suffering from minor to worrying ear troubles for the time being) but I know I will whenever I can. NOT AS ICONIC as BATIM's OST but !!! Really atmospheric and fitting, excellent work once again. Voice acting was really good!!!!! LOVED the Ink Demon's voice a lot because I had a bendy ask blog in 2017 they were catering to me, the monsterfucker, specifically. Good. All the monster's voices were SOOOOOO yummy as well.

GAMEPLAY:

Yeah! Really a step up from BATIM, but without comparing the two games constantly I do think it was really enjoyable and refreshing, new abilities fitting in smoothly despite some being quite useless or rather not used to their potential, LOVED the sneak mechanic I just wish it was smoother and sneak on press rather than a toggle but ! Whatever. It was a really nice experience overall, the puzzles were fun and kept me busy !

CHARACTERS:

I love Audrey. She's really fun and I really enjoyed sharing her adventure with her shes a really nice character if anyone dares to shit on her I will mail them a large hammer on a spring inside a shoebox. Allison!!! Alice!!! Honestly big win for the cool women whose name beings with an A fandom. Betty was quite alright too. I'm genuinely glad there's more women in the game. It was nice to see previous characters as little cameos, not too fond of the new characters introduced but thatll come in the hater section.

STORY:

Eh???? It was a little confused but it was fine I guess. Didn't pay too much attention to it to be frank.

HATERISM:

Cracks knuckles. Its gonna bleed.

First of all what soured up my mood instantly was the subtitle option being absolutely incomplete. If you offer a subtitle option you should have EVERY SPOKEN WORD subtitled. No excuses for this one it pissed me off so bad. The tapes made me so upset. BATIM got it right, you had the transcript show up on the side as the tape rolled on and while you CAN access the transcripts in the inventory and play them along it breaks the flow so bad for no reason and its just a shame. No subtitles for the lost ones talking, none for the studio tour speakers either. Why is there a subtitle option at all if you're gonna half ass it like that. Accessibility matters and as I said before its THE most basic thing you can do. Do better. Also regarding accessibility/comfort but not as important but still is to me I wish remapping the controls could have been an option.

The constant fucking jumpscares really cheapened my experience as well. They leave me unphased (my brain works so slow I simply dont process anything sudden. Ennemy pops up I hit it. Theres no EUHGHHH THAT WASNT THERE BEFORE!1!!11!! Reaction) ended up jokingly predicting them before they happened, and the little ghost cunt (she did made me jump a few times) couldve been easily scrapped from the game like WHATS THE POINT. If you need to put shitty jumpscares regularly to make your horror game scary well. Maybe dont make a horror game. Not to go on a tangent but horror is SO interesting BATIM as a setting has so much to offer for the genre from uncanny designs to mind breaking non euclidian environments to ambience claustrophobia opression the ink demon tracking you down like game theres SO MUCH. Why settle for jumpscares. Begging on my hands and knees for the devs to play the two first silent hill games with a notebook on the side. But also bendy does NOT have to be a horror game!!! But whatever. Im normal now. I lied.

The whole game, while being quite good and enjoyable, felt really FULL but SHALLOW at the same time. So many new characters that get a single half listened to tape I can't give less of a crap about, notes scattered all across the levels, but none of them really stuck. I had forgotten Porter even existed half into chapter 4 which is a SHAME. One one hand it made the world feel more populated but at the same time everything felt brushed over. I wish Bendy would have been more of an actual threat more than a random little AUGHH you gotta hide!!! Every ten minutes. Dont warn me let me hear his heartbeat and let my vision go black as i walk around and realise I need to RUN for the closest miracle station. I really wish all the super cool new mechanics were used more in depth... Also they didn't make Henry fat and it makes me so enraged for no valid reason but still I will bark about it.

Dont care for the story much again it was a little blegh but I still really liked playing. Will replay it, even. I want Wilson to step on me.

[girlwithwolftatoo]

Devourer of Hearts 3/3

Warnings: weapons

In other times, getting into the museum vault would have been easy, but that was when there were enough cult members working for Harrow. Now it was just you, you and a power that you didn't quite understand and that managed you as if you were a puppet. At least, you thought, there was some guarantee that your life and above all, Arthur's, were safe.

And he would be safer so when the ritual was complete.

"Good night" you bid your companions farewell as you finished, supposedly, taking inventory. Actually, working in the gift store at the Egyptian Gallery was fun, mostly because most of the time you didn't have to be at your post and you got to wander the halls, hauling boxes of goods to the storage, being invisible while you gathered all the information you needed for your little heist.

The main lights went out, and that gave you the signal to leave the storage and slip into the vaults that held the items that were not on display, were being repaired or were too delicate to be shown to the public. You had a master key, you had obtained it from days before with great discretion and tested it on locks and padlocks to which you had access.

Your heart skipped a beat when the lock gave way. You closed your eyes for a moment, thinking to yourself that it was for the best, you weren't hurting anyone, you just wanted to help a poor man who had already suffered too much....

Most of the papyri were kept in special plates that kept them in their best possible condition, identifying the right one was the hard part, because the way the museum registered them was not practical for the eyes of a stranger, so, when you were in front of the huge drawers, you put both hands to your chest.

"I am here" you whispered in the ancient tongue. Ammit could not possess you as he did Arthur, but you heard his voice in his head, you noticed something strange at the back of your mind that grew heavy each time he made his presence known.

"The one on your left, two up" indicated the slow, low voice of the goddess. You employed the master key again, a series of plates identified by numerical series appeared before you and, with extreme care, you pulled out one after the other.

"How do you say it begins?" you asked, confused. Those papyri did not, as a rule, have hieroglyphs, instead a most curious writing that reminded you of modern Arabic took up almost the entire sheet, with barely a small margin and no punctuation marks.

"Hurry up, we don't want unexpected visitors." 

"I'm sorry, I can't read this language."

"Hmmm..." your eyes flicked over the pages meaningless to you, nervously, and then when you had about six or seven plates on the desk, Ammit muttered in your head, excited:

"There!"

Just by looking at it, you understood that this was a special object. It was not just words that covered the papyrus, but some cartouches, hieroglyphs enclosed in circles, indicating names of gods and kings, and what was more, at the end was printed a miniature drawing of the fearsome goddess. After carefully setting the papyrus aside, you put the rest away, and as you were leaving, Ammit's voice blurted out:

"What on earth are you doing? Break the plate!"

"How?" you jumped, startled.

"It's stupid to go out with it in that obvious way! You must get it out of the glass!"

"But..." however much you sought to convince yourself of the greater good behind the theft, destruction of property seemed to you to be taking things too far already. Ammit clearly didn't feel the same way.

"Slam it to the ground, now!"

There was no choice. Apprehensive, you dropped it, and the clatter of the delicate protective glass shattering caused you to startle. You bent down carefully to pick up the papyrus, and retracted your hand hurriedly, painfully, when a shard of glass stuck in your palm. There were some worn pieces of paper, broken many, many years ago, but the rest was intact, and you were fascinated by the hard but supple texture of the object.

“It’s so beautiful…”

You folded it very carefully, fearing it was going to tear, and tucked it under your blouse before hurrying off, trying not to let your guilt show as you pretended to the night guard that you had just left the store's storage room. Anyway, you thought with some regret, you weren't planning to show up for work anymore.

As you walked, the weight of anguish disappeared from your chest, no one was following you and therefore you were safe. You smiled inwardly, when you got home you would show the papyrus to Arthur, and then the ritual would be complete, he would be free and you would share the hard burden the goddess had imposed on him with him. And then... you could have a different life, a happier one, one where paradise required only the two of you and the little home you would form.

London was not at rest, and it was not unusual to see cars at that time of night, though a white limousine was indeed peculiar, more so when it began to slow down passing you. The pilot window opened and from inside, the chauffeur addressed you with a:

"Good evening, señorita."

Curiosity led you to turn your head, the man in the limo had a puzzled expression, he was smiling, but his eyes were dark, menacing. Your heart squeezed, uncomfortable, his face looked familiar.

"Excuse me, do I know you?" you asked. His neck stretched slightly out of the car, his eyes going from your face to somewhere next to your hands. "Sir?"

He smiled again, it seemed to you that one of his eyes looked strange, as if the iris was a different color, an impossible one.

"Perdone, señorita, perhaps I mistook you for someone else" he replied "I thought I had seen you before with an acquaintance of mine, his name is Arthur Harrow."

You frowned, uneasy. You met many people in the London commune and you knew that Arthur had more followers all over the world, but this particular man you didn't remember. And yet he had mentioned his name with great certainty, and that worried you.

"Well, I..." your nerves began to betray you, your instinct was asking you to run away, but you took too long to react, and the co-pilot's door was opened by the stranger, who took the opportunity to approach you "What do you want?" you jumped, taking a step back.

"Relax, I'm not going to hurt you" he extended in front of you both open hands, as a sign of peace "You have nothing to worry about, I would just like to know where I can find Harrow, it seems to me that you know".

You hugged your body, and felt the papyrus against your skin. 

"What's holding you up?" the voice of Ammit caused you to gasp, and the man in the limo had moved so slowly that you didn't notice him until he was almost upon you.

"I don't know who you're talking about" you groaned "Please leave me alone."

The man bent down a little to be at your level. Yes, you could tell now, his left iris was blood red.

"I think you do know, bonita" he whispered. He had stopped smiling, and panic set in.

You broke into a run, but within a few steps a hand caught your arm. You screamed, frightened, but the man pulled you back and gagged you with his free hand, pushing you into the limo. You kicked, raging, trying to defend yourself, but he didn't care and slammed the door shut and headed for the driver's seat; as soon as he got in you tried to pounce on him, unsure of how to act, but he simply held you back and pushed you again so hard that your back slammed against the door.

A gun was pointed between your eyes, and that alone stopped all your attempts to fight back.

"I don't want to hurt you" he repeated as he sat up and started the car "If I shoot you I'll lose Harrow, now..." he placed the gun on the dashboard so that you couldn't reach it "Let's go for a ride, shall we?"

Cowering against the seat, you watched the limo glide through the streets at some speed, and the man had turned on the music player.

"My name is Jake" he introduced himself, smiling at you "What's your name?" you didn't answer, you looked at him with a mixture of fear and curiosity, he for his part didn't take your silence badly "Whatever you want, I'll call you bonita, the truth you are" he added looking at you out of the corner of his eye.

"If you open your mouth I swear I'll tear your eyes out" growled Ammit's voice in your head. But this time it didn't sound imperious, more tense. Who exactly was this man who was scaring the goddess like that?

"I'll be honest with you, I've spent a week following you" Jake continued "But I can't do it all the time, you know? They'd find out and..." he let out a chuckle "pues todo se iría a la chingada"

"They?" you muttered. 

"Sí, sí" the man consulted his watch and whistled under his breath "I haven't much time, would you be so kind as to tell me where Arthur Harrow is?" 

"Why do you think I know him?"

Jake shook his head, a little smile playing on his lips.

"Someone told me, that a girl had been looking for him to take him from the place where the others left him. They didn't want to tell me, but I persuaded them" he added as if that would make you feel better.

"You're right, sir, but... I don't know where he is either." 

"You don't? Hey..." they had stopped in front of a traffic light, his hand caught your right arm and, with the other, he pulled up the sleeve of your blouse.

"What are you doing?"

He checked your arm from side to side, and cocked his head to the side.

"I see" a finger stroked the skin of your forearm, the feel of the leather of the gloves he wore gave you shivers "And... why would a pretty young girl like you seek out that old fool?"

"Arthur Harrow helped me. I was homeless, living in shelters, stealing to eat, and he offered me a home and a family. I don't know who you think he is, but I assure you he's a fair and good man."

"Really?" Jake laughed again "And did you know the son of a bitch was planning to kill millions of people?" 

"Don't call him that."

"I call him whatever I want, bonita, because your Saint Arthur was a madman, and your so-called family a cult of murderers"

"Shut up!" you shouted without thinking, anger that didn't belong to you permeating your voice. Jake squinted, not seeming frightened by your sudden rage. 

"What were you doing pretending to work at the gallery?" he asked you nonchalantly. You remained silent, glaring at him "You better tell me, gorgeous, you think I'm afraid to get the truth out of you just because you're a woman?"

For a second or two, you thought you saw someone else in the limo, someone who, from the back seat, was leaning over Jake as if to whisper something to him, someone who had not a human head but a bird skull perhaps. The man's eyes lit up, and he drove into a nearby alley, where he turned the car off.

Jake's hands clutched like claws at your shoulders and pushed you back against the seat, positioning himself over you to prevent any struggle on your part.

"Let me go!" you shrieked, and he held your wrists with one hand while, with the other, he lifted your blouse. The papyrus fell to the floor, and Jake picked it up.

"What's this, bonita?" he asked, waving it in front of you. A cavernous voice you couldn't hear gave him the answer, and he repeated it, "The Abydos papyrus? Is that it? What were you and Harrow trying to do with this thing?"

Since you didn't answer, Jake fixed his eyes on the gun he left in front of the steering wheel, but as he reached out to take it he caught a glimpse of its reflection in the rearview mirror. He thought about them, how horrified they ended up whenever they managed to recover the body after one of their little massacres, and while it amused him to hear them debate about what or who was to blame, just now he wasn't tempted to soil the beautiful finishes of the limo with blood.

"If you want to don't tell me" he agreed at last, holding you by the cheeks with his free hand "But understand one thing, I'm going to follow you, I'm going to find out where Harrow is, and when I find him..."

"Don't be playing games, Lockley!" snapped the cavernous voice in his head, like Ammit's was doing with you "Make her take you to him!"

Jake snorted. He couldn't remember exactly how many of Ammit's followers he'd murdered over the past few weeks, and truth be told he sometimes didn't even notice their faces. How strange it was to have you there, young and brave, vulnerable and scared, when he knew he could just snap your neck and force Harrow out of hiding.

"I don't want to hurt you" he said, not just to you "You don't look like them."

"Who are you talking about?"

"Their damned followers, their fanatical criminals." 

"Are you kidding me?" growled the voice of the moon god, but Jake ignored it. With his teeth he removed the gauntlet from his free hand, and stroked your cheek with one finger, as your chest rose and fell in heaving breaths. You begged Ammit for help, but she had warned you, if you got into trouble she wouldn't be able to save you, the ritual wasn't even started, your plans had been thwarted, Arthur would have to continue to suffer, at least until that strange man found him.

Those thoughts brought tears to your eyes. Jake softened his expression.

"Shhhh, no, don't cry" he picked up a tear with his finger, and in front of you he brought it to his mouth and licked the trembling droplet "Eres tan bonita..."

He touched the tip of your nose with a playful gesture, then rested the tip of his finger on your lips, sliding it slowly down to your chin, tracing your jaw and throat, down to your chest, where your heartbeat had quickened, out of fear or the way he treated you? Enemy, that's what he was, but there was something charming about him, something alluring, and you blushed with embarrassment because you feared you were suddenly lusting after some other man than Arthur.

"Hey" he whispered, leaning down to speak in your ear "Let's do this, shall we? Just tell me where Harrow is and I'll let you go, he'll never know I forced you to tell me."

"Don't negotiate with her, Lockley!" ordered Khonshu again.

"If you tell him I'm going to kill you!" exclaimed Ammit in your head, too weak to hear her properly.

"No... I'm not going to tell you" you replied at last, trembling with fearful anticipation "If I tell you, you're going to kill him, aren't you?" 

Jake nodded.

"And... if I don't tell you... you're going to kill me."

"I don't have to. You're not a follower of his, you don't have the mark."

Your crying redoubled. 

"You're wrong."

"What?" he jumped. 

"Her chest...look at her chest" Khonshu ordered. Jake lifted your blouse a little more, exposing your chest, and then saw the obnoxious scale tattoo on it.

"Carajo" he spat, laughing bitterly. "And why do you have it there, huh? Everyone was wearing it on their arm, what does it mean?"

"I don't think it matters much, because you're going to kill me anyway, aren't you?"

Yes. That's just what I was going to do, he thought despondently. Why was he having such a hard time finishing his job? You were just another pawn, a clever one, but who was now at his mercy, helpless, without you Arthur would be left without help and then, it was only a matter of time before he was finished with him too.

"Fuck, girl..." he growled "Why do you make everything so difficult, why are you still with him?"

"Because I love him."

Your answer was completely unexpected, and Jake balled his fist. He was right after all, you weren't just a brainwashed follower.

"Let's get this over with" Khonshu spat, and again you seemed to see him, very briefly, speaking to Jake from the back of the limo.

"Yeah... it'll be for the best" Jake replied, and reached out again to grab his revolver. You closed your eyes still crying, shaken, thinking that at least the man would be done with you soon.

"Someone like him doesn't deserve your love" he spat. The barrel of the gun approached your temple, without touching you. He pulled the trigger, and you heard the gun click, however, there was no detonation, and Jake threw it back on the dashboard "Nor does he deserve someone like you to die for him."

Jake held your head in his hands and then, you felt a loud crash that plunged you into darkness. The last thing you seemed to perceive were two voices, one Ammit's, sounding furious, and another equally powerful but exhausted, old, one that seemed to be addressing Jake:

"So...your night is just beginning, is it?"

[kikioffe-prime]

I'm in a mood to write sooo here is s2 au shit thing idk I have too many idea in my brain rot of a brain andYeas c! Dream will suffer

He rested on his bed slowly drifting away. This day was a pretty long one compare to most days. He was mining with Tubbo. The Ram is pretty talkative.Dream likes him a lot. They brought a lot of iron and gold, some diamonds and emeralds found theyr way too but not much for a set or three for them all.

He was resting. Letting his body deep into a state of unawarness. Then he found himself in void. Before him was someone. Someone Dream never saw before. They looked like a ghost from theyr lack of color. They looked awfull. The amount of scars on theyr body was awfull. But it wasn't whether got his attention. No. It was the eyes. The exact same he had. Shinning brightly through the mess of long hair. They looked defeated. Weak.

"Hello there, new me "

The voice was the exact same as his, but a bit more echoi. 'New me' . It made Dream confused. So confused

"... You don't get it do you? You will understand in no time.... No matter what you do, do NOT use the revive book it ma-

They were cut short. Dream was dragged deeper down. He felt hitting the ground. He was laying on obsidian. On flating obsidian. He got up looked down to see a place be bombed. People be murdered. Withers kill anything that had life in it. People fight, scream, cry. He watched. He couldn't get up. He could only watch. He couldn't do anything else. He turned his head around he saw a man in a green hoodie stand further away from him. He had a white mask with a smiley face on it. Dream wanted to leave. He wanted to leave so bad. He couldn't bring himself to listen to death. Death scared him, it scared him alot. Then he felt get ripped apart.

He shot awake with sweat and tears rolling down his face. Tommy run into the room holding a fire aspect enchanted sword. He looked around just to see Dream hyper ventilating , deep in panick.

Tommy put the sword into his inventory, slowly made his way to Dream. The man was holding his head, knees to his chest and eyes completely shut. Tommy took Dream hands. He was shacking. It must have been a very terrible nightmare.

"hey Dream .. It's okey you are safe. You had a nightmare okey? It was just a nightmare. I'm still here, Tubbo is still here too. Just breath okey? Slowly breath in and out. "

Dream listened, slowly calming down. He felt exhausted. He wanted to forget what he saw. It felt real, too real. Tommy was reassuring him that he was okey. That he was home.

"What.... What time is it? I must have woken you up... "

"Ehh I was actually working on a new potion recipe when I heard you scream. I thought you were in deathly danger that's why I grabbed the sword.Annnd it's 2 am.You might wanna try to go back to sleep. I can stay here if you need it. "

"... "

"What's up with that face? Come on, you want me to stay but you don't want to look weak? You aren't weak. You are tired, you are just tired.Thats means I'm staying here until you fall alseep"

"I don't think.... That i-

"Then I will try to find a way to get you to sleep"

Tommy stayed. It didn't take long for hi. To fall asleep though. Dream couldn't sleep. He had hi seyes closed, he was laying down. He was breathing properly but he just couldn't let himself rest. Even for a moment. He layed there for hours until the morning sun came up. He was tired. So tired.

It repeated for weeks. Similar layout. The "old himself" warning him of things he shouldn't do. "Do not trust Puffy, it isn't her" "be weary of AwSamDude" "Don't play with death" and so on, later was him being shown the same man doing everything to hurt everyone. Always a tragedy shown to be caused by the man.

One night was different. It was one of the last ones. The man was in prison. Dream thought it ment a happy ending. That it was the end. He was standing before him. He looked sad. Dream couldn't feel pity for him in the slightest.

Behind him was a wall of lava. It began to lower itself. In the distance he saw two people. One of them he presuems is the 'AwSamDude' but the other he doesn't recognize.The second man was very professionaly dressed, as if he was going on a business meeting or worked for the mafia. He had a big scar going from his mouth all over his left eye. The man scared Dream. He didn't know why, but nothing good was coming. He stood on a platform that began to move. He was holding a briefcase.

Dream's fear of him was very much justified. The only could watch as he tor apart the man Dream swore to hate. Once it was over he could only watch the mangle mess that he was turned into. He was breathing. Somehow he was still alive.

He shot awake. It was horrifing. What he saw was wrong, So wrong. The rest of the final nights were filled with slow decay of the man. From someone Dream feared to someone he began to feel pity for. He shouldn't. He know he shouldn't.

The final night was only him and the old himself. Over time the ghost of the other was fading. This time. Nothing was going to interfere. He saw what happened. He saw as him and someone who looked just like Tommy finnaly found a way out. He saw how the nuke hit. He saw the obsidian be turned to dust.

"It's the end. Sorry for the trouble. You had to know. I had no other choice. Hey.... Thank you for lasting. Thank you for listening. Take rest now"

There was a long pouse before the other continued

"Check your inventory"

He woke up as the sun was going up. He slept. He actually slept. The sky was blue. He heard a knock to the door. It slowly opened. It was Tubbo.

"Hi bossman.I made some food....Oh you just woke up? Did you rest well? The last weeks you looked like a zombie. "

"Yea, I did. I think. What did you make? "

"Oh some rabbit stew. Get up its slowly getting cold"

"I'm coming, just give me a minute. "

Tubbo left. Dream was now sitting holding his head. "Check your inventory" was repeating in his head. So he checked it. There was something new. A book. The revive book. It made him sick. He was being something he shouldn't use. He shouldn't know the knowledge in it. He was told that there are only 2 ways of keeping the book from anyone else. Memorize it Or keep it in a enderchest. If he was silent.If He just didn't tell anyone. He could memorize it and keep everyone safe. That thing was cursed. It was a curse.

He was silent about it. Never telling anyone. He could finnaly rest. He was sleeping more but he still was using the night as a way to leant without anyone watching. He was hundred percent sure that he wasn't seen. That no one knew. And once he was able to write it down anywhere. He burned the book in a lava pool. Never to be read again. Never to be known. He was going to take this knowledge to his grave it mental keep the server safe.

He was so sure no one knew. That no one saw it.Yet he didnt suspect Tommy.He didnt suspect the blonde.

[malevolentbooks]

Deiform

Sir,

I write to you regarding the requested investigation into the death of the Bishop of Farrel, one Joseph Rahn. My work here is complete and I will, with Your Eminence's permission present my results, subject to your approval.

Despite the confusing and often contradictory nature of the note and evidence that he left behind, it is my conclusion that the Bishop took his own life without the assistance of any other persons. I have questioned all at the cathedral and the Bishop's residence, and do not believe they had any part in it.

There were apparently many rumors concerning the bishop's behavior in the last few months, which had grown increasingly unstable and irrational.

I have reviewed the Bishop's journal, and must agree. While the rational and well-measured man we both knew is apparent through much of it, his decline seems to have started approximately six months ago. The causation for this I have determined to be his decision to inventory and organize the books located in the residence's private library.

You will, no doubt, recall that during King Torren's reign the residence was briefly occupied by rebel forces participating in the Callisto Heresy, and it was the defeat of them that led to that particular property coming into the Church's posession.

It seems that when it was restored following the rebel's hasty departure, there were some books left behind whose significant was not noted. These books were added to the library there, and have not been noted for some time, likely until the Bishop found them and began his investigation.

Many of these works are not known to me, though I have not investigated them deeply, as the Bishop's reaction to them would indicate that sober reflection was be wise before deeply exploring their contents.

The main cause of the Bishop's decline seems to have been that, using these books, he began to explore the nature of the world that was presented in them.

He found it suffused with evil and suffering in a way that he found difficult to explain. Further, he found that the very universe seemed to be conspiring to pursue those evil ends, and that the suffering was not caused by the selfish actions of men, but by The Lord of Hosts Himself. He found that we live in a deiform universe, but the nature of God is malevolent.

This is obviously incorrect and unsupported by The Church, and it is likely that the books he found simply led him to this conclusion by catching him in a vulnerable time. I plan to briefly review the nature of the books that were on his desk at the time of his death so that they can be properly locked away. I will provide brief notes on them in my next communication, and dispose of them as you see fit.

I remain, your loyal servant.

Augustus Carnavon

The bottom of the letter contains a note and the Seal of the Eminent Seat.

"In light of Brother Carnavon's demise it is declared that the Bishop's residence in Farrel is to be sealed and burned to the ground along with all who dwell within."

[awellboiledicicle]

More magnus thots

It took Lag approximately ten seconds to return, reappearing holding a small bag and a large book. Martin, rejuvenated somewhat by his nap, found the energy to press on from the previous question.

"Sorry, did you say a healing potion?" He sounded a touch more incredulous than intended, earning a sort of half lidded look. When she simply sat down beside him, he got the distinct impression that she was trying not to sigh at him. "Wait, seriously?"

Lag tugged open the bag and withdrew a bottle of red liquid, holding it out for inspection.

"I can call it medicine, if you'd like."

"What's in it?" He took it, gingerly, because he wasn't rude and because her hand was about the size of his face. In an attempt to ignore that fact, he looked the bottle over again. The glass was heavy, thick at the bottom and stopped with a cork. Over the earthy must of the cave, it smelled slightly like the one time he'd bought watermelon shampoo by mistake. "But IS it medicine though?"

Lag for her part simply shrugged and continued digging in the bag, her book balanced on one knee.

"If you dont know how you got here, or what it is, are you going to know what netherwart is?" He begrudgingly shook his head no. She nodded and retrieved a quill and pot of ink from the depths of the bag before flipping open the book and starting to write. "Then just trust me when I say it'll help, with the wounds at least."

She seemed entirely uninterested in his very frantic self inventory and only looked over when he started gently trying to maneuver Jon about to check him over.

"Careful."

"Of course I'll be careful!" He most certainly did not snap at the otherwise helpful lion. What he did do was slow down a bit, putting the potion aside. Given the unconcious grimace that pulled at Jon's face when he was rolled over, he'd been right to.

The most obvious injury was an angry red gash across the eye he'd gone through to end things. It wasn't bleeding, at the very least, though the edges were still ragged. His eyelid was partially split, making his sleeping eye movements rather uncomfortable to watch. Next was the rather large, unnervingly dark bruise over most of his side-- martin wasnt sure what caused that, but it could have been the landing for all he knew. Beyond that were simple small things that he assumed happened on the way out-- small nicks and scrapes where his hands fell from Martin's jumper on the way up.

He was about to ask how she'd managed to not destroy Jon during the rinsing process when she snapped the book shut and shoved it back into the bag-- which made an odd clicking noise before she closed it.

"So, confident he needs it?"

Narrowed eyes.

"How do I know you're not pulling something? It could be poison!" He picked the bottle back up and wiggled it accusingly. Martin's logic at this point was largely that of 'ensure no more harm comes to Jon' and was, fittingly, not much of a match for the reality of the situation.

Lag, seemingly unbothered by the wiggling, tilted her head. She did seem oddly amused, however.

"We both know I wouldn't need that." He didnt appreciate the suppressed snort, but he stopped wiggling the bottle. "Look, either he drinks it and heals, or the scars set in as he works through naturally-- you dont want that. They get... itchy on Builders."

A beat of silence.

"I'll try it first if you want."

Martin could accept that, if only because Jon had suffered enough scars. If this could help, it would help. If not, well he'd presumably still live.

Lag plucked the bottle put of his hand and took a swig, before handing it back. Satisfied, he very gently administered the drought to Jon. The effect wasn't as instant as Lag had implied, but it certainly evened out his breathing. The redness seemed to start draining from his eye and the thin skin of his eyelid began healing over. A good sign, but not a process he particularly wanted to watch. He settled for holding Jon's hand and turning back to Lag.

"See, no poison." She was giving another attempt at a smile and he wondered if this was just normal now. "He should be fine in a few hours. Your people tend to react slow to potions, but it should be fine."

Well, now he had no reason not to ask the several questions he had.

"What do you mean, 'your people'?" At her headtilt he continued, brow furrowing. "And the most I've ever built was a bookshelf."

She blinked for a moment before shrugging.

"You. With your short faces and... weird histories." Her tail thumped idly against the moss. Martin resisted the urge to touch his face. Seeing his confusion, she continued: "Builder is just what the books call you. Well, and the librarians but they're odd in general. The ones I've met all get weird about it, but calling you human feels weird."

The implications of that were being tucked away for the moment.

"Okay... noted." He wanted to ask what that made these librarians, but that would be rude and he'd already been rude about the potion. Instead he opted to change the subject. "What was that place where you found us, by the way?"

He was not prepared for the sudden look of excitement, nor her very toothy grin.

"That was an ancient city! From what I could find before you statyed making noise, i think it could have been named Ent! I think that was the name, I need to show my friend Klein the rubbing I took-- I cant tell the vowels and accents apart yet, so it could be Ant." She squinted a mental before wiggling a bit, hands waving a little. "BUT, the point is you were in the residential quarter! I've never found one so intact before, most of the houses weren't even fully overcome with skulk! Which is a real miracle because--"

Martin was beginning to have flashbacks to Jon's emulsifier talk, with far fewer recognizable words.

[zorceus]

Name: Saki Kisaragi

Gender: female

Age: 13

Hair color: white

Eye color: bright red

Family: Father: Masahiro Komura

Mother: Yukiko Kisaragi

Aunt: Meiko Komura

Height: 4'09

Weight: 96 pounds

Nationality: Japanese

Strengths: able to wield a knife

Appearance:

- white hair

- Middle school girl uniform

- Red hairband with pink bows

- Red eyes

Inventory:

- school bag full of things she deems important

Biography

Saki was born to a human father (Masahiro) and a yokai mother (Yukiko), whom was a Yukionna or Snow Woman. Despite differences, Saki's parents loved each other and their daughter very dearly. In order to avoid the fact that Saki is a yokai child, her father told doctors and close family that his wife had an albino gene that ran in her side of the family which granted Saki's white hair and red eyes. Despite the albinism story, many rumors spreaded that Saki was the reincarnation of a demon and that her mother, Yukiko was to blame.

On order for her husband and daughter to no longer suffer this neglect, Yukiko decided to leave so that they would no longer be judged. After her mother's disappearance, Saki's father had them move to Meguro, Japan so Saki can have a fresh start in her life. She went through preschool without any trouble despite her albino appearance and her father Masahiro took up work as a caretaker for the Sakurajima family in Shinjuku, usually leaving Saki in the care of her aunt Meiko.

Saki's carefree life would eventually end when she reached first grade, where people who met her as a baby recognized her while she was on her way to school. They threw rocks at her and screamed curses and chanting "Demon child" at her as she quickly fled. Life turned sour as time went on, with Saki and her family recieving threats, students avoiding Saki, and eventually it gotten so bad that Saki couldn't leave her house.

Masahiro tried to do everything he could to protect Saki, as he loved his daughter and wished for her to stay happy. Once Saki went to the sixth grade, her father and aunt decided to enroll her into a private academy in Shinjuku. Because of the money her father earned, Saki was able to enroll and was given a chance to breathe again. The rumors then suddenly started to circulate throughout her school due to her unusual features, but luckily, the academy's headmaster did not believe in the supernatural and was able to convince the students to ignore the rumors aimed towards Saki.

It was decided eventually that Saki would move closer to Shinjuku so she could get to her school, and her father eventually found a new job at a coffee shop. As of currently, Saki is living a better and more free life and wishes that she could find a way to clear the rumors of her supposed demon blood.

Detailed Appearance

Saki is a petite young girl with a very light skin coloration and bright red eyes, giving her an albino appearance. She wears a standard sailor fuku uniform consisting of a white top, a dark blue collar and cuffs that has white stripes, a red ribbon on her chest, and a dark blue skirt. She wears brown school shoes and black kneesocks. Saki has long white hair that reaches her waist and is styled in a hime cut. She wears a red headband with two large, pink bows on each side.

Saki's uniform changes depending on the season, having long sleeves during the winter season and short sleeves during summer. When it is colder, Saki sometimes wears a black cardigan when its too cold out.

Personality

Saki is a sweet and innocent girl who always seems very chipper and carefree and is never seen without a smile on her face. Despite her usually cheery demeanor, she avoids strangers due to the rumors they spreaded. Saki has a bit of an envy towards people who have mothers, since she doesn't remember much of Yukiko other than the stories her father tells her.

Due to her timelooping, Saki hates death. She wishes to grow up and become a bride, always seen staring longingly at wedding dresses when she passes by shops.

Trivia

* her birthday is Febuary 22nd.

* Her Zodiac sign is Pisces.

* Her name, Saki is a reference to the lost horror / guro anime, Go for a Punch or also known as Saki Sanobashi.

* Her last name, Kisaragi is in reference to the urban legend, Kisaragi Station.

* Her twin bows are references to Chiyo Sakura from Nozaki-Kun.

* Her father allowed Saki to keep her mother's last name in rememberance to her.

* As a toddler, Saki couldn't say longer names, so she nicknamed her aunt, Meiko as "Mimi", she still calls her by that nickname even now.

* Her favorite food is takoyaki.

* Her favorite drink is chocolate milk.

* Her least favorite food is bell peppers.

* Her least favorite drink is anything with artificial sweeteners.

* Saki loves animals, since they are the closest things to friends she has.

* Saki is close to Yokai that live around her area, since they are aware of her half yokai blood, they have a familiar bond with her.

* Her favorite color is pink.

* Her favorite animals are foxes, because of the Kitsune that visit her and play with her when se gets lonely.

* Saki owns a fox plush, because it reminds her of the Kitsune. She claims she cannot sleep without it by her side.

[thewillharmonshow]

 Welcome to the Will Harmon show. I am your host will harmon It is Tuesday, May 30. I hope everybody's had a great weekend. I know I did. What did you guys do for Memorial Day? That's the key thing or topic here. My weekend was pretty good. Well, as you guys know from the last episode that I talked about having, suffering that concussion or mild concussion, getting hit in the head by the ball last Monday, it took me a while. Friday was not a good day. Came home early from work. Like I said, just being at work was just too much for me, frustrating. And so I had to leave. I came home, really did nothing, just rest. Saturday kind of the same thing. I did adventure out, though a little bit on Saturday. So first thing in the morning, woke up, went to Smart Final, because Sunday we had a barbecue. I'll get into that here in a little bit. So Saturday morning, got up, ventured out, like I said, went to Smart and Final, got a few things at Smart and Final for the barbecue for Sunday, and came back home and then decided I still needed to go to Sam's Club. I knew I needed to go to Sam's Club either way, so I decided, okay, let's go to Sam's Club. So I went to Sam's club. And I'll tell you what. Sometimes when you haven't been in these stores for a while, like Costco, Sam's Club, any of these big stores like that, you forget it's like a kid in a candy store. Sometimes you start walking around the aisles and you just go, oh, I need one of those, one of those, one of those and one of those. Yeah. Lucky for me, though, I did pretty good. I have to say I did pretty well. I kept myself where I wasn't grabbing everything, throw it in the cart that I thought I might need. But yeah. So you're driving around there. Well, when I was in there, I'm guessing it was sort of like a Zambony type looking thing, and I don't know what it was doing. There's no driver on it, it's automatic. I've seen these before like that, but this thing, it nearly ran me over, and I'm like, dude, I'm trying to shop here in this store, and this stupid zamboni looking thing almost run me over. Well, I think it was also kind of taking inventory as well, but still, I was like, dude, I almost got ran over by a motorized vehicle in the store. Now, that would have been some story to tell later on down the road, but it was just like I don't know, to me, it was just one of those things where maybe they should have had somebody walking near this thing to make sure it doesn't run over customers. Because I'm pretty sure that you don't want this thing running over your customers, because your customers aren't going to be returning customers. They're going to probably be pretty ****** off that they got ran over by a Zambony inside your store. I pick up a few things from Sam club. Like I said, it wasn't a whole lot that I got from there. I could have probably been there a lot longer and found a lot more stuff, but I would have got myself into trouble. So I leave Sam's club and come back home and really didn't do a whole lot Saturday. I did watch WWE. They had an event on Saturday, early morning. I didn't realize it was early morning. I thought it was going to be more at night, so I ended up watching that for a little bit, and then I decided to go ahead and went for a little drive, went out by the lake. We have this lake out here by us called Campfar West Lake, if anybody has ever heard of it. I went out there, drove out that way, just because you need to go for a drive. Went out that way, and the lake was actually pretty full. I was really impressed. Usually sometimes we see at this time of year it kind of starts getting low, but there's a lot of people out there, and I was really surprised to see that this time of year, which is good for the lake, they made their money for sure. I'm sure everybody had a lot of fun out there. I didn't really see any post or hearing about anybody, like really drowning or getting in a lot of trouble. So that's always good when you don't have nothing like that. Saturday was kind of a wash day. Didn't do much. I was kind of down in the dumps still because of the head thing. It was still kind of messing me up a little bit. I woke up Sunday, though. Sunday I felt a little better. Sunday was probably out of all the days, sunday was probably the better day that I felt. Sunday was our barbecue, so I had to go down, pick up my son, and so I pick him up on the way home or on the way out here to the house. We're sitting there and we're talking, and he says something along the lines, and I don't know what we were even talking about. And all of a sudden he goes, when can I be a dad? And I'm glad that I kind of had to do, like the what. And luckily I didn't wreck the car or nothing like that because that's kind of one of those things like, well, wait. Kind of catch you off guard. But he's like, yeah, when can I be a dad? I was like, well, son, I hope for you another 20 years. You can be a dad when you're 26. But he kind of said the same thing the other day when we were watching Bench warmers. They were talking about going all the way, and he goes, what does that mean? Again, kind of avoided the question. It's like, man, I'm not ready to do the talk yet. He's only six years old. I don't think it's time to do the birds and the bees talk, especially with a seven year old. So we get out here for the party. The party was good. It was always nice. It was a nice day, Sunday, nice relaxing day. Weather was perfect. And I mean, it was probably in the low 80s, there was a breeze and stuff. Other than that, the weather again, just for this time of year out here. It was great to have that because usually we're fighting like 90 deg weather on Memorial Day weekend, and that usually kind of makes the parties and stuff like that kind of doesn't really suck, but it definitely makes it a lot harder to enjoy, per se. He had a good time. I had to take him back home a little earlier than what I wanted to, but he had a good time out here, and that's always a plus when he can have fun and come out here and run around. Grandpa gave him a ride on the quad, so he was content with that. He loved riding on the quad. But yeah. So then going into yesterday, yesterday was another kind of lounge day. I still felt okay, nothing big, a little tired from the night before. I am doing like like stuff online, like going into chat rooms, like on Tumblr and stuff like that. Just meeting people and trying to meet new friends. But it was kind of up late Sunday night, not having to work on Monday. Why not? So yesterday, wake up, did I go to the store first? No, I went to the store later. So I woke up, kind of got up, did some things, a little bit of things around the house. And then I went and got a haircut. Looking a little I don't want to look homelessness or nothing like that. Sometimes I feel that way, but so I got my haircut and then later on I came back home, got back online, went on some chat, chatted up with some people and then got back. Then I left to go to the town, go to the store. So I went to the store, got a few things and then came back home and kind of really didn't do nothing for the rest of the day yesterday, just except to kind of relax and stuff. But it's getting back into the groove for the work week. Sometimes it sucks like a three day weekend. You try to get back in the work groove come Tuesday. And it also kind of sucks too, that I noticed. And back in early part of this month, like May 5, I took a vacation day, the fifth and the 8th. And I'll tell you what, there's reasons why I like taking vacation, getting away from work, this and that. But I don't know about you guys, but me, sometimes it is just hard to get right back into work again. When you have a little bit of vacation, you think, that great, you're refreshed, you get back into it, get going. Now, with me, it's like I wish I wouldn't have took that time off, which I know I needed. I mean, let's be real, we all need time. We all need to take time off. Don't ever think that you don't need time off. You do take the time off, energize yourself. And I knew I needed the time to do that and I did. But man, it just sucks coming back to work because you seem like you're all out of rhythm when you come back in, try to do your stuff and it just seems like, it just seems like it doesn't work out. Sometimes I think, man, I shouldn't took the days off, I should have just worked because now I feel like I have to get back in my rhythm that I was in before I left for vacation. But yeah, it's one of those things. Just trying to get back into the groove after a holiday is hard. Especially now that coming up with 4 July being kind of like in the middle of the week. I think it's on a Tuesday or Wednesday this year. And it sucks because they give you the fourth off and would you really want the fourth off? I mean, I get it. Some people, they do have their own stuff. They go hang out with family, whatever. Me, personally, I'd rather work 4 July because honestly, the fireworks and stuff like that don't happen until at night. And a lot of times, depending on where you go for 4 July, you might not get home until 1011 o'clock at night and then you got to turn around and you got to work the next day. And sometimes that could just be like brutal. It's like I'd rather have the following day off, to be totally honest. I'd rather have July 5 off. So you could recuperate from the 4 July. Because I know I'm not much of a drinker. Sure, if anybody that knows me knows I got a whiskey cabinet, I got a whole bunch of whiskey, but I don't drink much, even if I go out to a friend's house like my coworkers. Sometimes we'll get together once a month, play poker. There's alcohol there. Sure, I could easily pour whiskey and drink whiskey, but I don't because I got to drive home. And sure, I could probably have a drink or two and it probably wouldn't bother me, but to me it's like I always have to play the what if card. What if this happened, what if that happened? I don't want to be responsible for ending somebody's life, whatever. But yeah, I think we all enjoy having, enjoy having your drinks and that's fine. Like I said, that's fine. But for me. Like I said, I'm not much of a drinker. I don't drink a whole lot. I love cigars. I don't smoke them as much as I normally do or would like to. Going back to the 4 July thing, having the next day off would be just fantastic if they made that a holiday instead of the 4 July or maybe even make it two day holiday, I don't know. But yeah, a lot of people are recovering from the 4 July on July 5. I don't have any kind of statistics in front of me, but I bet if you really looked at statistics of how many people call in the next day from the 4 July, how many people call into work saying, hey, I'm not coming in because I'm sick. Which really we all know it's probably the brown bottle flu. But yeah, I don't know if I ever really worked with anybody that ever did that. Majority of the guys I work with now, they all pretty much come in the next day after after something like that. Unless it's like Thanksgiving. At least with Thanksgiving, you know that that day falls on a Thursday every year, doesn't matter. And you could take the time off, you could take a couple of days off. You obviously have that Thursday off. A lot of people like to take that Friday off, which is totally in my line of business. I work with automotive motor parts, so a lot of our customers are closed the next day. So it's it's kind of really pointless. I mean, sure there are some shops that are open that we do still deliver parts to, but for the most part, most of the people are closed. For the guys that do take it off, it's not a big deal. It's not like we're going to be swamped or overdone or whatever you want to call it. But yeah. So the holiday things, it's just weird how some of these holidays that they fall on like Christmas is always the 25th 4. July is always July 4, memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend seems like it's the only holiday that I believe it falls. Like what Labor Day is like the first weekend, the first Monday in September and then usually later. Memorial Day is usually like the last Monday in May. But it's kind of weird having that. And I guess, I mean, if you're, you know, you can kind of consider I don't know if some people consider Easter a holiday. Sure, for me, I don't really consider it a holiday. I don't get paid for it because I'm already off, but that's not one of our scheduled paying holidays, so I don't really care. But then a lot of people will consider Halloween a holiday and that's fine. They want to believe that's a holiday and to some people that is a holiday and that's fine too, but it's not a paid holiday and you don't get it off unless you request it, unless you take it off on your own. There's that. But our barbecue, like I said, our barbecue is great. Did hot dogs and hamburgers and stuff. So I was debating on doing Tritip, and I'm kind of glad I didn't because Tritip is expensive. I believe when I went to Spartan Final, I get this bag of tritips. Usually there's like about five or six tri tips in a bag. And they wanted, I believe it was like close to $100 for it. And I almost bit the bullet and almost bought it. But I was like, Nah. I was like, you know what, if I buy it and not a whole bunch of people show up, I'm going to have a lot of meat left over and I ain't going to eat that. So I'm kind of glad that I didn't because there wasn't as many people to show up to our party as we originally planned because somebody got sick. You know how that is. Now they get sick. So they're bringing probably about four people, four or five people. So that right there, that kind of drops the food count right there. So, yeah, I'm kind of glad that I saved or I didn't do that. And maybe for the party in September. Well, I'll revisit it at the time and maybe get try tip for that party. But it was funny because me and my dad were talking about when one party I don't remember which one it was, but it was a few years back before COVID and I remember. So we go to bed and wake up the next day and walk out to our field. My dad lives right next door to me. So we have this field that separates my property. Well, technically it is on my property, but it separates my dad's house and my house. And so we always had the party set up in the middle of the field where everybody can enjoy it and stuff like that. But anyways, so we wake up one morning and I go outside and I look at one of our tents that we had still set up, one of the easy ups. And this saying, I kid you not, it looked like a tornado ripped through. Just I'll be honest, it was like a trailer. You know how tornadoes always find the trailer parks? There could be a city. The trailer park could be right in the middle of the city, but the tornado will only touch the trailer park and destroy the trailer park. That is what this looked like. This happened. It looked like something got a hold of this tent and just tore the living hell out of it. The canopy was tore up, the arms on it that held up like the canvas and stuff that was tore up. And we're like, what the hell happened? We looked at all the other tents. All the other tents are fine. So only thing that we can think that possibly happened. And I don't know how, because I don't have dogs now. But at that point in time, I had two dogs, Duke and Sandy. Duke was a bassett hound and Sandy was a golden lab So these dogs, they were pretty good about if anything was outside the gates or whatever, they pretty much start barking. And I don't remember the dogs barking that night. And I asked my dad, he said, yeah, I don't remember any dogs barking that night either. I didn't hear nothing. But the only thing that we can think of is that possibly what happened was that the deer came down because we still had the garbage and stuff like that set out there. So it's possible that the deer could have been either eaten garbage or eaten grass and something spooked him or the dog. Maybe the dog went up to the fence and spooked him, I don't know. But we think what happened was that maybe his antlers got stuck in the canopy and he was trying to break free from so he tore the **** out of it and it was just like, Holy ****. Like I said, it was one of those things where it was just like, wow, I can't believe that happened. And you look at everything else and you go, well, they didn't touch anything else. That was our only guess, is that that's what happened. But we used to have on these parties we used to have oh, my goodness. When I was married, my wife and her family, they would come out, and then my dad and stuff like that, he invite people out, and we had a band. My dad would play drums, and my uncle, he would play the league guitar and sing and stuff like that. And, man, you want to talk about people would stay until, I don't know, like 10:00 at night or whatever. And it was so fun. Everybody had a great time. The music was always good. People would dance and stuff, so it was always a fun time at our parties. And then I don't know what happened, but everything started kind of dying down a little bit. The band wasn't playing no more out here. We even had one year. I think we still have the band too. But my sister got this comedy act that she was friends with and had paid them to come out here to our party. And you want to talk about that was some of the best times. I believe they came out a couple of different times, and that was one of the best entertainment other than the band, the band was great, but other than the band, I think they're called the Black Top Comedy or something like that. But, man, it was some of the funniest **** I ever witnessed, and I died laughing. Some of these guys, they're really good. They kept their self, like, perfect character. It was a good time back then. And, you know, you know, so the parties kind of died down. You know, now, you know, now people leave our parties and, you know, it's not even dark yet. It's like my dad was trying to put the lights up the other day. I was like, why everybody's going to leave before 08:00? Sure enough, everybody, I think, was out of here before 08:00 or a little after eight, but still, it still wasn't dark enough to turn on the lights or anything like that. But yeah, it still was fun times. Like I said, everybody had a good time. And we always enjoy family members coming out and hanging out with us and stuff. It was fun. It was good to see everybody and keep up because you never know when your last day could be. So again, it was fun. And I was glad that I got to enjoy it with my family and hang out with them and my son. And for my son to be there to hang out with them, I think that's important as well. But you guys can always find me on my podcast. Thewillharmonshow.com you can guys go there. Everything is linked in there, the Facebook page, everything. There's this link in there you can click too, that says, listen. You guys can click on that and I'll send you over to the main buzzsprout.com to listen to the website or to the podcast. You can also go to Spotify and itunes. If you guys have Android or the iPhone, you can go to either one of those and you guys can listen to the podcast there. Again, I'd like feedback from everybody. You can email the show at theweelharmon show@gmail.com. Always encourage that. Go like the Facebook pages, the Instagram pages. Always watch for updates. I do have a new page out there. I believe it's the Will Harmon podcast show Facebook group that I just started. Join that. Again, if you guys are out there, you want to be a sponsor, if you're a business owner and you want to sponsor the show, that'd be great. I'll mention you throughout the podcast. I'll put you up on the website with a link to your business and to help you out, help promote you. I'll even come out to your business and interview you if you want. Again, if you want to be a co host on this show, like a guest, come in for a guest host, feel free to email me. We're always looking to get somebody else in here and makes it a little easier to talk to when you got somebody else to interact with. But for now though, guys, I'm going to sign off for tonight. I hope you guys enjoy your rest of your week. I should be back Sunday night to give you my weekly podcast. Until then, guys, stay safe, have fun, have a good week, and have a good night. All right, good night now. See you guys later. Bye.

[the-jacobs-archive]

Diary Entry: 2

Sooooo, it's has come to my attention I probably won't be able to keep up with this journal daily. Everything is already so overwhelming (in a good way!!)

  To start things off I nearly arrived late getting to Maddison square gardens!!!

It's so easy to get distracted walking around the city. No matter how much I've traveled, I always just want to wander. Looking at things is just a favorite pass time of mine. So, long story short. I was almost late. Emphasis on almost, because I was right on time. To the minute! But Schlatt wasn't as relieved as I was. He's totally a "arrive 10 minutes early" type of guy. Considering everyone else was already waiting around in the hotel lobby by the time I got there and that he was scowling at me and any other “late arrivals”.

Schlatt is definitely... well... Oh Dang.

My first impression of J. Schlatt is that he just seems like a harsh guy, if you will... I will say he is funny and even charming(?) in an odd way. I can see how he could command the attention of an audience.

He did a speech before sending everyone off to unpack. He spoke confidently and I would even say that everyone seemed scared (or at least nervous) to interrupt. But people still cheered and appeared excited. So maybe his domineering vibes are just a fun quirk of his. 

The whole atmosphere was loud and buzzing with conversation. I still saw no real signs of the infamous co-owner Quackity. He was probably doing more behind the scenes stuff? Like inventory, or something? I don’t know. There must be a whole lot of work to do, two people have to be running this gig for a reason.

  This deduction did nothing to make me any less nervous to approach Schlatt. Infact, hearing him speak to everyone in person made me even more nervous to approach him. I still did. Of course.

I try not to worry too much. Worrying leads to overthinking, and well. It’s just that nothing works out when you over think it. okay?

It doesn’t matter cause this way of life worked in my favor. It always does.

Schlatt didn't say much to me. Just seemed confused, like he forgot he hired me, before passing me off to some guy named Charlie.

Charlie, or Slimecicle, as he goes by on stage, is a contortionist and an absolute delight of a man to speak to. He’s a very... odd person, but who isn’t a little quirky? literally no one?

Well, okay, not everyone mentions that they are definitely a human every other sentence, but I guess he's just really in character. I can respect that. So, the first photo I took on tour was of him bending his arms up behind into two diamonds.

I need to make it very clear; it was absolutely terrible to look at. Yes, I was kind of jealous. Imagine cracking your spine by just bending in half. I would never suffer from back pain again.

...

Back to my day. Charlie took me to Paramount Theater. The circus equipment had just began getting put up, so Charlie showed me around while it was empty aside from people unloading and setting up.

It was absolutely beautiful. I took a few photos of the construction. I'm sure at least a few came out decent. I can always do some editing later.

After that I grabbed some food and headed back to the hotel.

Aside from Charlie, and Schlatt, I hadn't really talked to that many other people. Alot of folks took to exploring the city while they still had the opportunity. Not that I'm complaining, but I really have no idea what to expect!

Luckily Charlie let me know who I was rooming with. Some guy named Sapnap, though the name means quite literally nothing to me. I did like zero research before getting here. oops.

That’s an L I will just have to take for now.

All I know is that he hasn’t come back to the room yet and I haven’t made any mortal enemies just yet, so meeting my roommate will go fine, I’m sure.

Anyways, till next time, diary my beloved <3

[relatosdeunseranterior]

In Goddess we Trust I.

Screams echoes through my pitiful room. Full of anger, these didn’t come from outside. It was myself, full of desperation. Days passed by, and the feelings of loneliness and sadness were piercing me like a dagger. Too much time spent in solitude, at work and at home. Each day was the same day for me, slowly degrading me, to the point of being almost useless. But those screams came abruptly to a halt, as i lose my strength and the sleep began to take hold of me.

The morning came, it was another day for work. I prepared as always and went to my second home. Surrounded by books, once again i tend to this palace of old paper. Inventory and loaning, all day, all night. I was like them once, an eager student just wanting to learn. Now I’m just a wandering lost soul, the only eagerness i present is to fade away. One of them caught my eye, watching his phone with a strange face. A mix of surprise and fear that sparked my curiosity. I grabbed a book and started walking to him, pretending to put away the book back into where it belonged. As i pass by him, my eyes fixate on his screen. News of another mass killing, not far from where we are. Another poor soul consumed by madness and hatred, with a burning desire to tear all away. Unlike my fellow watcher my face didn’t spark any emotion, maybe i became accustomed, maybe i stopped feeling that thing called empathy, i don’t know. The rest of the day passed like any other and i was again at home. Normally it was my time to vent, but a voice took me by surprise.

- A little push i gave him, that’s all. Maybe i could give one to.

My eyes couldn’t meet with the speaker, no matter where I looked.

- It’s a chaotic world full of unjust laws, don’t you think? Or is it a lawful world, and chaos only wants to disrupt.

- What are you talking about?.- I replied, strangely expecting an answer.

Silence filled the room. I began to question everything. Was i hearing fake voices? Did i started to lose it that bad? I sat on the floor and began to ponder. Deep inside me, i was very conscious that this could happen. All my thoughts felt like a curse and my energy spent alongside them. It drained my life little by little, to the point of endless suffering. As i turned my head upwards, there it was, clawed in the ceiling, dark dog with eyes burning red.

- I don’t expect an answer. I’m more curious about your actions. Complexity is hard for men, so i like to take a more “simple” approach.

I jumped back, and ran into the corner of the room. His head followed my every step, his body stood still.

- Poor afflicted soul, your mind is full of chaos. But you still are chained to those forsaken laws. Who are you trying to convince, huh? What you really are should come naturally, don’t hold it back.

- Who? What do you…? How?. I couldn’t find my words in this surreal situation.

- Seritius is my name. A demon from the lowest class, looking for power like we always do. Almost killed by Leviathan himself.

- Why are you here? What do you want?.- Strangely, his introduction calmed me a little.

- The creations of god. It’s you and your power i seek. Wretched abandoned things. While all eyes are on the eternal conflict, some of us got tired of the “man in the middle” and came looking for a new beginning. I heard some workers of god too.

- Power? What power?

- That power that keeps you free from binds, but affect your sleep at night. That which drive some mad, but sometimes make them walk.

- I don’t understand.

- You will see soon enough. Tomorrow i teach, you listen. The language of demons. Then you show me your actions, show me that power.

A dark cloud engulfed the beast, and as it fade away he was long gone.

I couldn’t sleep that night, asking myself if it was real or not. Questioning my sanity in what became a silent night. But i started laughing, after all, it was the end of a cruel joke.

The morning after was normal, so the mundane routine took me to work. I was tempted to call the day off, but something in me said that isolation was probably worse for me. This day was one of the busiest, as exams loomed for the students many of them were here. A large line formed asking me for specifics books, and i directed each to the aisle where they would meet with the pages they requested. Finally, the last one was approaching the desk.

- What book are you looking for?.- I said without looking up.

- The cat in the hat.

- The cat in the hat? i think i have it somewhere. All here are studying for the tests so i was expecting something among those lines. A read for your kids?

- It’s something for my poor lamb here, complete lost. I came to comfort and to guide, bring peace to the soul.

- What?

- Tell me your troubles sweet child, i will take them away.

I took my eyes of the computer screen and saw this beautiful woman, gold hair, eyes verging between green and blue, with a smile that exuded pure joy, making it incredibly contagious.

- Haha, I don’t what to tell you. That’s some strange things you ask for.- What she said took me by surprise, so i just answered like i could.

- Then, what would you do if your mother asked you?

I looked at her again and felt a familiar feeling, a warm home-like one. More and more i was entranced by her, but some part of my mind started to get scared, like if my unconscious knew something I didn’t. She was fixated to my eyes like she was searching for something, and always smiling.

- I see some evil creature is trying to use you for his despicable plans. Don’t lose hope child and let me guide you, for i am now your caring mother. you will leave that demon behind and walk towards the promised heaven.

- Don’t let her fool you.- a voice came from behind me, as i looked behind i saw that evil looking dog again, Seritius. i also realized that no one was in the library no more.

- She is one of the tool of gods, an angel that took a human form just to deceive you. Her objective is to chain you like all the others, and submit you to the self proclaimed “lord of heaven”. Don’t fall to her soothing words, for they are just lies and deceptions.

- A demon talks about lies and deception, the ones who only care about their own power. Those treacherous words are things that only those from your kind use, to hide the fact that you really are weak creatures.

- Ha! That attitude. You are not like the others pawns that your “god” uses.- The black dog grinned.

- I’m Sophia, mother of all. Unlike you, I’m here to guide the lost ones and free them from their suffering. I will not let you abuse this cursed soul no more.

- Wow, a goddess. So you are not a tool, but another slaver. And that which you call suffering, it’s power concealed. To use it they only need a little confidence.

I was dumbfounded while the exchange was going. Seeing Seritius again made me question my sanity once more, and again i began laughing.

- Look at him, foul demon, his soul is already broken. I will no sit idle while you ensnare his soul to the ideals of hell.

- And i will not let him be another one of your lackeys, slave to the master forever. But neither of us can really do anything actually, our native language doesn’t hold the same power in this realm. That’s why i say you are liers, you really can’t do anything for him.

- I will teach the language of the heavens, and with it guide him to the promised land. I will always be alongside him.

- I will teach him the demon’s language, so that he can make his own path and show me how that power truly works.

While these two were arguing i started to feel weak, things around me started spinning. My brain didn’t want to hear another word of this maddening conversation. I couldn’t make sense of anything, if this was really happening or not. So my body fell cold on the ground, motionless, and my consciousness began to fade…

To be continued in part 2.

Nota de Autor: Como otras historias publicadas anteriormente, esta fue una de las primeras que escribí para practicar el relato en inglés. Pero como Princesa Lunar, quedo como uno de mis favoritos de los que hice a través de los años. Al igual que los anteriores, decidí dividirlo en partes para este formato de publicación. Fue inspirado en una saga a la cual le tengo mucha apreciación y afecto. Yo creo que es bastante evidente, pero a ver si alguno acierta al nombre de esa influencia…