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#oh how I long to possess his strange and horrible powers of art now
constellaj · 3 years
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just ran into your art today and. would you like to elaborate on your gay lucky in love rewrite 👀
boy would i
as always shoutouts to @crystalfloe for pitching + workshopping w me on this, ESPECIALLY on this one since it was mostly her idea!
we open up with a shot of shadow circling through amity park, looking in the windows of various citizens. danny is face-down, fast asleep; valerie is repairing some gear; tucker is being a gamer; sam is watching a horror movie; paulina is also watching a horror movie. shadow passes by all these houses and gets more and more annoyed, until he peeks the window of a large, elaborate house:
dash has drawn the curtains, turned the lights off, turned a fan up. this is his deep dark secret. he’s sitting on his bed, face lit by the dim rose glow of his laptop. the volume is turned down so low but the viewer still sees and hears him whisper along to the movie: “but we could never be together, jessica...” “but... I love you...” he’s watching a HORRIBLY cheesy hallmark romcom.
but of course nobody can KNOW he’s into chickflicks and romcoms! he’s a tough football man and it would trash his rep if anyone knew he secretly craved those deep but silly romantic stories... the tenderness, the love...
shadow has specifically been looking for a romantic.
shadow slips in and ‘possesses’ dash. possesses in quotes, because, well, even though dash is dumb and therefore easy to possess, shadow is ultimately a glorified dog, and not a fully sentient ghost; he doesn’t have any total agency in dash, and the most he can do is mess around with his emotional and hormonal balance. shadow is DISMAYED, upon entering, that dash’s deep romanticism is so repressed, and so immediately gets to work digging it out of the recesses of his brain, putting it in the forefront.
(see, what danny and the audience will learn later is, shadow is a ghost that subsists off of love. romantic love especially. he first found a ‘host’ in johnny (before he died!) because johnny and kitty were madly, ridiculously in love, and johnny especially admired kitty beyond words. they still do love each other, of course! but like all healthy relationships, they’ve learned to take breaks, and they have a ‘break week’ once every few months.)
(this, naturally, drives shadow up a WALL; after a certain level, displays of romance become like dog treats, and shadow has been downright spoiled by the overabundance of love between the two. when they take a BREAK WEEK and aren’t constantly showering each other (and therefore him!) with affection, he needs to go find another host, because clearly they do not love him and have forsaken him. they kick miette.)
since shadow’s prime host for so long has been johnny, his understanding of a few... norms... are bleeding over. dash shows up to school with a leather jacket and a motorcycle (his family’s rich, of course he’s had one). his hair is slicked back and the cologne is overpowering. while danny and others think it’s just another asshole stage of dash, kwan (as well as the popular kids, but kwan especially) notices something’s wrong. it’s not quite... dash. 
yeah, he’s happy-- well, he’s also strangely flirty with everyone (shadow is testing the waters, trying to find out who is the best match). and kwan LOVES that he’s happy. but he’s a little too daydreamy, he laughs a little too long. he is having horrible luck all day, but he just keeps taking it in stride. dash is concerned with appearances, but this is the first time he’s put in effort like it was for other people to see. he’s a little too suave. his eyes reflect just a little too much light.
and then-- luck of luck-- shadow finds the big name repressed crush.
fenton! of course!
danny did NOT want to deal with dash towering over him and slamming him into the wall, but he didn’t KNOW how to deal with dash leaning over him and telling him he looked cute. danny’s flustered! of course he is! well, yeah, dash is an asshole, he knows that, yeah he’s a stuck up rich kid, YES SAM, he knows this (sam is not fooled by a little hair gel and some high heeled leather boots), but you can’t deny he’s, well, built. and he’s weirdly suave? and nice. he’s actually being really nice. what no of course DANNY hasn’t had a crush on DASH this whole time or anything. shut up.
the fact that dash asks him to meet him in the woods at lunch (because sam, jazz, and even tucker are increasingly concerned with dash just making moves on danny, afraid it’s some new form of abuse; and lancer keeps perceiving it as bullying since that’s their dynamic and breaking it up) and he GOES is just. well. that’s unrelated isn’t it.
they kiss and danny is starting to maybe think dash just had a homophobic middle school experience like everyone else when- his GHOST SENSE GOES OFF. RIGHT HERE? RIGHT NOW??? (gee what could be causing it?) dash cracks a joke about him using too many breath mints and danny panics, bullshits an excuse, and runs off to transform and find the ghost.
dash thinks he’s been rejected and almost shakes out shadow’s possession from the sheer dismay, but shadow doubles down. no, no, we can find another crush. somewhere.
...oh hey! the ghost boy!
time to double down on the ghost aesthetics.
danny’s just finished fighting kitty (”where’s your boyfriend” “that’s none of your BUSINESS!”) when there’s a motorcycle rev underneath him. there’s... dash, again, but.... something feels very, very wrong.
danny lands, cautious. “hey phantom... you into biker dudes?” “don’t you have... a boyfriend...” “heee sorta dumped me in the woods”. and then danny gets close enough for his ghost sense to go off. and it clicks.
“dash, you’re possessed”
this is the ONE THING that shadow can’t have. this could be the perfect romance, and THIS GHOSTCHILD thinks he knows more about ROMANCE than SHADOW??? PSH. cue fight scene! dash of course is grappling with both not wanting to hurt phantom, but wanting this ghost out of his system, because of COURSE he’s possessed geez why else would he want to kiss FENTON of all people-- but shadow REFUSES to leave, slowly building more and more monstrous elements onto dash, darker eyes and claws, erasing his legs until it’s not dash as much as it is a large shadow monstrosity with dash at the center.
danny eventually realizes he needs a new strategy and runs for it. after a decent amount of bickering with sam/tuck, they realize that the only ones who would know how to tame shadow are.... kitty and johnny.
turns out, when shadow went missing, kitty NOTICED. (johnny didn’t! he was having a fun alone time working on his bike with loud music.) this is bad. why? well, johnny is NOT a very powerful ghost. in fact, he’s sort of the opposite. he and shadow have a symbiotic relationship of sorts; it’s shadow’s residence in him that gives him any powers at all, like the basic healing factor a ghost has, or phasing, or flying. without shadow he’s essentially a zombie, who can still be hurt in the ghost zone. NATURALLY, kitty decided to run off and retrieve shadow (because this isn’t the first time he’s run away on break week, always throwing a tantrum) before anything horrible could happen to Johnny; this is what she was doing in Amity in the first place
this is the part of the story where i reveal that the ending isnt fully fleshed out yet. in the rough conversation right it ended up with kitty and johnny trying to FORCE shadow back into johnny, and they’re getting annoyed by it, and kitty goes “well this wouldn’t be a problem if YOU weren’t so LOVING AND SENSITIVE” and johnny goes “well i wouldn’t LOVE YOU so much if you weren’t BRILLIANT and BEAUTIFUL” and they have a whole argument like that. its very funny. and shadow ends up still running away and possessing dash again.
ah, in typing this out, i have figured out an ending!
the above fight and run away happens, and there’s two endings: one where shadow possesses dash, and one where shadow possesses danny. in both, of course, the other party realizes the only way to get shadow out is through making shadow feel safe enough to leave, aka... flooding the room with romance. if dash is possessed, danny and co. realize that danny’s the prime candidate to... be the suave lil boy. if DANNY is possessed, sam and tucker begrudgingly explain that, uh, yeah, phantom might have a crush on you, he’s just really controlling of his emotions. (also kwan! kwan definitely plays a part if dash is possessed, maybe even in saying “uh... he has a bigger crush on Fenton. can you guys get him instead?” and danny. explodes)
blahlbahblah luring shadow out by being gay happens and shadow gets scooped back up by the 13s. as much as the previous argument is funny it might also be very funny if johnny literally noticed none of this, and kitty shows up like ‘you lost this’ and johnny is like. ‘...shadow? when did you leave’. anywho.
that’s the concept! the MAIN difference is that johnny and kitty actually have a very healthy and sweet relationship, and the conflict, ironically, comes from the fact that they love each other TOO much. i do love ‘dash finds out’ reveals but as far as an episodic romp goes, this might not be the best ep for him to discover the secret in. however in a oneshot or something of course you could slot that in there excellently i believe.
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mattchase82 · 3 years
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REPARATION PRAYERS TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS
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LITANY OF REPARATION TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS
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O Sacred Heart, hear us.
Sacred Heart, graciously hear us.
For the forgetfulness and ingratitude of men,
We will console Thee, O Lord. *
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For the way Thou art deserted in Thy Tabernacle, *
For the crimes of sinners, *
For the blasphemies uttered against Thee, *
For the sacrileges which profane Thy Sacrament of Love, *
For the coldness of the greater part of Thy children, *
For the abuse of Thy grace, *
For our own unfaithfulness, *
For the incomprehensible hardness of our hearts, *
For our long delay in loving Thee, *
For Thy bitter sadness at the loss of souls, *
For Thy long waiting at the door of our hearts, *
For Thy loving sighs, *
For Thy loving tears, *
For Thy loving imprisonment, *
For Thy loving death. *
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Learn of Me:
Because I am meek and humble of heart.
O Heart of Jesus, by Thy sorrow for those who know Thee not,
Have mercy on me as Thou seest best. **
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O Heart of Jesus, by Thy sorrow for those who do not believe in Thee, **
O Heart of Jesus, by Thy sorrow for those who are inconstant and ungrateful, **
O Heart of Jesus, by Thy sorrow during the whole course of Thy mortal life, **
O Heart of Jesus, by Thy sorrow in Thy agony and in Thy death, **
O Heart of Jesus, by Thy sorrow for those who neglect their eternal salvation, **
O Heart of Jesus, by Thy sorrow for those who offer the most Holy Sacrifice unworthily, **
Heart of Jesus, by Thy sorrow for the scarcity of those who love Thee fervently, **
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Sweet Heart of Jesus:
Be not my Judge but my Saviour.
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O Jesus, loveliest of all beauty, wash me more and more from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin, that, purified by Thee, I may approach to Thee, the pure One, and may be worthy to dwell in "Thy Heart all the days of my life, that I may both see and do Thy will. For this cause was Thy side pierced, that an entrance might be opened for us. Who is there who would not love this wounded Heart? Who would not return love for love to Him that hath loved so well? Amen.
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O adorable Heart of Jesus, if men did but know Thee: How they would love Thee!
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ACT OF REPARATION TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS 1
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Most adorable and amiable Jesus, always filled with love for us, always touched by our miseries, always urged by the desire to make us share in Thy treasures and to give Thyself entirely to us; Jesus, my Savior and my God, who by an excess of the most ardent and the most prodigious of all loves, hast placed Thyself in the state of Victim in the adorable Sacrament of the Eucharist, in which Thou dost offer Thyself in sacrifice each day from the rising of the sun to the going down thereof, what must be Thy sentiments in this state, when in return for all that Thou hast done, Thou dost find in the hearts of the greater part of men only unkindness, neglect, ingratitude and contempt! Was it not enough, O my Savior, to have chosen the most painful way to save us, although Thou couldst have shown us excessive love at the expense of much less suffering? Was it not enough to abandon Thyself once to the cruel agony and the mortal languor, which the horrible vision of our sins with which Thou wert laden was to cause Thee? Why dost Thou wish to expose Thyself again daily to all the indignities of which the most fiendish and malicious of men and demons are capable? Ah! my God and my most loving Redeemer, what have been the sentiments of Thy Sacred Heart at the sight of all these acts of ingratitude and all those sins? How great has been the bitterness into which so many sacrileges and outrages have plunged Thy Sacred Heart! Filled with the deepest regret for all these indignities, behold me prostrate and annihilated before Thee in the presence of Heaven and earth, to make an act of reparation for all the indignities and outrages which Thou hast received on our altars since the institution of this adorable Sacrament. With a heart humbled and broken with sorrow, I ask Thy pardon a thousand times for all these indignities. Would that I could, O my God, water with my tears and wash with my blood all the places where Thy Sacred Heart has been so horribly outraged and where the marks of Thy love have been received with such strange contempt! Would that I could, Sovereign Lord, my Savior and my Judge, whom I believe to be really present in the adorable Sacrament of the Eucharist. I resolve for the future, by the respect which I shall show in His Presence and by my zeal in doing Him honor, to prove that I believe firmly in the Real Presence. And as I make profession to honoring His Sacred Heart in a special manner, I wish to pass the rest of my life in this Divine Heart. Grant me, O my Jesus, the grace which I ask of Thee to breathe forth my last sigh at the hour of my death in Thy Sacred Heart. Amen.
(Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque)
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ACT OF REPARATION TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS 2
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O Divine Heart of Jesus, inexhaustible Source of love and goodness, ah! how I regret that I have forgotten Thee so much and loved Thee so little! O Sacred Heart, Thou dost merit the reverence and love of all hearts which Thou hast cherished so much and laid under infinite obligations. And yet Thou dost receive from the greater number nothing but ingratitude and coldness, and especially from my own heart which merits Thy just indignation. But Thy Heart is all full of goodness and mercy, and of this I wish to avail myself to obtain reconciliation and pardon. O Divine Heart, I grieve intensely when I see myself guilty of such cowardice and when I consider the ungrateful conduct of my wicked heart, which has so unjustly stolen the love that it owes to Thee and bestowed it on myself or on vain amusements.
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O Heart most meek, if the sorrow and shame of a heart that recognizes its error can satisfy Thee, pardon this heart of mine for it is sorry for its infidelity and ashamed of the little care which it has taken to please Thee by its love. O Sacred Heart of my Savior, what could I expect from all this but Thy displeasure and condign punishment if I did not hope in Thy mercy. O, Heart of my God, Heart most holy, Heart to which alone belongs to pardon sinners, do Thou in Thy mercy pardon this poor miserable heart of mine. All its powers unite in a supreme effort to make reparation to Thee for its wanderings from Thee and the disordered application of its love.
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Ah! how have I been able hitherto to refuse Thee my heart, I who have so many obligations to make Thee its sole possessor, nevertheless I have done so. But now how I regret that I have wandered away from Thee, from the love of Thee who art the Source of all goodness, in a word, from the Heart of my Jesus, who although needing me not, hast sought me out and lavished Thy favors on me. O adorable Heart of Jesus, is it possible that my heart can have treated Thee thus, my heart which depends entirely on Thy love and Thy benefits and which, if Thou shouldst take them from it, would fall into the utmost extremes of misery or be reduced to nothingness? Ah! how I am beholden to Thy goodness, O indulgent Heart of my Savior, for having borne with me so long in my ingratitude! Oh! how timely Thy mercies come to pardon my poor, inconstant heart!
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O Heart of my Jesus, I now consecrate to Thee and give Thee all my love and the source of my love, which is my heart; I give Thee both irrevocably, although with great confusion for having so long refused Thee Thine own possessions. O Divine Heart, my very capability of bestowing my poor heart on Thee is a proof of Thy great love for me, but alas! I have availed myself badly of such a favorable opportunity to merit Thy love and grace. Oh! how great is my confusion at the thought of this! O Heart of my Jesus, reform my faithless heart, grant that henceforth it may bind itself to Thy love by its own, and that it may approach Thee as much in the future as it has wandered away from Thee in the past, and as Thou art the Creator of my heart, may Thou, I beseech Thee, one day give it the crown of immortality.
(Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque)
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AN ACT OF REPARATION TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS
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(For the First Friday of the Month)
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Adorable Heart of Jesus, glowing with love for us and inflamed with zeal for our salvation: O Heart! ever sensible of our misery and the wretchedness to which our sins have reduced us, infinitely rich in mercy to heal the wounds of our souls, behold us humbly prostrate before Thee to express the sorrow that fills our hearts for the coldness and indifference with which we have so long requited the numberless benefits that Thou hast conferred upon us. With a deep sense of the outrages that have been heaped upon Thee by our sins and the sins of others, we come to make a solemn reparation of honor to thy most sacred majesty. It was our sins that overwhelmed Thy Heart with bitterness; it was the weight of our iniquities that pressed down Thy face to the earth in the Garden of Olives, and caused Thee to expire in anguish and agony on the cross. But now, repenting and sorrowful, we cast ourselves at Thy feet, and implore forgiveness.
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Adorable Heart of Jesus, source of true contrition and ever merciful to the penitent sinner, impart to our hearts the spirit of penance, and give to our eyes a fountain of tears, that we may sincerely bewail our sins now and for the rest of our days. Oh, would that we could blot them out, even with our blood! Pardon them, O Lord, in Thy mercy, and pardon and convert to Thee all that have committed irreverences and sacrileges against Thee in the sacrament, of Thy love, and thus give another proof that Thy mercy is above all Thy works. Divine Jesus, with Thee there are mercy and plentiful redemption; deliver us from our sins, accept the sincere desire we now entertain, and our holy resolution, relying on the assistance of Thy grace, henceforth to be faithful to Thee. And in order to repair the sins of ingratitude by which we have grieved Thy most tender and loving Heart, we are resolved in the future ever to love and honor Thee in the most adorable Sacrament of the Altar, where Thou art ever present to hear and grant our petitions, and to be the food and life of our souls. Be Thou, O compassionate Jesus! our Mediator with Thy heavenly Father, Whom we have so grievously offended, strengthen our weakness, confirm these our resolutions of amendment, and as Thy Sacred Heart is our refuge and our hope when we have sinned, so may it be the strength and support of our repentance, that nothing in life or death may ever again separate us from Thee. Amen.
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ACT OF CONTRITION TO THE SACRED HEART
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MOST Sacred and Adorable Heart of Jesus! humbly and with contrite heart I prostrate myself before Thee. bitterly bewailing that I was remiss in Thy love and have offended Thee by my ingratitude and unfaithfulness, thereby becoming unworthy of the manifestations of Thy love. Filled with confusion and fear, I can but say, "I have sinned against Thee, I have sinned!" Most Amiable and Divine Heart, have mercy on me, though I do not deserve mercy. Reject me not, but reveal, rather, I beseech Thee, the excess of Thy mercy by granting me, a poor sinner, who appears before Thee in the abyss of his nothingness and misery, pardon for my sins.
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PRAYER TO THE WOUNDED HEART OF JESUS
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O my Most Loving and Gentle Jesus, I desire with all
the affections of my heart, that all beings created and
uncreated, should praise Thee, honor Thee and glorify
Thee eternally for that Sacred Wound wherewith Thy
Divine side was rent. I deposit, enclose, conceal in that
wound and in that opening in Thy Heart, my heart and
all my feelings, thoughts, desires, intentions
and all the faculties of my soul.
I entreat Thee, by the Precious Blood and Water that flowed
from Thy Most Loving Heart, to take entire possession of me,
that Thou may guide me in all things.
Consume me in the burning fire of Thy Holy Love,
so that I may be so absorbed and transformed
into Thee that I may no longer be but one
with Thee. Amen.
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wincore · 5 years
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wayv + sci-fi!au
a/n: i dont have a lot of time but i do have a lot of ideas so here’s my attempt at a bullet scenario!! i also wanted to write sci-fi aus which are not post apocalyptic so here’s my best and i know these are all like really far fetched and maybe a little cliched but it was fun writing them!!
doctor!kun
a doctor for mutants!!
so kind and steady, he pretty much won you over the first time you met
when you find yourself crying by the side of the street after being kicked out of your apartment
you did not expect a man with kind eyes and sweet smile to show up and offer you water and some tissues
especially an attractive man with an angelic voice 
even the unblemished white of his jacket adds to the whole angelic look
you’re so out of it after the whirlwind of events that the slightest of kindness makes you even more emotional
you start bawling your eyes out when he offers to listen
and you actually want to tell him everything
how you just naturally attract trouble, especially with your strange powers
how you’re not trained enough to control them and you’re just sort of clumsy 
how you really hate yourself for being born this way
but you can’t - you know he’d freak out, and you’d lose the last shred of kindness left for you
the serious look in the man’s face takes you by surprise
‘you’re...you’re a mutant, are you not?’
your eyes widen as you feel alert
he’s not part of the government, is he? he’s not trying to take you those horrible labs, is he? - oh god
you sit frozen in shock and no idea what to do
‘don’t worry!!’ he reassures you when he notices your obvious discomfort
‘i won’t harm you! here, i’ll stay five feet away if that makes you feel better’
he gets up and moves away, putting his arms up to emphasize he means no harm
you shy away from him but he stands still in his place
‘please don’t be afraid. i’m just like you.’
you raise an eyebrow at that and when he signals you to come forward, you do, albeit reluctantly and cautious
he takes your arm, careful enough to be gentle and presses his palm against the burn mark you got last week
you hiss at the contact and he mumbles a sorry before letting his palm rest for a few moments
when he removes it, your burn marks are completely erased like they were never there
you stare at him agape and he breaks into a wide smile
‘i’m kun. and i was wondering if you’d join our school for mutants.’
‘i’m sorry, what?’
‘it’s to train people like us for the world. how to survive and pass off as a normal human being’
kun seems serious about this, and you can’t help but feel a certain feeling of trust towards him - he’s like you, after all
well, not as messy as you are, though
which is why you agree, and find yourself in front of a large yet old brick building - it’s so large, you’re sure it could house over hundreds of people!
there’s a giant courtyard behind the first entrance, and the housing lies on the other side
the top floors of the housing building, lined with bay windows, catches your attention with how comfortable they look, how inviting
and the numerous people of all ages - children, teenagers, adults - present in the courtyard doing their own thing livens up the atmosphere of the entire place
you feel yourself smiling as kun gives you a tour around the place
unfortunately, you don’t listen to any instruction he tells you
when you look at kun, the stern expression he gives you makes you freeze
‘you didn’t listen, did you?’ he frowns
‘i...uh...ho-how would you know?’
‘i’ve seen enough kids on their first day’ he loosens up and gives you a smile
‘wait how old are you?’ you ask, puzzled ’don’t tell me you’re like 50′
‘do i look 50 to you?’ 
you laugh at his expression, all sour, and despite you barely learning anything about the place, you’re hopeful again
the next few weeks are the difficult part
you have different trainers for controlling each aspect of your abilities - defense, cover-up, intensity control
very occasionally, kun takes your defense classes and boy is he good at martial arts
the entire point of the defense classes is to defend yourself without getting your opponent hurt
you kinda suck at it but you have never seen anyone move so easy to find but so difficult to get a hold of, almost as if he’s untouchable
you wonder if you’ll ever be able to do that
there’s lessons on how to behave too - the ones you hate most
but those are probably the ones you need the most, you think disdainfully
the worst part, however, is that you don’t get to see kun very often
he’s always busy tending to the kids and other patients (particularly, these two kids called yangyang and chenle) or taking classes for other students in his free time
and while you have your own schedule, you really wanted to spend more time with kun
shhhhh no you totally don’t have a crush what
surprisingly, kun barely ever uses his abilities - just for really young kids to amaze them or if it’s a serious injury
he’s gone through med school, and you’re sure he possesses superhuman memory too with the way he has every part of the human body memorized
he’s really kinda cool to you - the way he works systematically and thoughtfully 
the night your sleeplessness is at its worst, you walk hesitantly towards kun’s office, hoping he could give you some mild sleeping pills
and maybe get to talk with him with that excuse
but instead, you eavesdrop on something you’re not supposed to
‘the government?’ kun asks the figure in black, sitting opposite him in his room
‘yes. they’re saying they know our location. but they want us to peacefully surrender ourselves.’
‘they’ll never find this place. sicheng’s invisibility barriers are the strongest ever known. plus, you’re good at masking. you know that.’
‘yes, but aren’t you worried? they’re not usually this bold.’
‘taeyong. you know this is the safest place we have. if we were to have been breached, we already would have.’
the figure called taeyong relaxes into the chair and there’s a quiet pause
‘yeah, you’re right. there’ll always be threats. i just got worked up.’
there’s silence for a while and you hold your breath for fear of being caught
kun has his eyes focused on taeyong
and you think he’s about to say something when his eyes suddenly move to your form behind the door
you freeze, a shiver running down your spine at the strong gaze you’re met with before scrambling away
you sneak into a narrow space between two walls, suddenly afraid that you’ve done something you shouldn’t have
you try keeping a watch on the corridor, looking out for any shadow or figure
you don’t wanna be caught eavesdropping by kun - he’s pretty strict about keeping meetings confidential 
and when you’re sure enough time has passed, you peek your head out to find an empty corridor
you sigh in relief and push yourself out of the narrow cramped space to take a deep breath
‘you know, you should really focus on the sounds you make if you’re going to sneak around.’
you jump at kun’s voice and take a step back on reflex only for your back to hit the wall
‘i’m- i’m really sorry i- i didn’t mean to- i’m sorry’
kun doesn’t say anything, only draws closer till you wish you could fall through the wall for some space between the two of you
judging from the deep frown, you’d say you’re in for quite some scolding
but all you get is a long silence
instead, he presses his hand gently against your cheek
‘how’d you get that cut?’ he asks, looking concerned
you never noticed but now that he mentioned it, you feel a low burning on your cheek
you rack your brain to find an answer to when you could possibly get a gash like that 
but instead of waiting, kun just draws his thumb along it
and the burning falls numb
you look at him, confused
you thought he disliked using his powers
‘why did you- why did you do that? you could have just sent me to the infirmary. a band-aid would have been fine.’
‘that’s okay. it’s fixed either way.’
‘i thought you didn’t like using your gifts.’
‘it does take up the better part of my energy, yes, but i’m off to bed now anyway.’
kun takes a step back and you finally detach yourself from the wall
‘kun?’ 
you call when he’s about to turn away
‘hm?’
kun looks at you with the same warmth he had when he brought you here
‘thanks. i’ll never forget what you’ve done for me.’
he laughs, his brow up in a confused twist
‘i just want to keep you safe.’
kun presses a light kiss to your forehead, so soft you almost don’t feel it
‘good night’ he says and walks away
leaving you blushing deep red in a lonely corridor
gamer!ten
when you find your ex-boyfriend at the city aquarium, you feel the urge to crawl into some hole and wither away
you just wanted a day to relax and have fun, but it looks like fate doesn’t want you to
your ex hasn’t noticed you and you quickly hide behind one of the corners to avoid confrontation
you sigh when he leaves in another direction, and turn around to get back on your little tour
your heart almost leaps out of your chest when you find a puffer fish staring right back at you
you’re so sure there wasn’t any exhibit behind you - it was just a wall, wasn’t it?
when you look around and back at the glass enclosure, there’s suddenly a tiger shark there instead of a round little pufferfish
you’re honestly starting to freak out
you slowly back away from the shark staring at you, but when you bump into someone, you let out a scream
‘JEEZ you’re so loud!’
your eyes meet another’s and they stare at you with a calculating sort of expression
‘i uh hi...uh...sorry......about that’ you stutter
he stares at you blankly
‘oh,,,uh, it’s okay’
there’s an awkward silence before he opens his mouth again
‘wait a minute you’re real aren’t you?’
you knit your brows together
‘i’m sorry?”
he cocks his head to the side and the expression on his face changes into a mortified one before he looks back to you
‘okay don’t freak out’
and of course you turn around to see what he saw
and it’s a fucking blue whale in a tank that’s probably not meant to hold a blue whale
your eyes follow the slow cracking on the glass, every new vein kicking a bout of fear in you
but the guy beside you wastes no time in grabbing your hand and bolting before it all comes crashing down
at least one of you knows what’s going on
you’ve barely reached the exit, when water rushes in from behind and the grip on your wrist tightens 
‘this is gonna be messy’ he warns with a grimace
and you’re hit with a giant wave of water
great you’re gonna drown in an aquarium full of weird sea creatures who may or may not try to eat you
and the blue turns to black but you don’t feel the grip on your arm loosen, safely anchoring you
you wake up in an empty convenience store when bright daylight streams in through the windows
‘where the hell and fuck am i’
‘oh my god you’re awake i didn’t know if you could respawn i thought you died FOR REAL-’
‘what’
you see the guy from the aquarium, dark hair all mussed and wet, sitting with a towel around his neck and he passes one to you, which you take reluctantly
‘you really don’t know?’ he asks
you glare at him as you stand up and walk closer to him
do you look like you’re joking?
‘okay okay. you’re in a video game. i have no idea how you got in though. last time i checked glitches aren’t sentient.’
huh okay
at least it explains the shape-shifting fish and why an entire aquarium came crashing down on its own
you try to not think about the obvious madness of everything so far
‘i’m ten, by the way. and you’re welcome.’
‘for what?’
‘for saving your life?’ he answers with an incredulous face
you’re both quiet for a while before he sits down in front of you, still drying his hair
‘did you really not suspect a thing till now?’ he asks
‘i mean,,,,uh,,,,,when i saw my ex something had to be wrong’
he snickers as he adjusts something on his watch
you look at him expectantly
‘so are you going to explain why i’m here or why my ex is here or why everything feels so real’
‘oh right. have you ever seen those drones around your neighborhood?’
‘the round black ones?’
‘yeah! those are our scanning drones. we wanted the game to be as realistic as possible!’
‘so you spy on people?’
‘no’ 
it takes ten a full fifteen minutes to explain that this is just one of the new releases from his company and he’s a beta tester (or avid gamer, if you may) looking around for glitches in the background to report them before missions and enemies and other details can be added
you might live in one of the most technologically advanced cities in the world 
and you know times are changing from phone screens and ar/vr headsets but
never in your life would you have thought virtual reality could get so real that you confuse it with actual reality
‘what are you doing?’ you ask as you eye ten tap away on his watch
‘reporting that glitchy fish’
‘glitchy fish’ you repeat
that’s one way to put it
when he’s done he looks up and stares at you for a while till it gets on your nerves
‘what?’
‘i still don’t know if you’re a glitch or a player, darling’ he says with a hard stare
you gulp
he’s not going to leave you behind, is he?
‘you have any idea where your real body could be right now? maybe we could disconnect you from the server’
you shrug. you don’t remember starting or even purchasing this game
‘the game’s not even released to the public though, i have no idea how you’d get the game.’
you sigh. this isn’t getting anywhere
suddenly ten seems to realize something as he stands up straight
‘maybe your save files got deleted! that’s why you have no memory.’
you nod along without fully understanding
an explanation’s better than none
‘and? what do i have to do to get out of this game?’
ten scratches the back of his head sheepishly
‘haven’t figured that part out yet’
you sigh into your hands
‘we’re not giving up yet don’t be so sad’
you look back up to be greeted with a thousand watt smile
‘i, personally, think that sentient glitches are kinda cool’
‘i’m not a glitch!’ you protest
you can’t be. you just don’t know how you got into the game that’s all
‘well then let’s get going!’ he says as he pulls you up
you stumble behind him trying to steady yourself with his walking pace as you both exit the store
‘where are we going?’ you ask
‘you have a place to live, don’t you?’
‘but it’s,,,,,a simulation’
‘so are we now let’s get going, glitch’
‘i’m not a glitch, dickwad’
ten hesitates for a moment before nudging you to lead the way
‘we can try jogging your memory tomorrow’ he shrugs
‘if it doesn’t work, i’ll go back and try searching for your save files’
and you trust him on that 
virtual sunsets can’t be so pretty, you think as you walk towards your apartment, your only hope lying with a stranger
maybe this video game isn’t so bad
secret agent!winwin
uhh more like intergalactic secret agent
as someone from earth, you’re not happy with how things are going
illegal activities have grown in numbers, with crime rate off the charts
and the worst yet, the government is desperately trying to hide that everything is going wrong
so of course they want to send agents on covert operations to solve some of the problems
and man, being one of earth’s best secret agents is a pain in the ass
because you get sent to bring down an illegal kaiju fighting ring all on your own
if those monsters are let loose, you can’t even begin to comprehend the damage
you have no idea how they even made those - and they even established a command link with them!
it’s like mankind is itching to drive themselves extinct
as for your plan
getting in is easy for you with your disguise as a spectator 
you’re gonna thank the face sculptors you borrowed from the labs, but the rest was all you
in all honesty, the plan you made is easy
sneak into the team chambers, make sure the kaiju are put to sleep, and destroy the command links
and then of course, you make sure the ring is irreparably destroyed
should be easy enough - you have all your limbs and vital organs, what else can you need?
turns out having a few more eyes or blades on your spine or being as big as a skyscraper would also be cool
the near death experience you have in the spectator area makes you wonder why people come here at all
the creatures aren’t fully limited to the ring - sometimes their deadly sharp tails shoot into the watching bay
perhaps someone forgot to give you the memo
but you regain your composure as you sneak out while the crowd goes wild with their eyes glued to the monsters
seriously, how could anyone enjoy monsters tearing each other apart?
when you’re in a team personal room, you take down the players easy enough
but you hesitate when you look at the giant creature in the glass container
it sleeps so peacefully, even if its programmed to be controlled, to kill
just plug the poison in and they’ll die just as peacefully, you remind yourself
you get a horrible feeling in your gut though 
all these years you’ve managed to keep your missions almost casualty proof
and the first murder you’ll be doing is of innocent creatures tainted by mankind to kill
but of course, you think again, they’re a threat to other life if freed
you’re about to plug the driver in, when an arm snakes around your waist and twists you to the ground
you groan in pain but retaliate with a kick nonetheless
the figure dodges it by a hair’s width and tries wrapping a hand around your neck
the fight continues and you’ve never felt so drained in your life - this guy really knows hand to hand combat huh,,
you’ve never sparred with someone who moves so fluid, almost feline in how his footsteps never make a sound
you can never predict his next move
it’s difficult to fight him so you settle for restricting his movement as much as possible
you have him pinned for a while, as you demand an answer of him
while most of his face is covered, his eyes are not and you’d find them pretty if they weren’t from a person so dangerous
in all your years of training, you’ve never encountered an enemy this skilled
‘who sent you?’
he doesn’t answer, and an almost satisfied look passes across his features
in a flash, your positions are reversed and he cuffs your wrists with magnetic locks
you groan
this is not how you’re going out
you watch him as he sticks three patches on the container and it makes you wonder
they can’t be,,,,teleportation patches,,,can they
you thought they were just rumors
‘what are you doing?’ you ask, desperate to enough to distract him in any way
he raises an eyebrow and walks slowly towards you with a hard glare
‘putting things back in their place’
‘okay,,, and how’d you sneak in?’
you admit you’re a little curious - he doesn’t look like he’s been using face sculptors or presence erasers
he looks like he got in way easier than you did
‘you’re only the best on earth’ he says with a scoff
‘you know me?’
‘i know everyone who works for earth’s government. your firewalls are primitive’
you crinkle your nose at how casual he looks saying something so condescending
‘do you mind explaining what you’re gonna do with them?’
‘i told you. i’m putting things back in their place.’
‘what you’re gonna put them back in a test tube?’
he stops to look at you for a moment
‘you really don’t know?‘
you shake your head
why does he look at you with so much disdain?
‘a race of thieves pretending they’re pioneers,,,huh‘
‘now you’re just being mean :(’
you’re starting to form an idea of who he is, and it isn’t any less interesting than who he might be
‘how do you think you humans started breeding them?’
‘so you’re telling me,,,they were stolen?’
‘yes, and now they’ve been genetically modified to only fight. it’s sad’
‘sorry to break it to you buddy but human beings kinda suck’
he tilts his head
perhaps that was not the response he expected from your arrogant little race
he continues walking around the glass, analyzing the creature
‘they’re from a less developed planet under our protection. they’re going to die out if we don’t restore the natural order‘
you sit still, curious about the whole situation unfurling
he looks at you one last time, eyes unreadable again
‘i hope you stay out of my way. i’ll take care of the creatures‘
‘let me help you‘
‘i’m sorry?‘
he has an eyebrow raised in disbelief
‘i’ll help you. you wanna get them home, right? i want to help‘
it is a better way to get rid of them - that way you won’t be committing mindless murder
‘well, i need to get them to the labs first to rewire their bio codes, and then get them home‘
‘so you’ll let me help‘
‘i’m not used to,,,a partner‘
‘you wouldn’t tell me all of that unless you wanted me to help‘
you see a ghost of a smile across his features even if his lower face is masked
‘you’re going to wear a freezer bracelet in case you try something funny‘
you groan
‘we literally want the same thing - a little trust would be nice‘
‘you talk like a rookie too much to be a good agent‘
he walks up to you and removes the magnetic cuffs only to put the freezer bracelet on you
you massage your wrists and shoot him a glare
if you’re offering to help him, he could at least be a little nicer
in the next second, he pulls down his mask and extends a hand towards you
you’re almost a little starstruck by his face, honestly
his expression is strictly business when he speaks, a little uncaring even
but there’s a hint of a smile in his voice
‘i think it’d be a win-win situation for us to work together and get all these kaiju home’
time traveller!lucas
you go to the old park early in the morning not because you’re fond of waking up at ungodly hours
but there’s something about the silence of dawn that really helps you focus on your work
of course you do skip some days, it’s normal
but you like to be at the top, ahead of your own anxieties
on the fated day you don’t skip
you certainly weren’t expecting to find a boy hanging upside from a tree branch right in front of your face 
a lot of people don’t know about this place - only old couples and little children and dogs owners come visit
definitely not college kids
and it’s even emptier at this hour
the boy is startled by your presence, which isn’t good for him
because he ends up on the ground in a crumpled mess clutching his arm
the weirdest part is you recognize him from your classes, nanoscience maybe?
you’re sure he’s one of the more popular kids,,,,wong yukhei, is it?
you’ve seen him laugh with a giant group of friends in the hallway before
‘oww,,,,’
that snaps you out of your thoughts and you quickly kneel down beside him
‘are you okay?? did you hurt your arm?? do you need help??’
‘i’ll be fine!!!’ he squeaks when he sees you so close to him and shoots up
but something else catches his attention as he mutters an ‘oh boy’
and takes off in another direction
you look behind you but find nothing and scratch your head trying to figure out what’s up
what a weird boy
and you’re about to take your regular spot on the bench with your laptop
when the boy sudden materializes beside you again nearly giving you a heart attack
‘you’ve gotta come with me’
and suddenly you’re pulled by the arm into a strange darkness
like you’ve fallen into a lake of the murkiest waters, everything there and not there at the same time
but it lasts only a few seconds 
and when you’re able to see again, you’re not in a park
in fact you’re not in any place familiar
and there’s a horse cart coming right at you
you’re about to scream when you’re pulled to the side into an alley, almost tripping over the cobblestones
and you fall back into that murky water
light shines back again when you’re suddenly in a sort of desert
‘is that a fucking dinosaur?’
instead of an answer, you get arms wrapping around you and you’re back into murky waters
you take a breath of life in a dimly lit place
but it’s a different sort of darkness - more like someone turned the lights off instead of something that pulls you in
‘what the fuc-’
‘i’m sorry! i really am! but the situation is,,,,,,really bad’
you glare at him and a sliver of satisfaction crosses you when you see him stumble back at your gaze
‘i’m yukhei hi,,,,,,,and i’m also in your nanoscience class’
‘you know me?’ 
you don’t see his ears turn red in the dim light as he nudges you forward into a more lit area
‘we’re in 3145’
‘what? where’s that?’
‘no- that’s the year’
‘WHAT?!’
yukhei winces at the rise in your voice as you look at him for answers
in all honesty, he looks like a guilty puppy trying to avoid its owner
‘i’m so sorry i had to pull you into this!! but i didn’t have a choice, okay? the agents were after me, and they saw you too! and there was no way letting you be was okay-’
‘yukhei’
‘yes?’
‘tell me about the agents part’
‘oh right i’m supposed to deliver some information to the president of earth in 3145 but the old earth colonies sent them to get it from me’
‘.....okay’
he grins sheepishly 
‘don’t worry, okay?’ he says, eyes round and words firm
‘i just have to get this to the president and report the agents - and it’s finished!’
yukhei walks off in another direction and you follow nimbly behind him
the first sight that comes into view is the giant glass window on your left
there’s no wall - only a view of the city
and you swear you’ve never seen anything grander
it’s night but the lights are so bright it might as well be day at certain parts
there’s no being afraid of the dark here - humanity seems to have built empires to keep out their fears
drawn to the view, you walk closer to the glass and peer down
‘i can’t see the ground!’ you exclaim
yukhei turns around to look at you for a few seconds confused before coming to stand by your side
‘yeah! we’re like on of the tallest buildings ever built in human history! and this isn’t even the top floor’
your jaw drops as you look around at the rings you assume are roads with the vehicles moving on them
they have a sort of grace as they glide by at an incredible speed
there are rings after every few storeys and the bright lights nearly blind you when you try to look directly at them
the buildings themselves are of varying shapes, but they’re mostly black with lined windows emitting differently colored lights
you can see a tower in the distance, stretching out into skies you’ve never seen before, lights sorting out the texture of the clouds
you never thought nighttime could be so wonderfully lit
you turn your head to find yukhei grinning at you
‘i was totally dazed too the first time’
you find yourself smiling as yukhei points out certain things in the distance he finds cool
he’s so enthusiastic about all the places you feel yourself drawing closer, curious with certain questions
‘yukhei’ you ask suddenly ‘where are you from?’
‘the same as you! i was born in 1999, and i’m a university student- i mean, you know that,,,,,,,because we share a class together,,,’
he looks outside the glass
‘i don’t know why i took up this,,,,,,,,,,time traveling messenger job,,,,,honestly,,,,,,but it’s more fun when i’m not alone’
his shoulders sag but he straightens in a moment, like he refuses to be discouraged
‘anyway i gotta do this quick i’ll be back’
and you watch him run towards the end of the long corridor after shooting you a grin 
the hallway is tremendously large and he disappears into the dark soon despite the bright lights from the windows 
now that you think about it, it’s quite difficult to make out the ceiling - the corridors seem to be made for giants
you look back out the glass, wonder filling your senses again
you hope yukhei succeeds in his task quickly
would he ever mind giving you a tour of this place?
or just walk around with you here
it’s like every video game illustrator’s dream come true, this place
but yukhei comes back distressed after only a few minutes
‘i need a plan b’
turns out he forgot about the dinner party tonight - and there’s hundreds of thousands of guests beyond that door at the end of the corridor
there is no way to meet the president without greeting a horde of people
‘yukhei no’
‘i promise i’ll pay you back! anything you want!’
‘i am not sneaking into the president’s chamber while you distract the guests’
but you sigh and give in when you’re met with puppy eyes and pouty lips
where the hell did he learn that?
‘okay my face should be enough to distract people but just in case’
you roll your eyes as yukhei procures a black coat with gold embroidery and changes into dress shoes
he tries to comb aside his bangs as best as he can with his fingers but the strands make their way onto his face anyway
he then taps a button on his watch and his hoodie and jeans change into a dress shirt and formal pants in a blink
‘okay can’t believe that came in handy’ yukhei whistles at his garments
you, on the other hand, aren’t as calm
the president? of the entire earth? in the year 3145?
you can’t even dream up something this wild
and as yukhei drags you towards the door while you’re chewing on your nails
you pray nothing goes wrong in this plan
as you hide behind a large silver chair, you’re amazed at how good yukhei actually is at distracting
you can’t decipher the garbled nonsense that’s coming out of his mouth - you think it must be a different language, an alien language maybe or a new earth language
the guests look at him enamored and gleeful and with laughter
and you think he must have that effect on everyone he meets
well he certainly is charming, although in a weird way
with one last look at him and the crowd around, you sneak from table to table
till you reach the door at the corner 
you wouldn’t even have noticed it with the way it’s so well hidden - only at a certain angle can you make out the outline of the door, which is oddly circular
who knows maybe circles are back in fashion in the 32nd century
you push the door at one side 
and walk right into the presidential chamber
honestly, you expected a lock at least
it’s not as intimidating as you thought it’d be - in fact it looks like a normal office
well except for the techy stuff you can’t quite figure out
the lighting is soft blue and the mild smell of fresh flowers wafts through
it’s almost like a normal present day office
just keep it on the desk and go back just like yukhei said
you do just that and go back to the entrance
except the door is locked on the other side
you tug at it - it’s supposed to be rotating door, sort of like a spinning coin
but it’s wedged on tight
you slide onto the floor and hug your knees as you weigh the situation
what happens when the president finds you in her chamber? or worse, her security personnel
the president is a just but kind lady, yukhei had said to reassure you
but will you be prosecuted for trespassing? do laws even apply to you when you’re not from this era?
you swear you’ll have a mental breakdown right there
when yukhei walks in with trouble written all over his face
‘okay so,,,,another change of plan?’
there’s loud knocking at the door as yukhei scrambles around to seal it
‘okay the guards figured out i’m not the prince from some planet and we can’t go out now’
the terror on your face is obvious
‘well? what do we do?’
‘....wait for the president? she knows i’m supposed to be here’
you sigh into your hands
this is taking far too long and in a place far too closed for your liking
you find yourself having difficulty breathing
but when yukhei notices, he starts talking to you in halting words and laughter - his stories of where and when he’s been and all the dumb situations he got himself into
and even though the lilt in his voice gets loud
it helps you calm down
and you end up resting against his shoulder
you don’t know how you fell asleep but yukhei shakes you awake by the shoulder
‘the president’s here!’ he notifies
and you immediately jump up to stand straight
and when yukhei relates the events to the president in fumbling words,
you notice how dignified she is, especially with the stark contrast against yukhei’s awkward form in front of her
you almost giggle as he flusters over incorrect word usage
and your bumpy journey is over as soon as yukhei passes a small device to the president
‘good work’ she says with a smile and you’re escorted to a new room in a flurry
‘a gift’ one of the guards hands yukhei a small device
‘oh man! the latest one? this looks so cool!’
the bright smile on his face radiates excitement
your heart freezes when yukhei walks over to you, his smile still stretched across his face
‘let’s go home’ he says 
you take his hand and smile back
and the murky waters aren’t as suffocating this time
you’re by the park bench again like you haven’t been gone for a few hours
there’s an awkward air between you and yukhei as you try to part with a goodbye
and you’re about to sit alone on your bench again
when yukhei turns around to jog back beside you
‘hey,,,,uh,,, do you wanna hang out in 3145? i know some really good cafes and gaming joints,,,’
you break into a livened up smile
‘i’d love to’
therapist!xiaojun
but like,,,,a therapist for cyborgs,,,,
he mainly works with newly made cyborgs and helps them get used to their new body parts in one way or another
you’re actually one of the first long term patients he gets
and you’re,,,,well,,,,a special case
on one hand, you’re technically still human
but your brain has been replaced with processors to help your body function
the only patients he’s ever helped are ones with more outer cyber body parts like arms and legs and eyes
they think the same way, and it’s just adjusting to related physical activities that they need help for
he’s a little scared to admit that he might not know what to do, how to distract you from associated difficulties, how to help you completely adjust
but he’s going to give you his best shot anyway
all you know is that a car accident left you with irreparable brain damage 
and this was the only way to save you
you know who you are because that information has been fed to you
you know who you are but you just don’t think the same
in a way, you’ve gone back to thinking like a child because of the reset
learning things little by little 
but it wasn’t good enough for you to get back to where you were
it’s like you understood things but stopped feeling them
a sort of hollow shell for a computerized mind
and of course, you were having trouble getting used to processing things at an abnormal speed
the amount of information in your environment sometimes gave you a nasty headache
so your family had to call in a specialized therapist 
xiaojun is kind when he first meets you
he’s a little awkward in movement but he still smiles at you
and he’s genuine in the way he speaks
even you can tell him apart with your limited intuition
but you don’t talk to him - can’t talk to him even then
maybe you’re still afraid (with whatever remnants of fear left with you)
that the more you adjust to this, the more robotic you’ll feel
so the first three sessions you keep your mouth shut
but xiaojun doesn’t get exasperated with you, or groan or click his tongue
the simplicity of the room saves you a headache - the reality simulator of the room probably adjusts to the patient’s comfort
but honestly you wish you got one to get out of there
xiaojun is still kind, you think
he smiles when he asks you if you want to hear a song
you nod - whatever harm could a song do?
maybe it’s how he helps the other patients distract themselves from their sudden changes
and so he brings the guitar from the corner of the room
and plays you a song
it’s a sweet song at that, about gardenias and love
you want to hear it again, but you don’t want to speak
what if the voice that comes out is not your own?
so you settle for smiling at him and quietly appreciating the soft strumming of guitar
and at the end you thank him and leave
but on the fourth day, when he asks you a question you answer it
‘what’s your favorite fairy tale?’
‘it’s peter pan’ you answer without thinking
it wasn’t your favorite before the accident, but you’ve come to love it now
reading it over and over again, you’re sure the words are saved perfectly in your memory
especially when you have a computer for a brain
what would it be like to become a lost boy? 
run away to a place where you felt freedom?
it’s one of the nicer thoughts you have, really
and to your surprise
you find yourself talking to him easily and freely
maybe it’s his warmth, maybe it’s how he smiles
maybe you just like being in his presence
even if he’s just a therapist for people who aren’t quite human anymore
and you feel happy
you didn’t think your new brain would give you the chance to feel that
in fact, you’re feeling things so much that you start to dread the end of the therapy sessions
you tell xiaojun what you feel after a lot of internal debating
‘í’m not stupid i just can’t think the same way anymore’
xiaojun looks up at you
‘i know that. that’s why you’re here‘
‘no, you don’t get it - i used to be someone who worked a lot, right? but i don’t wanna do that anymore! i want to be more free, and you know, do less’
xiaojun has his full focus on you like every day
but something feels different
‘that’s perfect then. you’ve identified your problem,,,and well, there’s nothing wrong if you want to sit back and rest‘
‘but- but my family needs me to work!’
‘you know they don’t. you’re being unreasonably harsh on yourself‘
‘because i’m not the same anymore!‘
xiaojun leans forward at the rise in your voice
‘everyone who walks in here have changed in some way or another. everyone who hasn’t come in here are also the same. people change. that’s what they do, right?‘
you stay quiet for a few moments and see a flicker of worry across xiaojun’s face
‘but i’m not a person anymore, right?’
he frowns 
‘well you think and you feel. i think that’s enough to feel like a person’
‘i’m afraid i’ll stop feeling with this- this robot brain i have‘
xiaojun smiles again
‘but you’ve been feeling the past few weeks? and you’re feeling afraid now?’
you nod
‘then you’ve already proved your brain lets you feel’
he’s right, of course, you try to reason with yourself 
‘but what if i just stop feeling again?’
‘then you’ll start feeling again too’
you start to think again
you’re still feeling now 
fear is still the primitive feeling in your headspace
and maybe that’s what’s holding the humanity in you
you sigh and sit back
‘maybe if you try to let go of fear, you’ll have space for other feelings too’ xiaojun says with a smile ‘but that’s advice for everyone’
he checks the time on his watch and breathes out, signalling the session is over
but before you can leave, he comes and sits beside you
‘i know i’m your therapist, but can i speak to you as a friend for a moment?’
you’re a little taken aback but nod a yes nevertheless
‘when i was a kid, i had an accident too‘
you’re curious at the sudden words
‘and i had to get parts of my brain replaced‘
you look at him as he plays with his fingers
‘i decided to help people in an unbiased way, get them back on their feet‘
‘i didn’t feel for a very long time honestly. in fact, not until i met you. i felt understood after so long - and i wanted to thank you for it‘
‘since the sessions are ending, i just wanted you to know’
you feel a little embarrassed when xiaojun rubs his neck and awkwardly smiles at you
‘so if we’re friends, does that mean i can talk with you anytime?’ you ask with a shy smile
xiaojun smiles, warmth ever present
‘anytime‘
android!hendery
the moment the delivery bot dumps a fully functional android at your place, you know something’s wrong
‘i haven’t ordered this...gosh, i don’t even have the money!’
‘don’t worry. it’s already paid for.’
you knit your eyebrows together as you scan your finger over the delivery bot’s tablet and look at the giant box now in your living room
you walk around it, scrutinizing it when a note catches your eye
thought you might be bored of living alone, so here’s a cutie - xoxo, 10
what the fuck
ten really has nothing better to do huh
you immediately call him and his holographic image shows up on your living room in that damn posh suit
‘ten just what is this?’
‘huh?’
the look of feigned ignorance on his face pisses you off even more as you adjust your camera to focus on the box
‘that!’
‘oh it’s an android!! the latest from our labs’
‘and why is it here?’
‘it’s an early birthday present, darling’
you groan as a smirk makes its way onto his face
‘i mean he might be having the feature too but i’d have sent a sex droid if that’s wh-’
‘ten i will personally march into your office and slaughter you with every weapon possible if you continue talking’
he laughs at your repulsed expression for a good few seconds before standing up straight to face you
‘who’s gonna run the company if i die? besides, i personally helped with instructing for this one. i’m sure you’ll like him’
you sit on your couch and sigh
you definitely won’t if ten designed it
your best friend might be the ceo of a leading tech company but he’s still so annoyingly childish
‘well activate him! actually wait you know what i’ll do it myself cause you’re a prick’
‘ten no-’
there’s a sudden whir from the giant box sounding dreadfully like the booting up of a system and you stand up alarmed
‘oh wow it’s darker than i thought it would be oh boy.....and way more bubble wrap’
you freeze at the unknown voice
‘have fun, darling!’ ten says and disconnects after blowing a kiss at you
you groan and hesitantly make your way to the box which is surprisingly stagnant considering there’s a whole robot inside
your shaking hand presses the unpack button and inside stands a rather confused figure in standard android black, but it’s a hoodie and jeans instead of formal attire
with stretched and destroyed bubble wrap by his feet
but when he steps forward to greet you with a bright ‘hello!’ you swear it’s the prettiest boy you’ve ever seen
you’re at a loss for words for a few seconds
before you remember you really don’t want anyone else running around your place
‘hi uh,,,,’
you read the tag on his hoodie
‘hendery. hi. uh. i don’t know how to say this but,,,,is there any chance you could be returned? like you could be with ten maybe?’
his smile drops to a sad frown
‘you don’t want me?’
‘no. i mean yes! no wait! it’s not like that i just don’t- i don’t know- i’ve never had an android before. yes, that’s it!’
you grimace internally at your own words
he’s just an android - he’s not a real person! why are you getting so nervous?
maybe it’s the look of a kicked puppy that’s all across his face right now
you sigh and decide far too hastily that you’ll keep him for a month 
but you’ll talk to ten as soon as possible
‘um,,,,so like,,,,what do you do?’
‘you have to calibrate me with your bio readings!’ he says with a regained smile
‘uh what’
hendery raises an arm out and looks at you expectantly
‘give me your hand. only if you want. since i’m your personal android, i have to do this, you see?’
you look at him quizzically but give him your hand nonetheless
he clasps it with both his hands and goes still for a few seconds
you’re about to freak out when he moves again, the same polite smile on his face
‘my sensors are pretty accurate, but i think a saliva sample would’ve been more helpful for analyzing your dna’
‘i’m sorry? what?’
he presses his index finger against his lips to think (or pretend to think? do androids think like that?)
‘your permission for a kiss will get me the sample?’
you swear the smile on his face turns devilish as he winks
you step back with a glower trying to sputter out a response while he breaks into laughter
did ten include flirting in hendery’s code?
oh you are so going to kill him
‘that was a joke!’
you scramble back to your room with one last glare at hendery when he starts following you
‘did i say something wrong?’ he asks, the innocence on his face surely fake
it’s weird how your days adjust to hendery’s presence in them
he’s helpful, yes, but he’s also programmed with an annoying sense of humor
no, his jokes are not funny, you convince yourself every time you find yourself almost grinning
he’ll do what you ask him to do if you ask nicely
and he’s a little protective perhaps 
he never lets you go out without the companion band, which transmits location and biological data to him
it makes you feel safer in your neighborhood if you’re being honest
but of course, all of that is in his code
he could be modeled after ten for all you know with the way he gets on your nerves
but something about him is not like other androids - he’s a companionship android but you’ve never seen one so human
it’s unnerving to think he’s not human
only sometimes is he a little snarky with you
because apparently he’s programmed with common nineteen year old adult behaviors
and all that’s well and good but
the thing with hendery is that
he never
stops
talking
anything and everything - he just shoots off at the mouth
here you were thinking androids were made to be emotionless and fully catered to their user
but it’s his experiences hendery loves to talk about
what he feels when he sees things for the first time
and maybe it’s because you’ve been so used to living alone 
that the lively talk gets too much sometimes
‘hendery! just,,,,please stop,,,talking’
you massage your forehead trying to figure out the answers to the latest problems your professor just posted
when you turn to look at him, he’s staring at you with big doe eyes and you’re already starting to feel bad
‘i’m just,,,,not used to another person being here’ you explain
‘oh but i’m not a person!’
you frown at the nonchalant expression on his face
right. he’s right
not a person
but it doesn’t sit well with you as you get up to sit beside hendery
he’s not a person maybe, but he’s treated you nicer than anyone you know
‘i’m sorry. for snapping at you. and not welcoming you here.’
‘that’s okay. i’m an andr-’
‘no, no that’s not reason enough. i know it’s your code and i should thank ten, but thank you for being here with me.’
hendery smiles, and you wonder who put the twinkling lights in his eyes
‘i didn’t think i’d ever be treated as a person’ he says 
‘even if i’m intelligent enough to learn and feel’
you smile at him, it’s all you can do to reassure him
‘thank you’ he mumbles as he wraps his arms around you, a warm scent engulfing you
when he pulls away, his bright grin falls to a sudden frown
‘your data said you like warm hugs!! why are you so red and panicked?’ he asks, worried
your heart beats faster at his words and you scowl
gods he’s stupid for the latest AI
he presses all his fingers against your cheeks and furrows his eyebrows
‘your surface temperature isn’t right!’
he presses two fingers against your neck
‘neither is your pulse! i need to do a scan- oh’
his face breaks into a cheeky grin
‘don’t say it’ you glare
‘i wonder why you’re flustered,,,,,hmm’
‘hendery i will ship you back to ten’
he pouts and you throw your head back and laugh
you’ll be keeping hendery around for longer than a month after all
alien!yangyang
when you see the building suddenly collapsing a few blocks ahead of you, you think ‘shit this is it this is how i die fuck fuck fuck-’
you certainly did not expect to wake up in a weird room lit by dim blue lights, or even wake up at all
and the first thing you see is a boy at the corner, hugging his knees and dozing off against the leg of the bunk bed
you sit up on the bed, your head still feeling fuzzy and dangerously close to shutting down altogether
you steady yourself, and try taking in your surroundings
the walls are probably white, but they appear blue under the lights - in fact pretty much everything in the room is white that way
however, one of the walls seems to be a giant mirror, and you stare back at a very dazed version of you
even your clothes are white, you look unhealthily pale, a little skinnier and your hair is a mess
‘how long have i been here?’ you think
you absentmindedly get off the bed to walk towards the mirror, and that wakes up the boy with a start
he looks surprised for a moment to see you there, but it quickly turns into excitement as he rushes towards you
you register light brown hair and warm eyes, and a giant smile
but barely because your brain is still mush
‘omg are you real wait a minute are you really human??’
you’re suddenly bombarded with a lot of questions your weakened state can’t answer
and you find yourself getting a headache, to which he appears really confused
‘if i had my watch right now, i’d know what’s wrong with you ://’
‘i,,,,ow,,,,my head hurts,,,,,,stop talking’
‘oh,,,,’
you gaze incredulously at the boy - has he never heard of a headache before?
‘aren’t headaches eradicated yet on earth?’ 
he looks so genuinely curious that the mystery of everything around you just worsens your headache
you just continue staring with a ‘huh??’
he suddenly looks startled before looking back at you
‘i’m so sorry for my manners!! my name is yangyang. what’s yours?’
you look blank trying to register his words but manage to respond with your name
‘you don’t look too good,,,,,’
you almost snap with a ‘yeah no shit genius’ when the giant mirrors part and two people walk in wearing thick black suits and a black helmet 
you can’t see their faces and they carry a weird looking item that remotely resembles a gun
but the moment the doors open, your headache suddenly resides and you take in a large gulp of air
‘step forward’ one the guards demand, pointing the gun-like device towards you
you jump up in panic, and take a step forward when yangyang grabs your arm
‘they’re not going anywhere till you answer us’ he says, pursing his lips
‘we are not obligated to answer you.’
yangyang frowns but continues nonetheless ‘well,,,,’
he suddenly wraps an arm around your neck and bends it at an uncomfortable angle while pinning your struggling arms together with his other hand
‘you better take me to the commander of this ship unless you want their neck snapped in half’
the guards take a step towards you but increased pressure on your neck causes them to stop
they hesitate before agreeing and yangyang holds you close to him as you both follow one of the guards while the other stays behind you
you take a few turns like this before yangyang lets go of you subtly and kicks the guard behind in the chest and grabs their gun while they’re still in shock
when the front one turns to react, yangyang shoots without thinking and a beam appears knocking them unconscious
‘this does that?’ yangyang scratches his head before dropping the gun
you stare at him frozen but stumble backwards when he walks towards you
‘where are you going?? i’m not gonna hurt you!’ he defends
‘oh yeah? it didn’t look that way when you were ready to choke me to death!!’
‘that was just to get out! you’re obviously important for them to not have killed you and chucked you in with me’
‘and who are you?’
‘uhhh’
yangyang looks away at the doors sliding open at the other end and a look of panic temporarily crosses his face before he looks back at you with pleading eyes
‘please come with me. we don’t have much time’ he rushes
you look confused and worried at the same time, running over the options you have and their possible outcomes
‘it’s either me or them’ he points towards the guards who have a slightly modified version of the previous guns you saw
and in a split second
you choose yangyang
you don’t remember exactly what happens next - there’s a lot of running involved and the rush of adrenaline, and a lot of dodging deadly laser beams aimed at you
and by the end, you’re sitting in a rather small spacepod with yangyang frantically analyzing the buttons before the pod finally takes off with some clicks and whirs 
yangyang sighs in relief when the thing accelerates, almost grinning like an idiot when your surroundings change to a blur
you look at him quizzically and he shrugs - ‘what? i like the speed’
and when it finally slows down, you’re in some remote corner of the universe with a complete stranger, and not sure if you’ll ever get home
‘uh,,,yangyang,,,do you wanna explain everything now?’
yangyang hesitates at first but begins anyway
and you’re dizzy with the sudden influx of all the new information but it also excites you
‘,,,so you’re the prince,,,,,,of a whole planet,,,’ you repeat
yangyang nods, suddenly a little shy
times are hard for your neighboring galaxy, he tells you, after one of the more military advanced planets declared war on the others in an attempt to conquer the entire galaxy
and if they wanted to move onto earth too, it’s major trouble
the ship you both were on was just a spy ship, which means they’re just exploring earth and not setting conquest on it just yet
and you were probably a main test subject
however, he says he has full faith in the alliance between the three ruling planets of his galaxy and hopefully, this war will be the last
yangyang, in the meantime, was supposed to not get kidnapped but,,,,well,,,,,that happened
and now he’s not sure it’s safe to go back to his planet
you stay quiet for a bit before an idea strikes you
‘wanna visit earth?’ you ask
yangyang’s eyes light up as he turns to you
‘really? you’ll show me around?’
‘well, i can’t promise every place,,,but definitely around my city,,,’
and yangyang smiles the brightest of smiles at you, before turning to the controls and punching in earth’s coordinates
you grin back at him, dizzy with a sense of adventure
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starcunning · 5 years
Text
Suffer Me to Cherish You: 17 Nov
Fanfest good, game good, friends good, sleep ... good.
Previously: Week One, Week Two Previously: 11 Nov, 12 Nov, 13 Nov, 14 Nov, 15 Nov, 16 Nov
Chapter Nine
They went not as did adventurers, carried on currents of aether. Myste was weak enough now to make that a dangerous proposition, and so they dozed in the back of a chocobo carriage. Myste drowsed with his head against her shoulder, his brow against her chin, his breath against her neck. She was so tired. The journey made her weary, she supposed.
He had told her all along, hadn’t he? She had simply misunderstood, or chosen to misunderstand. Myste could not raise the dead, only breathe life into their memories. It was perhaps a relief to know that the mother who stood in the field was a reflection of nothing more than X’khilo’s perceptions of who she was, who he wanted her to be. But X’khilo never knew who had sired Shasi, and perhaps Shasi would never know.
It was a relief and a burden all its own to know that X’khilo Nunh was not her father in blood as well as deed. It should have freed her to forsake the tribe at last, but the nunh’s blood had never been what bound her to them.
No, you were never one for renunciation, Fray said. She did not answer, looking down at the boy resting on her lap. No sorrow touched his face in sleep. He did not stir as she put her arms around him, carefully arranging his silver hair. He looked like Ysayle. She had always held that to be true. But he looked like someone else, too. He looked like … Everything you’ve lost, come back to you. “Mm,” she said, noncommittal in her tone. She could hear the steady pace of the chocobos on the road, and she missed Anthea, left behind when she had chased currents of aether to distant shores. Myste stirred just the same, blinking up at her. “Are we there?” he asked. “Nearly, little bird. I can see the light glinting off that horrible statue even from here.” She lifted a hand, and he shifted in his place to follow the line of her arm. “How awful. What will we find there?” “A friend,” she said. “He will treat you kindly, I promise.” “And he needs my help?” She thought of him proffering the siphon; remembered his voice in her ear as she stood in the Royal Menagerie, overwhelmed with uncertainty. “Perhaps more than anyone else I know,” she said. Oh, there was Thancred, of course, whose demons were without number, but she got no sense that Myste could allay them. “I should have asked Unukalhai to come and visit,” she said. “You remind me of one another.” “Why?” Myste wondered, shifting and stretching in the carriage, at last settling beside her. Shasi tilted her head, considering the question. “Both of you are overburdened by a weight that should never have been yours to bear,” she said. “But I don’t mind it, really,” Myste said. “I like being able to help people. I love people. If I can take their grief and grant them peace, that’s a worthwhile trade. It makes me happy, to see them smile again.” “What will you do when all the aether of my crystal is returned to me?” Shasi asked. “I suppose I’ll go away,” Myste said, and the ache she felt at the notion surprised her.
The carriage jolted to a stop a moment later, and Shasi breathed in the salt air of Vesper Bay. She jumped down from the back of the carriage first, holding her hands out to Myste, who let her help him down, then turned his face to catch the sun. She smiled, and he smiled too.
The Waking Sands looked abandoned—but it only looked abandoned, she knew. Its shade was yet welcome after the pressing heat of the Thanalan sun. How quickly she had forgotten, having fled its light. The glamour was convincing; Shasi was sure she tasted dust with every breath, and the stairway looked surpassingly precarious, such that even she herself balked at the first step. “If you need to,” Shasi told Myste, “you can just put a hand on my shoulder and close your eyes, feeling for the next step with your feet. I promise it’s safe.” “I know,” Myste said. “You would never hurt me.” Shasi felt a pulse of aether as she skimmed the toe of her boot over the first step. That would be the alert, she surmised, and when she made it to the bottom of the stairway, the door opened and Urianger stepped out.
She had to look up to meet his eyes—if indeed she did; the goggles obfuscated where his attentions were laid. His hood, too, sought to obscure him, and Myste seemed shy of him a moment, but Shasi settled a hand on the nape of the boy’s neck. “It’s good to see you, Urianger,” she said by way of greeting. “I’m sorry that I could not sooner warn you of my intention to visit, but it was a decision made in some haste.” “It is no trouble, my lady,” Urianger said. “Full glad am I to see you well, as ever. This, then, is the guest of which thee told me?” “Yes,” Shasi said. “This is Myste, my traveling companion. Myste, this is Urianger Augurelt. He is a great many things—a sage of Sharlayan, one of the Archons that followed Louisoix Leveilleur to Eorzea, and an accomplished scholar—but most importantly to me, he has been a dear friend.” Myste seemed overawed by that, but he stepped through the door when Shasi shepherded him forward. “It’s good to meet you,” he said. “I am glad to make thine acquaintance, Myste—and to hear that thee thinkest me still thy friend, my lady,” Urianger said. She blinked at him, faltering in her step for just a moment. “Of course,” she said a moment later, not a dismissal but an insistence.
They retired to the anteroom, which was much the same as Shasi remembered it—only emptier, with no Scions to sit around the table there. None but two, anyway, and Myste sat beside Shasi, solemn in the dim light of the room. “My lady tells me thou art possessed of a unique ability to speak with those departed,” Urianger said. “Yes,” Myste said. “When did this potential make manifest itself in thee?” the Elezen wondered. “I’ve been able to do it all my life.” “Dost thou recall the first instance of that power’s usage?” “Yes,” Myste said. “I was with some people I really admired, the sort of people who fought to protect others from the grief and sadness of this world. But … I had nothing really to contribute to their efforts, and so I kept to my silent admiration.” His chin fell to his chest, hair cascading forward as though to curtain away his shame. “It is isolating work, though, to be the bulwark of the innocent, and one day I heard a cry, as if from a great depth. I felt that loneliness as my own, and I wanted to alleviate it … since then, that has been my greatest joy and sole purpose.” Myste lifted a hand to brush his hair back over one pointed ear. He smiled across the table at Urianger. Shasi looked over at her old friend, too, but his face gave nothing away, his implacable mouth framed by silvery bristles. “What became of these people you admired?” Urianger asked. “What becomes of all of us, sooner or later? The bonds between us were broken. But … I do not hate them for that. Truthfully, I am drawn to that sort of person.” He turned to look up at Shasi. “That’s why I knew you would help me. Because you’re a good person.” Shasi only pursed her lips, glancing away. “Do you want to show Urianger what you can do?” she said instead. “Only if that’s what he wants,” Myste said, looking ashamed. Shasi gave him a nod of reassurance. “That there existeth a life untouched by loss I must surely doubt,” Urianger said, “least of all my own. My mentor preceedeth me through circumstances too strange to consider, but words enough from him have I to comfort me. If thou wouldst do me kindness, there is another I would speak to again, had I the opportunity.” Myste stared at the scholar, and for a long moment, Shasi was afraid he might refuse, but then she heard the swift approach of heavy footsteps.
“Urianger!” cried Moenbryda Wilfsunnwyn, leaning over the back of Urianger’s chair to throw her arms around him. She rested her chin atop his head, pulling his body back against hers. “Moenbryda,” he said, “this is most unseemly.”
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