The call comes a little past 10 PM. "Daisuke?" A little laugh, more of a hiccup than anything else. She sniffs. "Haha, I know I usually don't try talking this late. Guess I just wanted to shake it up a bit!" And it's true. She's formed a habit of sending good night texts, complete with a string of emojis, by 8 PM on the dot. But neither that or any warning text leading up to the sudden call had come through that night. There's a sharp intake of breath. "My aunt and uncle are out tonight, and I don't think my brother's coming home 'cause- actually, never mind. It's just- it's just-" Another sniffle, and her voice drops down as if she's not sure she wants to be heard. "It's awful quiet. And I don't..." she trails off. After a few moments of silence, she gasps, "Oh no, did I wake you up!? I'll never forgive myself if I interrupted your beauty sleep!"
@deiscension
the call comes a little past 10 PM --- past curfew , post-heist . the electric rush of adrenaline has already worn off ; the blood , sweat , and tears of it rinsed away by a warm bath ... leaving the niwa worn out in his bed . eyes that had slowly drawn themselves shut now open in a disturbed-sleep squint --- at first he thinks it must be risa or takeshi ringing ; didn't his friends often call him , loud , wide awake and full of eager enthusiasm even at midnight to ask if he had seen dark on tv again ? the evening hours and all of its attentions would always belong to the great phantom thief ; daisuke likewise left to produce all sorts of pitiful excuse and apology to anyone trying to reach him , but it's different this time .
it's the first time shi qingxuan had ever called him like this . daisuke has likewise been barely granted the span of enough seconds to mumble out a messy 'hello...?' as she follows the cue of the line's otherwise answered , lingering silence . there's something strange too in the other's voice that immediately pricks at the boy a little ; snaps him awake just as quickly as it did in the face of soaring goodmorning knives and electric needles . although she carries herself well , choice and sound of her words playful and lilting as ever at least in the start , it's still not the same . parts of it lacked ; other parts , the static of her every sniff , her punctured laugh --- he can't be sure , and another part of him doesn't want to think it's true , but ...
' shi qingxuan ... are you okay ? '
in an instant , he begins to worry . his hand presses against the receiving mic of his phone ; covers up his small grunt and sore , stinging hiss as he snaps himself into a seat upwards , alongside any possible dissuasion from shi qingxuan herself : if she was going to fret and tell him that she was just fine , then he wasn't going to hear it . surprises were always like this ; demanding as much immediate action as they did spontaneous improvisation , and he doesn't hesitate to start putting a fresh pair of socks on . was it too presumptuous ? was he being impulsive ? despite the dizzy buzz and renewed rush , he can still fill in every blank .
lacrimosa : ( i don't want to be all alone . )
' can --- can i visit you ?! ' he hops in place as he holds his phone up to his ear by a shoulder . what cotton pajamas he had just started to warm and get comfortable in are traded out for better outer-wear in as little as the blink of an eye . ' i mean , no , what i meant to say is , i'm already on my way --- ' would she try to stop him ? if she was the only one there , then she was the only one that could . but he hopes that she wouldn't . ' you didn't wake me up , i promise ! i was just --- o-on a walk outside ! i'm halfway to you already , ' not quite , only just now opening the window of his room and leaping right out of it before breaking into a sprint down the road , but if he hurried he could make it there in record time .
all for a friend . ( i don't only want to hear you cry . )
' i'll be right there , okay ? ' it doesn't strike him that she could possibly hear his panting ; his frantic , aching hurry . after all , despite it , his voice is still bright and kind --- the smile on his face , even unseen , still tries to reassure . ' it's alright . i promise ! even if you had woken me up , i'd be happy to talk with you . ' he laughs too , because there's nothing else to do , even as he's running himself out of breath again . ' but --- shi qingxuan , you'll ... you'll let me in , right ? ' don't fret over presentation . please , just wait for me . please , be willing to open the door . he wouldn't have intruded otherwise , even if he could have ; picked every lock , flung open every gate . even after making it all this way , if she earnestly refused him ---
' if ... it's lonely , then i want to be beside you . i want to talk to you face to face . '
... that was all .
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on the topic of that post about traditions, i was also talking with some friends about how i really like the "modern traditional" aesthetics of overwatch. you can definitely tell its the future, but there's a lot of regional building techniques in places that allow it that also abandon western aesthetics in favor of embracing the culture of the maps area. i know it's to give each map a unique aesthetic and the creators were not thinking as deeply about it as i am, but i enjoy thinking too much. big central cities obviously need metal and glass and so forth to support the infrastructure, but on maps for smaller locations, you can see that they're made with mostly local supplies. it was on the mind because i saw a video about the stigma against grass thatched houses in africa and how theyre seen as a backwards way of living, when in reality theyre actually the most environmentally friendly way to make a house in the area and theyre also energy efficient. you dont need to run heating and cooling through a house that heats and cools itself, you dont need to worry about food spoiling if its kept chilled naturally, and you dont need to worry about costly repairs to your house if the materials are readily available. its trying to build every shelter in a western style to try to show the world that a place has been "civilized" that leads to the loss of efficiency and culture and history and a million other things. anyway i think im probably the only person who cares about the sociopolitical implications of the funny monkey with a laser gun game this much
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this is a trap
i've asked my friends—i don't think my heart is supposed to slow
there are eyes like lanterns in your walls that watch over me
wash over me in thousands of currents
and for more than a night's worth suddenly i can do without the sun. this, i know.
this is a trap and my leg is stuck between your teeth and i thank you
there's a buzz like dying bees in the middle of your bed that rocks me
washes over me in tens of thousands of currents
so for a couple of days at least i won't for a second feel the need for slumber
and this, most certainly, i know.
this is a trap and i’m bleeding out and i’ve been told to let go and yet still i stand by
there it is that smell of rot coming from the inside of your chest like a fish left out in the sun that charms me
washes over me in hundreds of thousands of currents
and for much of the time to come i’ll be entirely forgetting to eat
this, beyond all reasonable doubt, i do know.
i'm just not so sure my heart is supposed to stop
— wave machine / ymk (2023).
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