We both needed someone to talk to. I found his profile on Quick Adds and added him. He instantly added me back. 'There is always a reason for things to happen.' What was the reason for me to add him?

The season of summer is said to be the most prosperous of all the season because it signifies the blooming of nature on its wonderful state. But that is not always the case. Because it is summer when the mother of an orphan boy named Gabriel is taken away.

For Gabriel that is an orphan, her mother is his most treasured individual. But for some reasons, a stranger come knocking on their house in search for her mother.

When I got to James's house we went to his room. We started playing in his X Box. We were playing Fortnite of course. We lost 3 times. So we decided to stop playing. I went to brush my teeth and put on some sweatpants and a t shirt to sleep in, while James changed into the same thing too. When I came back he was laying on top if his bed while playing a game on his phone. I laid down next to him. I was able to see the game now. 

James was playing Temple Run 2. He turned his phone off after he died on the game. 

"So what do you wanna do Jeremiah?" James asked.

"I don't know," I said. 

I started to get kind of nervous because I didn't know what to say, or what to do. I was about to say something but before I could, James pressed his lips to mine. 

Every time We kiss i swear it gets better. We held our kiss as we both sat up on the bed. I wrapped my arms around his waist as he moved his hands to my head and we kept kissing until we heard footsteps in the hallway, then we stopped because his mom was home and came into the room. 

"Hey boys. Are y'all ready for this weekend?" She asked.

"Yes ma'am," I said.

She smiled at me and James and left the room.

James looked at me and asked if I wanted to watch tv and I said yes. 

So he turned on Stranger Things. 

We both have seen it 3 times in a row we we were doing our 4th marathon of Stranger Things. 

We got the the 2nd episode of the second season and we decided to go to bed because we were both tired. And plus tomorrow we were gonna be able to spend the whole day together so we wanted to get some rest.

We kissed good night and fell asleep. 

******

I woke up at like 2 in the morning. I couldn't fall back asleep. James was still sleeping so I didn't want to wake him up.

He looked so cute sleeping.

I grabbed my phone and texted Beth.

Me: hey you up?

Beth: yeah, what's up?

Me: well I can't sleep

Beth: is James sleeping?

Me: yeah

Beth: well idk

Me: I'm gonna go get some water

Beth: yeah that should help you fall asleep sooner

Me: okay well, night bestie

Beth: night Jeremy.

Me: 😴

I got out of the bed slowly so that I wouldn't wake up James. I went down stairs to the kitchen.

I got a water bottle and went back into the bedroom. 

I drank over half the water and closed my eyes and fell asleep again.

(..)- For the convenience of writing in two point of views, speeches in parenthesis are thoughts.


After they all left, we headed back inside.
"I'm gonna do my homework," I said to Jayden.
He stared at me in disbelief," You? Working on homework?" he laughed and continued," You hated homework. You would beg me to help you whenever you came here."
"That was a long time ago," I sighed," Sure, no one really likes homework, but nothing will happen if I don't start on it. Also, I don't really know you well enough. Maybe we did play sometimes when we were little, but to me... you're just a stranger."
My heart sank when I saw the smile on his face fade away.
"I'm.. sorry... You're right. I was gone for so long and so much time has passed. I mean... even I thought you might've forgotten," he looked away and grabbed his shoes," Well, I'm going to go to the store. Is there anything you need?" he asked, snuggling his foot into his black boots.
"No, not really," I said.
" 'Kay, I'll be back soo-" he paused then sighed," If there's anything you need, call me. Here, my number." He pulled out his phone and tapped it to mine until a little chime rang out.

-Jayden- Mall

I was just going to buy some new clothes, but I'm kinda hungry. While I'm at it, I should buy more food to fill the pantry. I could still hear the echoes of her words that slowly stabbed me over and over.
"But to me... you're just a stranger..."

It kinda hurts.

"Yo, Jay! Let's go to the arcade! Mat says he gonna bring some friends and they're gonna do a small competition! You in?" Gabe yelled out from behind me.
"Sure! Shoulda known you guys would be hanging out around here. I just finished some shopping, so I'm a little free," I replied.
We played until 6pm.
"See ya guys, gotta do some more shopping. We should hang next week for more!" I said.
"Aww Jay the party pooper! Why you gotta cut this short, man. See ya!" Gabe whimpers.

She still hasn't text me. I guess she's busy.
Ah! That icecream! They're selling it near here?! Awesome! Haha.. I bet she'd be happy.
I know she was just a kid, but maybe her tastes have changed. Well mine haven't, so I'll just buy it anyway. Ah. Snickerdoodles. PBnJ. Sweet potato fries. Damn. I love food.


-Julia-
Half the day passed by. I finished my homework, but Jayden hadn't come back yet. I went downstairs to heat up leftovers and turned the TV on. I ended up rewatching the first season of Regia all over again.
I heard the melody from the security sensor that the front door was opening. I could hear crumpling of bags thudding in the kitchen behind me.
(Jayden- Ugh. I spent all day playing games and buying food. I unlocked the door. It was dark, so I turned on some of the hall lights and put away my stuff upstairs then grabbed the food to the kitchen.
Ahhh, that's why.)

"How long have you been watching?" Jayden asked as I turned around," Wha- Why're you crying?!"
"Shuuyaaa... he's just too..  Wahhhh!!!!" I cried out," The first season is just so nostalgic!"
(Jayden- Shuya...)
Jayden sighed and continued storing groceries," I heard season two is coming out on next new year's eve. Apparently they're going to release each season on the same day they first released the first season. They're even going to release a short ova series of some of the prequel stuff this Solstice Festival."
"Wahhhh! Season two... come sooon!" I cried to the screen.
"But, you read the book series, does it matter if you watch it again? It's the same story," he said and I just gasped. 
"Of course! We fans should support our favorite authors! Plus, it's more than that! The amazing effort of the voice acting cast! The music! The heart wreathing ball of emotions you get all over again! But the actors and the set up gives it an extra boost! It's just sooo good!" I squeezed the pillow in my arms.
"Hmm... then is Shuya your favorite character?" he asked.
"Heh, yeah!" I laughed.
"Why?"
"Hm? Why? 'Cause he's so true to himself! He's honest, funny, and daring! And I love his sense of music 😆❤❤❤!!!!"
"But it's just a character from a book," he held a bowl and joined me on the sofa.
"You have no sense of imagination... I know it's the author who wrote his songs, but the feeling from it, I just sense a 'this is Shuya' feeling. Even if they're not real, I really love them for who they are."
I could hear his voice grow closer as he leaned towards me, one arm fencing me onto the sofa," And what about me? Aren't I daring?"
(Jayden- Why.. Why does she look that way when she talks about him like that..)
I was shocked by his boldness, I could not comprehend the shock that froze me.
He had shoved a spoon into my mouth.
It took me a moment for my senses to pick up the mild sweetness melting on my tongue.
"Mmm! Izus da wimited edition vaniwa ube icecweam?!" I asked.
(Jayden- So cute)
"It's not limited anymore. They made it an official flavor," he laughed," Hahaha your face.."
"Is there anymore?!"
"In the freezer," he continued laughing.
"Really?!" I jumped off the sofa and zoomed to the freezer.
Why..why did he do that? Was he jealous... of a character from a book?
"Haha.. You really liked this flavor of icecream back then.." he said.
"I.. I did?"
"Yeah.. Ube was kinda rare, so we hardly had it. You know what they say about eating icecream in cold weather? I kinda don't care. You should just enjoy what you want to eat. The weather shouldn't be a rule to not eat what you want."
"I agree!" My voice ended up a little louder than intended.
"Hey, do you want to watch the prequel series together when it comes out?" he asked.
"Hm? Oh, um, sure. Is there anything else you want to watch? I was just in the mood for Regia. Just turn on anything, I don't mind."
" Nah, I'm good. Let's continue where you left off. I kinda forgot some of the beginning."
"Oh. Okay." I awkwardly returned to the sofa and covered myself in my blanket.
"Ah, it's kinda cold.."
I could see him eyeing me from the corner of his view.
"Do you.. want a blanket?" I asked.
(Jayden- Will she..?)
"Are you... sharing your blanket with me?" he said with puppy eyes.
"If you're cold, we should get more blankets. I'll go get some from the guest room," I walked upstairs.
" 'Kay~"
(Jayden- Aw....
Hm.. I wonder why I feel like I'm forgetting something... Ah!)

I tried to open the closet door, but it was jammed shut. After I used all my strength, it finally barged open. I saw boxes labled blankets and some with a clover stamped on it. I opened the closest one near me with a clover stamp.
I could hear the thumping from downstairs heading towards me.
Oh. My. Cotton. Candy. Cane. What. Is. This..?!!
"Don't open the boxes with a clover..?! Ah. You opened it already."( Jayden- Well. I'm f@#$ed. How do I get out of this predicament.)
"Jayden. What. Wha-wha- are you a !%@$?"
"You know. You sound better with your weird food filters. And no. I'm not. Those are my brother's stuff. He was supposed to get them sometime last week, but he's kinda busy at the moment, so.. I forgot to send them to him and it just ended up in storage. Luckily my mom didn't notice," he turned away.
(Jayden- she woulda killed him AND me.)
"Luckily MY mom didn't even see this. Otherwise.." I just kept staring at him.
(Jayden- Oh, no. That look. She's giving me the " You are sooo a culprit" look.)
"How do I know you're not lying..." I asked.

The look in his eyes just looked so suspicious. He gave off a guilty vibe.
 (Jayden- Shit. What do I say. Will she even believe me?)
"They're really not mine, I swear! I'm not into that kind of stuff! I went to an all boy's dormitory since the middle of elementary school!"
"How would I know if you were doing other things at another place?"
"Look, I know it looks suspicious, but really, if it were me, why would I leave my things in plain sight?"
"I dunno Jayden. Why would you leave something like this in plain sight. They're in PLAIN sight."
(Jayden- She.. doesn't believe me..?)
His troubled face was covered in apologies and shame, trying to appease me. It's a little funny... and cute.
"Pfftwahahaha I'm just messing with you! But.. Seriously. You gotta do something about this stuff. It's a little over the top. I can not believe your brother is into this kind of stuff. It's scary. Also... Can you put them somewhere else or something. I don't want a nightmare like that ever again," I said walking away with the blankets.
"Yes, ma'am."
(Jayden- Damnit. Why'd you have to leave your shit here. If you were gonna move out, you should just take everything with you, Nate.)

Jayden took a quick shower before we started the next half of the series. We watched until we fell asleep.
I woke up early that morning.
I brewed myself some coffee and heated up more leftovers. They really left us a breakfast buffet. Ah! There's snickersdoodles! My fave!
The icecream... How much does he know about me..? How much does he remember...
Being alone with you... It's a little awkward and embarrassing... but somewhat comforting at the same time. I don't know why...but I feel like I can just be me, when I'm with him. Maybe... it's  because we have so much in common. Or maybe... it's because I'm starting to like him more as a person.

I smell coffee...and pancakes.. and sausages.. and bacon... Great. I'm awake. I'm hungry now.
From the sofa, I could see her bed head.
Being alone with you...is a miracle. I can't believe you're really here. I don't want to leave you ever again. Just like this. Let it continue like this always. To me, you will always be you. But for you, I'm someone new. It's alright. We can both learn the present us. I just hope..this time.. our memories will continue.

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Have you ever fallen in love? Met the right guy? Or fantasize about your future wedding? Julia, a highschool senior, goes to her parents' bestfriends' house party, the Celios. Uh oh, empty cookie jar. Mom and Dad are cooking up something fishy. Worrying about her parents' scheme, not knowing the full situation, she confesses an undying proposal to the Celios's son in front of the whole world. Shockingly, his answer begins a whole new life for Julia. She'll have to fulfill her role for what she has gotten into and maybe, she'll learn more family secrets along the way.

They are now in Naiver community. They had passed on the Aldridge's road without any inconvenience. It is now late in the night but, the road is still busy. Miles honks his horn irritably every time the bright light of a passing car illuminates his face.
Zayn's voice booms over the car's speaker.
''The Motel is on the next left and, there is Pentagon Mall on the right. When you enter the reception area, use the name Andrew, it is one room with two beds.''
''Why didn't we just use a safe house and save money?'' It's a question he was dying to ask.
''Everywhere is full, I checked, it's unusual and- uh Dad is staring at me weird, so I am just going to go, stay safe bro,'' and with that, he hangs up.
''Well, that's weird. Wonder what Hodder is hiding?'' he waits on Jayla to answer and she snores in response.
''Just great, she drools.''
After a few minutes of driving, Miles pulls into the parking lot of the Motel.
He looks through his window, the parking lot is deserted only three other cars sit idly in the lot, he surveys the area and not a single soul is outside.
He jerks Jayla awake.
''W-wha-why? Where are we?'' she asks groggily and opens an eye. She spots the glowing red M O T E L sign on the top of the building.
''Oh, we arrived.''
Miles steps out of his car, Jayla wobbles sleepily behind him.
The sound of his car being locked echoes through the empty parking lot.
*
Jayla is the first to enter the room. Immediately she starts to pull off her shoes. Miles closes the door behind him and starts to inspect the adjacent rooms.
''I feel so dirty, but no changing,'' she collapses onto the first bed.
The fresh scent of clean laundry hits her nose; she curls up further into the softness.
At the squeaky sound of the front door opening, Jayla pops her eyes open. Miles stands at the threshold fixing his hair.
''Where going? Mike...Mickey... Miles.''
''Zach sent us something, must be food or clothes. I'm to collect it at the mall next door. I'll be back in a few minutes.''
''The last time you said few minutes, it was like half an hour,'' she replies tiredly, as she turns her back to him and silently starts to doze off.
Miles shut the door close.
*
The trip to the mall is short. There are now fewer cars on the road. The road is wet and muddy water gushes in the drains on the roadside. For the second time for the day, he tries to warm himself by blowing into his hands.
His phone vibrates in his pocket. He takes it out and checks the message.
Pentagon's Mall, First floor, Food court, twenty-third bench to the left, 6 minutes, Zach.
It doesn't take him much time to find the food court. The court is almost vacant, with a small group of people who looks like travelers and a few teenagers at one table, and a small family eating silently. He mentally counts the chairs until he finds the thirty third one. It is empty and, so are the other benches around it.
Deciding not to look suspicious, Miles walks straight to the restaurant nearest to the bench. Inside there are only two customers, a fat man hungrily stuffing his face with a burger and a lady ordering at the cashier. He decides to blend in so he joins the line and orders. After he places his order, he goes to the glass door to look at the bench. There is a small duffel bag sitting on the table.
''Sir, your order is ready,'' the cashier calls out to him.
By the time he reaches the exit of the Mall, the rain has started to pour again. He curses under his breath. The rain is pouring so hard, from his perspective the motel sign is a blur.
He did not realize when the man dressed in full black walked up behind him and swiftly slip a note in his bag.
''We are in a rainy season, yeah?'' the man now stands beside him, twirling an umbrella in his hands waiting on Miles to answer.
Miles glances at the man, he looks familiar to him, but he could not remember where. He finally looks at the man and stares at his suspicious outfit; the stranger pulls his hat lower to hide his eyes.
''Rainy season, eh?'' The stranger continues.
''Look, I don't have any coins on me-,'' 
The man forces a smile, '' I was not asking you for money.''
''I thought you are one of those clown things that do tricks for people's money, your outfit gave me the wrong impression.''
''oh, I am not a clown. I am a businessman.''
''Same thing,'' Miles mutters under his breath, he narrows his eyes at the man's twitching finger.
After a long silence, the stranger breaks the ice.
''Something is troubling you lad? A female perhaps?''
''Sir, can you fu- move off, you are attracting mosquitoes.''
''Oh, sorry, my bad '' he chuckles and steps aside, ''here,'' he offers Miles his umbrella.
Miles ignores him and having enough of the stranger. He decides to walk his journey in the rain. After Miles jogs off into the rain, the stranger grips the umbrella in anger sighs, and releases it slowly.
''Oh, Miles, that attitude is not you,'' he says softly to himself as he watches Miles' figure become hazy across the street. His phone rings.  Without checking the ID he answers.
''Talk?''
''Boss we at the...River,'' the person on the other line chuckles at the inside joke.
''Did you find it?''
'' No, not even a sign that he has it, the house was a pain to deal with-''
''I'll be there in minutes,'' he hangs up the phone, and his disappointed expression morphs into a somewhat sinister smile.
*
Miles click the door open and almost drops the bag as he sees Jayla staring right at him, wrapped from head to toe in a thick blanket with only her face visible.
"Hi.''
He makes an annoying sound from the back of his throat as he walks in.
''Hey! You are getting water everywhere,'' she scolds him.
''I thought you were sleeping,'' he places the bags on the nearby table and goes into the bathroom for a towel.
''I was sleeping... but I got hungry,'' she lies.
"Please tell me there is something I can eat in that package.''
''I don't know, I didn't check,'' he shakes out his damp hair and sits on the edge of his bed, kicking off his crocs to the side. He shakes out his hair in a towel then pulls off his wet shirt.
Jayla glances at him then quickly looks away, the tip of her ears red.
'' I sleep without shirts, you don't mind, right?''
She was about to reply went he crawls into his bed and turns on his phone.
Jayla caught a peek at the large well-detailed tattoos that cover most of the left side of his defined chest. There is a black dagger and three hearts. The dagger seems to cut through the hearts, causing a dark red liquid to pour down.
A small bright pink heart is under the two larger hearts. The small heart is covered with miniature roses and flowers, with red-stained petals. Under the dagger is a ribbon with words written on. Words she did not catch. Curiosity burns hot through her veins but, she knows better than to ask Miles about his past.

''You had a nightmare on the case, didn't you?''

Stone-hearted after witnessing a tragic experience, Miles Myers decided he wants justice so he became a Detective, he thought it would end the nightmares but little did he know that it would come alive when his new partner Jayla Glasgow and he finds themselves investigating the wrong case. 

Blood, Sweat, Tears, Raw Emotions, and Coffee.

The truth hurts, but this truth kills.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
A Pure River that runs for Miles into the Ocean.

-Channel 8-
"According to new data, the number of infected continues to rise in not only the country, but also the world. Channel 8 has recently received the new statistical data showing that the average number of people being infected has risen by almost one thousand percent over the past six months. As Global Sciences continues to research exactly how the virus spreads, there have been reports to the now federally backed company showing that while the fatality rate used to be as high as ninety five percent, the rate has slowly lowered, resting at around the eighty percent marker. While this news is promising, it is also problematic due to their being more and more people who have developed mutations caused by the virus. For more on this, we go to our anchor in the field..."
-Channel 17-
"The cause of the infection remains unknown but what is known is the dangers caused by people who have been infected. In recent days, the number of infected attacking healthy individuals has skyrocketed. In some cases, this has been brought about by the need for infected to defend themselves. More often than not though, it has happened while individuals were being tested and found positive. As such, the new federal department for infected containment, or DIC, has been formed in an effort to protect the citizens of our great nation. Agent Wallace, the new head of DIC, joins us now with information on what your government is doing to keep you safe."
-Channel 34-
-Message beep-
Channel 34 has been taken off the air temporarily by the FCC due to efforts of the federal government to stop the spread of misinformation resulting in dangerous actions on the part of it's viewers. Regularly scheduled programming will resume on the start of the new broadcast day.
-End Message-
...
The tv flipped over to a college football game as the grizzled bartender whispered "Fuckers" to himself. He then walked over to the till and started bagging some of the profits from the night to throw it into the safe in the back.
"Tina. Watch the bar for me. I'll be right back." The man said, not waiting for a reply. Tina just scoffed at this and couldn't help but wonder if the man was sober enough to even find his way back after he sat down in his office.
Although annoyed, she quickly turned back around and took a look over the bar, seeing mostly locals who were drinking beer while shooting pool or throwing darts. Luckily there was no Karaoke tonight or Tina would have an even bigger headache. As the single mother of two, she worked evenings while her mom took care of the kids and put them to bed. Although she would love to be there with them all night, she was grateful that she even had a job in this economy. Sadly though, this wasn't tourist season just yet so although some bikers came through every now and then, mostly it was just the local crowd and they didn't tip much.
The bar itself wasn't a dive, but that was only because her boss put quite a bit of money into it when he bought it and it did get quite an income during the travel season. On these somewhat quiet nights, Tina couldn't help but let her mind drift from time to time, wondering what she would be doing if she hadn't had kids with that deadbeat and had gone to college. Although she was still somewhat young and there was always the future, for now she had to focus on just doing her best for her family.
The one thing she like about working here was that there was always new people to meet. She figured that maybe if she played her cards right, she might just meet someone worth spending some of her free time with. Of course, with those handsome strangers also came the weirdos, but that was just a hazard of the job Tina figured.
Tonight, there was one such person sitting and drinking alone. She honestly wasn't sure which he was, handsome or weird. All the same, he was pretty mysterious.
"Anything else honey?" Tina asked. The guy had been sitting there, drinking most of the night. At first, Tina was hesitant to serve him since he seemed weird. He was dressed in jeans and had a black hoodie on along with some sore of a baseball cap, but it seemed too faded to make out the team. None of this was out of place as it was normal dress. The weird part was that the guy was also wearing gloves and didn't bother taking off his hood. In a bar where everyone knew each other, it was odd to have one guy sitting there completely covered. Although it was pretty cool outside, that didn't mean it was freezing inside with all of the people around. It just made the man stand out more. 
"Just another one, please." The man's voice sounded pleasant to the ear, neither too high or too low. If anything, it had a soothing feeling to it, like the feeling of silk stroking the skin. At least, that's what Tina thought. Originally she had approached him to ID him, but after hearing his voice, she wasn't going to say no to anything he asked. If there was one problematic part, it was that the man was dead silent the entire time, as though he was lost in his thoughts. Tina had tried various things to talk to the man or attract his attention, but nothing work. Any good female bartender would tell you that flashing some skin was a good way to make a buck. But any great female bartender would tell you that it had far more to do with connecting to your client. After all, flashing skin was a double sided blade, but a good conversationalist had no drawbacks.
Tina had always thought she was pretty skilled in both areas, but now she was starting to doubt herself.
The man took his new Jack and Coke and continued to zone out, almost as though he was waiting for something. Despite being there for almost five hours, the man was very patient. 
"Fucking hell Bob, why'd you have to sign us up for that job? You know how fuckin annoying that shit is? Normally, I would say fuck ya, give me the money. But you know what Nu Oleens is like right now? It's just this side of insane. Fucking crazies left and right, I'll tell ya. Sure, them partiers can go nuts all they want cause they just come for the fun and leave, mostly alive. But we live here."
"Yeah Bobby, I know. But fuck man, you seen the money they are offering for the help? Fuck man, it's triple what they were paying out last year. And it's just for a few weeks of work. Go down, help set up, work on clean up and boom. It's like a half a years wages in like seven weeks man."
"Yeah Bob, they got to pay that price cause ain't nobody dumb enough to do that shit with what's happening right now. Fucking vampires, bible thumpers and the hoodoo cults taking action. Things like a powder keg."
"So what? Think they are dumb enough to do everything out in the open? They will have the feds down on them in a minute. And man, no one wants the DIC right now. So look, keep out heads down, focus on the money and get the fuck out of town once it's over.  Easy peesy.
"I swear to god Bob, if we get put in a cage from any of them, I'm tellin em to eat you first."
Hearing the back and forth between these two seemed to grab the weird man's ear. It seemed like he was listening rather closely to the two youths conversation. No one could tell this though since they hadn't been talking loudly. Just as he was about to get up and ask them a question, they approached the bar instead.
"Hey Tina. Yo baby. Pour me and my boy here something. We got a great job lined up and we both going to be rolling in the money soon."
"Bob, Bobby. You two know better than anyone that I can't serve you anything until you either pay your tab or have cash on yah. No if ands, or buts."
"Ugh... Come on Tina. We've been friends for years. You know you could trust me for it. Soon. I promise."
"No deal. If you ain't got cash, get out," Tina said while pointing at the door. Just as the defeated boys were about to get up and see if they could get something out of the corner store, a hundred dollar bill hit the table. Looking up, Not only Tina but also Bob and Bobby seemed shocked.
"They can have a few on me." The stranger said in his soft silky voice.
"Uhh... Thanks, but uh... me and my brother don't swing that way friend..." The one named Bob said. If they stranger's face could be seen, there would definitely be black lines all across his forehead. 
"Let's not even go there. How about you two tell me more about the situation in New Orleans right now?" The man asked back.
"Oh. Well, sure thing buddy. But it ain't no secret and flashing this kind of cash around these parts can be bad for yer health." Bobby responded back while jabbing a thumb behind himself. The entire bar had somehow noticed the interaction between them and was eyeing the stranger who casually threw out money for drinks for strangers. 
"No worries. Tell me what you know, an insiders perspective if you will."
"Well. Alright friend. It's yer dime and all. About a year ago, strange things started happening right after the last Mardi Gras. You know, all the freaks usually come to the party during the party but leave after. But this time, some groups of people sprung up in the city. Them bible thumpers are the easiest to understand, going around and recruiting peoples, telling them they are the new chosen's of god and all that shit. Well, not that there is ever a lack of crazies, but strange thing is that people really started to believe them. Don't know if they are waiting for a commit or their god's a coming, but they started staying pretty low key after being real loud like. Then there are the hoodoos. Well, we call them that, but they call themselves the devotees of the Vodun. You know it as voodoo. They are all kinds of crazy too, but they restrain themselves. They don't go looking for members, but they claim the coming of their god will be the beginning of the end for this world. Then, on top of these two, you got the vampyres. We don't know shit about them, but they seem to be a group as well that's mostly just whispered about. Ain't no body going to find out if the rumor's are true or not. Either way, the vampyres are the ones who seem to be warring with the god's chosen while the Vodun seem to just be watching. Least, that's what we be hearing."
After Bod and Bobby finished their story, they started ordering drinks from Tina who had been listening too. Seems like even she didn't know what had been happening there except that people have been moving up north more. Of course, that's cause she was usually too busy to care about that stuff. As for the dark stranger, he seemed to take all of this silently and only spoke up again after the brother's started drinking. 
"You guys said they are looking for people, right?" He asked.
"Yeah. Why, you interested? It's good money right? Depending on where you end up helping, you can get quite a lot from them drunk tourists." Bob said and pulled a card out from his back pocket. 
"Here yah go. Just make sure to call the number here and use my name. I get a hook up payment for everyone I can recruit for em." Bob seemed to be rather happy that he had not only gotten himself some drinks but also was able to get someone else to go get a job. 
"Stranger. Although it sounds interesting, I also know that things have gotten bad down there. We've gotten quite few new people living here who got out of the city for a reason. You got to be careful if you want to go there," Tina warned the dark stranger. 
"Thanks. But it seems like it might just be the place I'm looking for." The stranger smiled and he passed over a few more hundred dollar bills, a strange glint in his blue eyes.
"Keep the change darling," the stranger said with a little bow of his head before grabbing the card off the bar and walking for the door while several people eyed him with a dangerous gaze.
'Looks like I know where I am headed next. It's about fucking time...' Laz said to himself as he left, not looking back.

A giant tree popped up in the middle of the Atlantic ocean covering the world in a strange new radiation and because of it, people began to change.

First, there are the Chosen. These super humans have only slight physical changes and yet can manifest amazing elemental powers.

Next, you have the Infected. These humans have experienced large scale body changes which range from animal adaptations to simply grotesque body decomposition. Most are still normal and sane humans who attempt to adapt to life while being shunned by others. There are some however that have grown deranged and think themselves the rulers of the world.

Our MC lives a somewhat lonely life while sometimes being accompanied by his rather senile yet kind grandfather. He has no idea where his parents went after they dropped him off a few years ago, so he has no choice but to stay here. He lives by the idea that he should just be air and not be noticed in the slightest. All of this goes ok until things start changing and Laz starts getting dragged around in many different directions.

Welcome to a story of Gods, evolution, love, adult situations and basically bringing a bit of eastern fantasy to western civilization.
Hope you enjoy the ride.

With Lotte's body producing a tremendous amount of steam, Vahn's room had become a veritable sauna by the time Sis chimed in to remind him of his previous engagement. Fortunately, even with less than an hour remaining until his scheduled duel, Vahn could produce as much additional time as 'necessary'. It was important to him that his partners' first experiences were both memorable and satisfying, so, once everything was said and done, Vahn had dedicated the better part of seven days tending to the trio of Lotte, Yuri, and Fenrir.
Though seven days might seem like a lot, the final forty or so hours were spent almost entirely on relaxation and recovery. Vahn didn't want his relationship with Lotte to develop in the direction of a traditional 'Master' and 'Sub', so, in the wake of the rather climactic battle, he took the opportunity to acquaint her with anime, manga, and video games. He might have grown accustomed to women with masochistic inclinations, but, rather than produce another Theo or Lisanna, Vahn would rather see Lotte develop in a manner similar to Tomoe. 
She might not be the most beautiful or powerful woman in his harem, but, compared to virtually every other member, Tomoe was one of the most content. She was the type of woman who went with the flow of things, and, though she had numerous regrets about her past, she never allowed them to interfere with her enjoyment of the present. Instead, she proactively sought out new and interesting things to experience, never doubting the path she had chosen for herself.
If Tomoe had any faults, it would be her obsessive yet slothful nature. She was the type of woman who would immerse herself in her interests, so much so that, without someone to pull her away, she would neglect everything else, personal hygiene included. Fortunately, this was overpowered by her desire to care for others, so, rather than allowing herself to waste away in the single-minded pursuit of her whatever had garnered her interest, she made sure to set a proper example for X, Altria, and Tamamo to follow.
Vahn's only regret regarding Tomoe was the fact that she had ultimately chosen to remain in his Realm. She had taken his words at face value he told her that the only thing he desired of her was that she be happy and healthy, so, unless he 'needed' her at his side, she was content with staying in the Yokai District in order to watch over Tamamo and Suzuka. The thought of leaving them alone, even in a world with stagnant time, made her feel uneasy, so, unless he changed tunes and told her that he needed her, she would rather remain in the place that had become her home.
Though too much contentedness could be a bad thing, Vahn felt that Tomoe had reached an ideal balance between productivity and leisure time. She was also 'extremely' faithful, so, even if he was gone for days, months, or even years at a time, he doubted she would mind. Instead, she would just greet him with a demure smile upon his return, and, unless he wanted to talk about it, she wouldn't even ask what he had been doing. This had always reminded Vahn of how the girls would greet him whenever he returned to the Hearth Manor, so, at times, he had found himself thinking that Tomoe was inordinately close to what he would consider an 'ideal' woman.
As much as he enjoyed traveling with his family, friends, and loved ones, Vahn was well aware of the fact that his progress was greatly inhibited by their presence. The only thing more deleterious to his progress was himself, so, while he would never go out of his way to force the people around him to change, Vahn would rather have more Tomoe-like women in his life than Mordred's, Theo's, or even Asuna's. He had nothing against their heartfelt desire to travel alongside and support him, but, time and again, he had demonstrated that this was simply 'impractical'. His progress was simply too fast, so, as much as he enjoyed their company, Vahn would rather they devote themselves to something more than just the fulfillment of his ambitions...
Fortunately, despite having very little exposure to such things, Lotte was quite taken with watching anime and snuggling up with him on a comfortable sofa. It helped that he could rather easily prove that, despite the many fantastical elements present within, each of the fictional worlds they viewed were places that could, in one form or another, be visited. This made the viewing experience all the more exciting, as, rather than simply observing the lives of fictional characters, you were essentially spying on the lives of very real people. This viewpoint allowed the viewer to become infinitely more invested in the lives of the people on screen, so much so that Vahn had seen some of the girls get genuinely upset whenever something ill-fated happened to characters they had taken an interest in.
To that end, Vahn introduced Lotte to the concept of Actualization by delving into an anime called 'Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku o!'. Her nature had reminded him of one of the title's primary Heroines, a masochistic knight named Dustiness Ford Lalatina, so, after binge-watching the first 10 episodes, they rewatched the first season, this time with one of his Templates arbitrarily introduced to the story.
As much as he enjoyed influencing the story directly, Vahn had come to realize that it was infinitely more interesting to create Templates and allow them to act independently. This allowed him to view the changes they had made to the world retroactively, and, so long as he didn't tap into it, he could seal the knowledge and experiences of his Templates to avoid 'spoilers'.
Though the first viewing had been pretty entertaining, it was difficult to compete with a version that had been modified by one of his Templates. Not only had the tone of the story changed drastically, but, thanks to his Template's guidance, the main character transitioned from being a perverted idiot to a fairly dependable hero. This surprised even Vahn, as, more often than not, his Templates quickly supplanted the main character of a story, drastically altering the course of history as a result of their incontestible might.
Attributing the development to the main character's, Kazuma's, luck, Vahn watched as his Template became something of a mentor for the party of would-be heroes. He only appeared briefly in a few episodes, and, after applying some 'spartan training' to the main protagonist, he promptly departed the starting city of Axel after deposing its Governor. His next appearance was at the very end of the first season when Kazuma's party, shortly after their defeat of a mechanical behemoth known as the Mobile Fortress: Destroyer, heard rumors regarding the King of Belzerg being forced to abdicate his throne. The scene that followed showed Vahn's Template smiling in the background as a young girl with golden hair sat issuing orders to various nobles from atop an inordinately lavish throne...
Due to the way the episode was structured, casual viewers would be led to believe that Vahn's Template was some villainous mastermind plotting the events of the second season from behind the scenes. In actuality, he had spent his off-screen time traveling around and eliminating many of the more corrupt politicians, and, after refusing the offer of his daughter's hand in marriage, Vahn's Template agreed to serve as her Chamberlain on the grounds that the King accede his position and authority. There were numerous reasons for the King to agree to this proposal, but, more important than any other was the fact that Vahn's Template had won over the entirety of the Crimson Demon Clan due to his extensive knowledge and his ability to casually vaporize a mountain using Explosion Magic.
In essence, Vahn's Template had secured an absolute position of power and authority in the span of a single, ten-episode, season of anime. Infinitely more surprising was the fact that he hadn't built a harem in that same amount of time. Instead, he ended up taking a liking to a raven-haired woman named Sena, a Royal Prosecutor he had encountered shortly after his arrival in Belzerg. What made this even stranger was the fact that the woman was both an 'ice queen' and what some might refer to as a 'BL Aficionado'. His Template seemed to find these traits rather amusing, so, over the course of several months, he ended up whittling down the delusional woman's defenses until she stopped picturing him with various men and started imagining herself as a participant in her fantasies.
Though none of this was displayed on-screen, Vahn had unlimited access to all the knowledge and experiences of his Templates. As a result, he knew that his Template had actually considered inciting relationships with quite a few members of the Crimson Demon Clan, but, after failing to teach them even a marginal amount of common sense, he ultimately abandoned the idea. This caused a few of the senior members of the clan to come up with the title 'Plutonic Great Sage', but, understanding they didn't mean it as an insult, he just went with the flow in order to prevent them from coming up with an even stranger title. This ended up being the correct choice, as, around that same time, the youngest member of the clan, an adorable little girl named Komekko, had taken to referring to him as the 'Super Cuddly Demon of Infinite Warmth and Headpats'...
---
As much as he enjoyed watching anime alongside various beauties, Vahn decided to wrap things up when Yuri began pestering him about creating a Template to reside within a manga where the main character was a young boy forced to endure the teasing of a number of 'onee-sans'. She seemed to enjoy this particular theme quite a bit, but, out of consideration for the mental states of himself and his Template, Vahn tended to avoid actualizing any worlds where he was bound to suffer some form of mental damage.
Fortunately, so long as he allowed her to periodically cuddle a younger version of himself, Yuri was relatively easy to manage. Thus, after an awkward yet admittedly enjoyable bath, he had everyone gather in the kitchen to enjoy a meal and discuss their plan of action moving forward. He was well aware of the events that had transpired over the last twenty-four hours, so, to that end, he started off by saying, "It seems like you lucked out, Yuri. At present, our foes are considering a competition of sorts between the Aldrnari and Jahad Empires. So long as you're okay with being labeled a traitor by the common denizens of the Tower, you're more than welcome to participate as a representative of my delegation."
Though she was excited by the prospect of being able to participate in the coming battle, Yuri did her best to appear serious as she asked, "Is there actually a need to accept their terms? What if they try something sneaky in the middle of the competition? I don't want you to put everyone at risk just to provide me a chance to cut loose."
Waving his hand in a dismissive manner, Vahn attempted to allay Yuri's concerns, saying, "I'm a man of my word, sure, but that doesn't mean I'll sit idly by as my enemies attempt to play me. Even if it's someone like Gustang, they won't be able to take action without me taking notice. After that, there isn't a force in this Tower that can prevent me from seeking recompense. In fact, depending on how egregious their plot, today might very well conclude with the fall of the Jahad Empire. It wouldn't be the first time I destroyed a system of government...I don't take kindly to people targeting my family, friends, and loved ones..."
Though he felt a considerable amount of guilt regarding his haste in the Nasuverse, Vahn had never once regretted his decision to effectively conquer the world. This, combined with the notion that he could always fix things once he ascended to the Divine Realm, allowed him to move forward in spite of his fears and apprehensions. This was simply another step in his journey, so, even if he fumbled a bit here and there, he wouldn't let it prevent him from moving forward. He also didn't want to keep holding the people around him back, so, even if it ultimately forced him to deal with pain and loss, he was willing to bear anything so long as it helped to ensure the happiness of the people he cared about...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Have I mentioned that Tomoe is one of my favorite characters in FGO?','The banes and boons of being able to produce Templates...','This is a dangerous way of thinking...unless, of course, you truly possess the ability to reach the pinnacle...')
https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu <-(p.atreon link)
paypal.me/Einlion
Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Vahn was an atypical youth. Due to a rare mutation, his blood had the potential to target and attack ailments within the human body. Touted as a universal cure, people had elevated his status above the norm and given him the classification "Panacea". In the media, he was hailed as a great hero who would usher in a new era or human wellness. However, behind the scenes things weren't so bright. Being a unique individual, Vahn spent his entire youth locked up in a lab with various scientists and research teams using his body and blood to perform endless amounts of experiments. The only solace in his suffering was the various anime and manga made available to him between experiments. He often imagined himself as the protagonist in a world of his own, finally in control of his own destiny. For years he nurtured this desire, until at the age of 14 he died when an organization had tried to kidnap him from the lab...

"Finally, I don't have to suffer anymore..."

This was Vahn's last thought as he faded into the endless black abyss...

"You poor soul."

Author's Note: If you would like to support the author and the team behind EPIC and future projects, feel free to check out libraryofakasha.com. There, you can find extra chapters and several other novels posted by myself and a few people from Discord.

Cover by Sinlaire, Edited by Frozen: https://www.deviantart.com/sinlaire

https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

New Patreon~! https://www.patreon.com/user?u=14397149

This is a work of fiction that draws heavily upon the original source material of Danmachi. Please support the official release and know I claim no ownership or credit regarding the existence of pre-existing characters or content.

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