《The Death of Money》Part 17 Public House, Private Lives III
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Public House Part 3
Darnes settled on the agreed 6 minims. This meant that beer was officially back on the menu, so everyone was congregating to the bar and passing by Pak. He found out the woman from before was called Mamba. He was also introduced to a Swede called Fenrick -or Fen- who told him that Airgead was based on Irish folklore; a German named Hans who wore a black leather jacket from outside and went on about missing his family; and Sykes, an Irish man with African origins who stared into his glass most of the time, trembling, and was the only smoker amongst them.
Yeung-Sung held his ground as all the regulars of the Joint Wick clacked his shoulders, slapped his back or nudged him playfully. His focus was on nodding and greeting them back, smiling too, if he could muster it. The last person to properly introduce themselves -and get their drink- was Shirley. Still frowning, he looked at Yeung-Sung like he was a ripe fruit on the verge of spoiling. Wearing a clay, sleeveless top, Yeung-Sung noticed again how he was all tense muscle and tender curl, and so looked down immediately, trying not to repeat his earlier mistake. He watched Shirley’s exercise shoes for movement, and when they did, he looked back up and saw Shirley smiling.
“Chin up, we’ve been there. Well, I have anyway,” he said. He looked over his shoulder. “Unlike these guys, I can never really be comfortable here, but anyway, don’t worry. They’re good people. They’ll sort you out.” Then, as Yeung-Sung was too shocked to reply he added, “Next round is on me!”
“Thank you,” Yeung-Sung said at last. Shirley rocked a satisfied grin, and Yeung-Sung felt a heat in his cheeks, growing more embarrassed when he caught a glimpse of Aisling out from her corner smirking at the both of them. About to apologise, it was then he realised that Shirley was as red as he was, and as paranoid.
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“How long have you lived here?” he asked him.
Shirley was taken aback -though to Yeung-Sung it seemed a perfectly reasonable question. “How long?” he repeated, placing a hand gently to his lips. Not so gently, he curled his fingers into a fist and shifted it down like he was switching gears. “Too long,” he decided.
Yeung-Sung took a seat at the middle booth, which overlooked the congregation at the bar. Empty handed, he licked his lips while at the same time repeating his mantra of ‘Airgead is a stupid idea’. But for the third time today he was unsure of this belief. Just a moment ago all the pubgoers were leering over him and judging him. But now they were just having fun, in another bar, any other night; laughing, joking, drinking. Passing the time with gossip and memories. The memories before the colony. Before the crash. Because where else would you find people leaving their private lives to drink in a public house like this?
Only here is this possible, Yeung-Sung realised.
He was facing evidence -identified by a fierce feeling of reluctance- that maybe the experiment was working. That maybe it was possible to turn over governance of the world to GLI, to Jordan, and that they could be trusted to line our lives with social safety nets.
Is this actually the beginning of a new world? One that I’m a part of?
The question arose, and floated in his mind unanswered, for he had no defining argument inside of him that could say for sure. Yeung-Sung, finally, took out his phone as he sat alone at the booth. The black, unmarked screen stared back at him with his own face.
Do I try it?
“Here. For you”. Shirley placed a glass in front of him. Taking it, he realised that nearly all of the main group was coming over to him. They fought for the closest place to him with excitement, and the ones that couldn’t find a seat on the couch remained on the barstools, stroking their chins. Nudging through Von Martin and Mamba, Wilhelm placed himself on Yeung-Sung’s right hand-side. He rubbed his hands, nodding at the phone in Yeung-Sung’ hand. I’m not going to have a choice in the matter, am I? Biting his lip and furrowing his brows, he knew his face expressed that sentiment perfectly.
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The group was arranged like they were about to witness a miracle. They muttered amongst themselves with feverish awe, drilled the points of their shoes into the floor with expectant energy. Wilhelm even acted like a nurse, wriggling his fingers into an imaginary pair of gloves. He shushed them. “Ready?” he asked, looking directly into his eyes.
But Yeung-Sung could only blink back as the bar looked on. Patiently, silently -except for the occasional slurp and soft clink of glass on wood- they watched. They waited. Even Darnes, leaning as far as he could over the counter, turned down his own mixtape to allow Yeung-Sung the prominence.
Right. This is happening then.
He held the phone lightly. The tips of his fingers held the backside steady, his thumbs in a cradle just off the edge of the screen face. Its case was smooth. He pressed down the power button and it gave off a vibrating yet plastic heartbeat. Yeung-Sung swallowed, his throat feeling dry and narrow. The tension was like a thick cord wrapping everyone close, yet as soon as he used his other thumb to tap open Airgead it snapped for good.
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Claret
Aren isn't a hero. He is not famous, has no special power, and he is unwilling to sacrifice himself for others. Yet, something within him won't let him play the coward's role. With his hemophobia, and his best friend the infamous LRG, Aren is about to face a world under a different set of rules. BEGIN, Tui's Fantasy FF of spectacular amazement and horror!
8 109Manufacturing Magic (LitRPG)
Ten million active players. One game master. Infinite Worlds is the most popular VRMMORPG on the market. Its maps are so vast, developer Hard Rock Data utilizes a network of highly advanced artificial intelligence to control it. But it's not without problems. That’s why game masters like Jeff Driscoll have jobs. The downside? He’s not allowed to play the game. Something about conflicts of interest and favoritism. His very boring and tedious job is to help players deal with the occasional bug that slips through the cracks and ensure they enjoy their time playing enough to give a five-star rating. It’s a gig that pays the bills. However, when the A.I.s unexpectedly issue a rogue patch, the game becomes a buggy mess, and Jeff's role radically changes. He finds himself as the only game master around, dealing with more problems than he can handle. It’s up to Jeff to return Infinite Worlds to normalcy...but will the A.I.s let him?
8 113Searching for Salvation
Reincarnation is a tough thing to deal with, isn't it? Especially when the new body is at the bottom of the food chain. So, yes. This is Eff*ed up. So, very, thoroughly. But wait. There is a notification window? Is this- is this really a Eff*ing game?
8 178Nend Ardhon Chronicles
In a future not so far away, a young female pilot was flying back to her home Planet transporting the junior team of Chess, that was returning victorious from a Galaxy tournament.Upon being hit by a small meteorite, she had to do an emergency landing on a moon of a desertic Planet. With all her effort and resolution, she managed to land everyone safely, except for her. A huge chunk of metal was stuck on her chest and the team’s Teacher held her hand on her last breath.When she woke up, she was surrounded by darkness. Reaching out with her hands, she felt a surface that she scratched. A hole opened, that she made bigger and bigger. Around her, water everywhere. In front of her, was a big smiling Dragon. That was when the young pilot noticed that she was reborn with claws and a tail. She was now a Water-Dragon. The chock of the events that followed her exit from the egg, blocked her former life memories.Join Byia Calla on her new life as a Water-Dragon. Will her memories help her in her new life? Or will they become a burden too difficult to endure?
8 125The Fundamentals
You hear of many tales out there. Some depict worthy heroes wielding tremendous power, noble personas that fight to save the lives of their close friends, family, and all the rest. Good triumphs over evil, that is simply the way the world works, no? While this premise is something inherent to nearly all stories, what exactly the heroes used to attain success can differ greatly. Perhaps they've trained themselves to the limit, pushing past boundaries nobody else could hope to achieve. Others still, have merely inherited the grand legacy of another legendary being, but what they have done with such a legacy would cause their names to be passed on for generations. Rowan is one of the heroes who have ventured beyond the horizon, tempering themselves on a perilous journey all the while and succeeding in attaining strength beyond measure. However, in an unexpected turn of events, this strength caused him to tear open and fall through a hole in the realm he resided in. Now he has ended up in a completely foreign realm, whose inhabitants utilized strange powers that eclipsed his own. Fortune would smile upon him this day, however, as he discovered that they were not hostile, and even offered to teach him their ways. Rowan could see that this was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and eagerly accepted their invitation to learn what would come to be known as: The Fundamentals.
8 152Blended (Beastars Cafe AU)
It was a pretty slow day at Legosi's small cafe. The light chatters of the animals inside were a calming white noise to Legosi's ears. And with the aroma of coffee drifting through the air, it made for quite a relaxing atmosphere in the cafe.Everything was like usual. At least, until a certain red deer came, that is.~~~~~The cover art is by Nekokat. Check them out! I love their drawing :pI posted this story first on AO3, but since I have an account here I might as well share it here. So here you go! Happy reading~!(Heads up, Chapter 7 & 8 are more like side stories featuring Durguno and Gosha/Yahya)
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