Reviews :
Snake557 : Yes, so this would be the same situation as, say... 'adult content' on the internet, in real life. Whether that be legal, or illegal. There will ALWAYS be customers for this kind of thing. Some people really enjoy dark, illegal, nasty stuff that happens on the dark web. Where as, there are definitely a vast majority of people that will HIGHLY protest stuff like that and claim said 'customers' should be locked away in jail. Zed and crew aren't technically outward about their guilty pleasure for this show, it's only really something everyone will chat about in the security of closed doors - like any self respecting adult when it comes to visual adult content, you know the one. Game Over is a dark web entertainment show - as Flint said, it isn't senseless murder. It's a scary game show, you sign up knowing what you're getting into. These people on the roster understand that their motive is to kill or be killed, these gamers have genuinely nothing to lose and absolutely EVERYTHING to gain. So, yes, there are gamers that do still enjoy it, everyone involved is consenting to the drama about to ensue, knowing full well it's being filmed and televised for mature audiences. It's on par with us humans enjoying other adult content, whether it be legal or not, some people would be revolted, others would be all for it. Upon winning GO, if you were to ever go out in the general public, outside of the dark web, the majority of people are going to show disdain or terror. There will always be a small percentage that will outwardly attack or even bravely attempt a citizen's arrest, or worse, authorities will get involved... But who's brave enough to go toe to toe with a winner of Game Over. Someone who previously had absolutely nothing to lose. Thanks for your review! I hope this clears things up a bit :)
faolan1230 : Happy Birthday! :D woohoo! I'm glad to be of service haha. Yeah, there are a handful of sus individuals - some of which are genuinely sus, some of which aren't. You'll see :)
chuckiboo : I need you to know that I love hearing what you have to say on these matters. Always so insightful and almost always spot on. Flint is a catalyst for sure, but you'll probably be surprised as to which individual is the one to drive it all home...
Song Listened To :
Infinite by Lyn Lapid
*Chapter 87*
With a toss of his bigger fingers through his now windswept auburn hair, Gideon grinned out to the gorgeous, rushing blue tide and allowed his slow moseying to press into the pillowy, dry, becoming-hot white sand of their seemingly private expansion of beach. Having left his belongings and his coat inside the lighthouse, Gideon took note that the lighthouse was alive with life, though temporarily empty, and with seeing Kepa's little figure far out on the escaped tide, stood on huge black boulders, he pursued her with zest. His golden eyes held tight to her figure, noting she was stood still with her back to the lighthouse. With ears comfortably on either side of her head, Gideon's bigger bare feet eventually sagged into wet sand, and then to ankle deep, cool ocean water. The late morning sun beamed through an easy haze of the previous leftovers of a storm that potentially blew threw the night prior, the wind was alive with yesterday's upset, though the sheer embrace of the warm sun was a kind reminder that happiness and goodness always returned.
Along a collection of beautifully, haphazardly splayed ocean rocks that typically vanished underneath the higher tide, the rushing ocean water came and went, leaving said hot boulders exposed and easy to traverse. Gideon grunted, followed the rocky path Kepa had taken and slowed his roll the closer he got to her figure, still faced away from him. Although tempted to scare her and see if she'd react in true cat form, bounce away and poof her tail, he hesitated and came to an even slower approach as he could feel her aura radiate pure stillness, easy camaraderie she had with the sun, as if the universe had so sweetly asked her to dance among a cosmic splay of unlimited art supplies behind her closed eye lids. Gideon assessed her adorable, emotionless face and could tell she was in a total place of peace. Disrupting said peace was something he was well aware his kind heart couldn't afford, though still, he inhaled a steady breath and let out the softest puffs of air through his nose, a proper, polite, chuffing-greeting to her kind. He raised his eyebrows and assessed her face; not even her ears twitched to said noise, and with such, Gideon sagged and respectfully stood next to her in patient stillness.
Gideon inhaled a deep breath, kept a few feet between the two and stood his ground next to her. He knew she was awake, he knew she was well aware of his presence, and with such a pull of stillness around the rushing wind and water, Gideon held still and tuned in to the solace she had found with the sun's warmth. He, too, closed his eyes and really did what he could to get into her headspace. Although she had texted him earlier and made clear she was impatient to see him again, he thought it cute that she held fast to her routines, the deep meditation she had fallen into took a front seat to diving into Gideon's playful banter, for now. He felt honored that she was fully confident that he'd remain until she was finished, and with such a sweet, silent snug of camaraderie between both souls, Gideon smiled and felt the sun's beam of warmth kiss his cheeks with impending rewards.
His heart fluttered, somehow now being in Kepa's cute presence was enough for him to realize that he had endured a minor shift between both beings. Although it had only been over a week of fast friendship, of full displays of vulnerability at breakneck speeds, he knew this whole ordeal was a divine plot, as if riding the coattails of the galaxy's grand show of starry magic. Not one to question just where love would source him, he felt his pulse begin to throb in his throat and ears as further realization continued to set in. Not six months ago, he was desperate to get into the lighthouse, not even having an expectation for just what would be inside, and it was here did he fully understand that letting loose expectation was the key to being blessed. Thrilled this whole adventure had rushingly opened huge doors of relief, of warmth and friendship, he exhaled a slow and steady breath as he allowed the first few little blossoming buds of romance to settle at the bottom of his stomach. Not one to rush to admit it, and still wary to let just anyone in to his crumbling heart, he wondered if him and Kepa could somehow run with the feelings and keep words out of it for fear of being jinxed by it.
Gideon felt his skin plague with goosebumps the second he heard the familiar, adorable, hefty thumps of air come near-purring out of Kepa's broad, flat cat nose, and as he unstuck his eyes in a roll from the back of his skull, he fluttered his eyes in blinking curiosity as the sun's beams reminded him of its strength. As the white of his surroundings finally blessed his sensitive retinas with color, he choked a small laugh as Kepa softly loosened her stance and pushed into Gideon's bubble with a bumbly, informal head-butt of cute happiness. Gideon grinned and relished in the feel of her soft cheek that now firmly nuzzled into his, though she went all the way and sagged her cheek and jaw to Gideon's broad shoulder, down his neck. Gideon choked a bit of a louder, happier laugh as she, once more, went in for seconds and happily chuffed hot air, through her nose, into Gideon's cheek and firmly nuzzled his stubbly, scratchy jaw once more, though this time in the other direction. Kepa smiled with her eyes closed and relished in the way Gideon welcomed her into his bubble of friendlier intimacy, the way his gentle, bigger hand cupped her upper back and so softly rubbed with the soothing stroke of his much bigger thumb, she did absolutely everything she could to not nuzzle his whole face off. After bravely going in for seconds, she pulled away, sagged to the flat of her feet and smiled up into Gideon's eyes.
"I'm surprised you're not inside, in your tower," Gideon's voice happily stated over the rushing waves all about them, to which Kepa flicked her tail in a hefty wag, one that swung back to her person and so delicately hooked about Gideon's ankles, like yesterday, as if he was keeping her anchored.
"Oh, I was," Kepa bobbed a nod and grinned, she exhaled a steady sigh so full of satisfaction, her intriguing, though creepy slit-like crosshair pupils glossed the sunny, ocean horizon, expanding for infinity, "Trust me, I was. I haven't felt this content in... Well..."
"I hear you," Gideon tenderly agreed as he, too, looked out to the horizon. He bravely kept his hand to Kepa's upper back and continued to sweetly rub the nape of her neck, buried between the lovely, soft drape of her light, faded pink hair. She wore a black tank top and a rather tattered pair of brown harem pants. She had donned her sternum with a gorgeous bunch of little rope necklaces with charms that looked like old seashells, trinkets she had likely charmed and was happy to adorn. Gideon finally smiled down to her and eased her a curious narrow of his gaze, "You meditating out here?"
"I was," Kepa sighed, "The sun... It's so full of energy, I could stand in it forever. I WAS at the tippy top of our tower doing this, but, I wanted to be closer to the water and the wind."
"It's a nice day, today," Gideon agreed, he looked up to the puffy white clouds overhead and sighed. Well aware Novus would be joining the two shortly, at the time he and Gideon had set, he was thrilled he had this little moment alone with Kepa. He bravely peered to her and felt his heart swell with nervousness, the remembrance that he had a family trip coming up that he was dreading, the very words that Flint verbalized for his core to hold onto, the raw idea that this little bean of a being, directly in his gentle grasp, was the being at his center, the beacon of light he had been itching for all along. Feeling brave, desperate to unload, he bit his lip in nervousness and ushered the words down to her, "Kepa, I... I need your advice."
"My advice?" Kepa piqued, her eyes held to his in unwavering, loving concern. She perked her bigger ears and shrugged in anticipation, "Sure, how can I help?"
"My family is going on a small little getaway from Monday to Thursday, coming up," Gideon mumbled regrettably, "I won't be able to come hang out or anything, but... I'm glad we can still text."
"Yeah, we can keep in touch, it's no biggie," Kepa assured with such an embrace of warmth, her enthusiasm for him to feel free to come and go as he pleased was entirely palpable, though she long-blinked in tender confusion as her adorable, choppy bangs flit in her gorgeous, orange cat eyes, "You don't seem to excited for this trip... Where are you going? Do you not want to go?"
"No, I don't want to go," Gideon mumbled, he looked off, his deep voice rasped out to the humid air about them, and though he was very hesitant to give Kepa this information, he did what he could to sidestep obvious details, "My parents rented a cabin deep in Sugar Rush, it's snowing there, currently."
"Sugar Rush," Kepa's eyes lit up with glee, she clasped her hands together in cute plea and looked hopeful, "If you go, could you bring me back some candy bark or something? I've always wanted to explore Sugar Rush, but... To be honest, I'm too intimidated, I'm worried I'd get lost."
"Yeah, the game is absolutely massive," Gideon chuckled and looked off, his hands began to shake at the sheer idea that they were both discussing Sugar Rush so openly. The very notion that he was one of Sugar Rush's Princes had him feeling as if he was teetering on the edge of a cliffside. He peered into her eyes in a show of bittersweet nervousness, "I'd be happy to bring you back a few things, but... I just am worried to go with my family. I'm not necessarily in good with them, right now."
"You're not?" Kepa frowned, "Well, are you being forced to go?"
"I mean, no, but I already agreed to it," Gideon mumbled as he finally though slowly removed his hand from Kepa's lovely, velvety fur, on the back of her little neck, and eased his fingers into the gape of his jean's front pockets. His black t-shirt firmly rippled in the strong breeze about them, "Everyone going is married, or about to be. I'm the only single guy going. I just don't have anything in common with any of them, and I'm worried it'll just be a trip full of either being left out, or just isolating myself to avoid getting hurt, or... Patronizing me in attempt to include me."
Kepa patiently peered to Gideon's face and fully assessed him. A big, strong, tall and handsome dude so full of worry, he was nearly drowning in it. Although eager to give Kepa his big, sunny bowl of light and have plenty left over, abundance his soul oozed, Kepa could easily see darkness in his heart. Hardened geodes that so cleverly concealed the most intricate, gorgeous gems, cosmic goo Kepa was certain he wielded with full confidence, a display only for those he was ultimately brave enough to let in. Knowing exactly how Gideon felt, she bobbed a nod, heaved a long sigh and smiled out to the sunshine beyond them. She closed her eyes, held her arms out a little and looked to be physically welcoming in more of the sun's infinite energy.
"What exactly has you worried? Why exactly would you shell away to avoid getting hurt?" Kepa intelligently asked, "What would be done to result in such show of hurt? Walk me through it."
Gideon looked down to their feet in aimless contemplation and fingered his lip, though he fervently noted that Kepa was soaking in every last ounce of sunshine she could. So much so, it looked as if she was glowing. Certain this was all for a greater purpose, Gideon held his intuitive eye to the ideal of her harboring energy and soaked in said beam of manifesting she was seemingly doing. He was positive this was for his greater good, and it was here did he put full trust in her, full trust that she had his ultimate best interest at heart, hands down. He sighed with clarity and felt the roll of words come out of him with such ease, a flow of honey he was uncertain would ever be possible.
"I've realized, about myself, that I pull away when I feel even mildly threatened or left out. When someone then asks me if I'm okay, I dismiss them and make them believe I'm just fine," Gideon's deep voice ushered in full confidence, as if these notions were all a script from his higher self, like his very centered, lucid self had stepped up to the microphone and was desperate to give Kepa all of this information with as much clarity as possible. He rolled with it, certain it wouldn't last much longer, "I don't share what's wrong because... I don't want to be a burden, I don't want to be difficult to love."
"Ow... That's heavy," Kepa mused in polite seriousness, she sagged her eyes into Gideon's and seemingly did what she could to soak his retinas with the sunlight she had gained. She gave him an apologetic smile and guffawed a sweet noise of detest, "Difficult to love, Gideon... You are... So far away from being difficult to love. Please remember that."
Gideon held his breath and felt her very fervent, serious insinuation encompass his heart like a shield from the storm. He swallowed hard and so eagerly accepted Kepa's words, and it was here did his heart cutely knock on the underside of his brain, as if to sneakily say, I told you so.
"I understand this entirely, I've been through everything you've been through," Kepa assured with a nod as she gestured her hands, the adorable, pink little toe beans, on her fingers, were glossy due to previously having her hands in the water, most likely. She intelligently carried on, her adorable, snarky little voice was ushered into Gideon's ears with such an ironic kiss of near-bratty care, "This is how we survived, we constantly are reading emotions and treading lightly. All of this mixed with never feeling like you're enough for the important people in your family, you've unfortunately created relationships that are one sided. Because you're so sensitive and empathetic, you want to give the world to everyone, you want to be there for them so they can unburden themselves... You, yourself, said that you're frustrated that people have a MUCH bigger impact on you as opposed to YOU having as big of an impact on others."
Gideon nodded and remained silent, he felt a wiggle go down his spine at how easily Kepa could read him. Although he had very cautiously opened his book and restricted her to the prologue, she seemingly sniffed out the side characters, the dramatic side quests, the plot and every sighing, lonely author's note buried deep in the spine of it all. Gideon, at this point, held his breath and felt genuinely worried that she could read his mind, and with all of these rushing thoughts, he worried that his Sugar Rush secrets were now brimming and ready to come out. He did what he could to conceal it, though he long-blinked and nervously kissed it all goodbye, just in case.
"Gideon, you only will open up about issues once you've already solved it for yourself because that's easier for someone else to digest," Kepa began to urge, she gestured to her sternum and became lightly animated as Gideon's eyes hooked tight to hers in near-teary defeat, "The problem is, doing this doesn't allow YOU to experience genuine love from THEM... It limits their ability to give you everything that you need, even if you are misunderstood or, a bit of a black sheep."
"I can't, I can't..." Gideon finally pressed, he shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut in regret, "I can't accept being doted on, although it all feels good in the moment, I just end up feeling an immense amount of guilt, afterwards. For some reason, if I open up and tell my family how disregarded I feel, or how left out I feel, I'd either get a fight in return or... They'd just flip it all around and I'd be the one to blame."
"Gideon, then you have to let go of the notion that this is love," Kepa urged gently, she reached out and so tenderly gripped Gideon's much bigger wrist. She jostled him a little, causing him to largely frown and peer tight into her eyes, as if to silently express that he'd be so lost without her, "The only way you can truly feel love is if they choose to stick with you through the storm, no matter how bad it is. You never let them stand with you, in it, because you've never shown them what it looks like for you to be in the trenches."
Gideon peered hard into Kepa's eyes and felt his soul shift, the universe did a giddy wiggle of knowing, and as he exhaled a shaky breath and allowed all of the pieces in his heart to align, he bobbed a nod and soaked in all of Kepa's wisdom. Although a cute little being of hyper, kitty-cat tendencies, underneath the fur and alluring, childlike eyes of wonder was a wildly intelligent higher being, one with more than a decade of Arcade experience, one who had an extremely strong sense of self and all the grace and humbled beauty that came with it. Gideon felt his soul grapple for hers as if his life depended on it, and it was in this raw moment did Gideon know to wriggle his wrist from her grip and carefully hold her hand in his much bigger one. Gideon shook his head, squeezed her hand and looked off to the intensely sunny horizon, beyond them.
"I'm sorry if this is forward, but I'd be so lost without you, Kepa," Gideon's deep voice so shyly ushered to her; he could see her ears sag in a show of adorable bashfulness, words that cutely short circuited her brain, she gently tucked her fist to her mouth and looked off in almost embarrassed contemplation as the breeze happily rustled their hair and clothes about, though they stood fervently still in each other's love-soaked presences.
"The feeling is mutual," Kepa's gentle voice mused over the breeze, she lulled her eyes closed and smiled with a happy shrug, "It's a good thing now that you got me a phone, we can stay in touch on your trip. I can give advice where it's needed. I'm sure you'll have a blast, you'll forget all about me."
"Yeah, right," Gideon grunted with a joyous chuckle, he tossed his sunny, grinning, handsome face down to hers and sagged his shoulders in warm relief, "Thank you... I needed this."
"You're welcome," Kepa bobbed a nod, "I did too. You and I have very similar family dynamics, so it seems. Except... My family was royalty. That adds a whole 'nother level of fuckery, so consider yourself lucky."
"I can't imagine," Gideon mumbled cutely, he rolled his eyes and looked off as the irony of it all nearly burned his eyebrows off. He blurt a happy chuckle and shook his head, "I just want to fit in and get along with the lot of them. Is that so much to ask?"
"Yeah, sometimes," Kepa urged with an incredulous giggle, "Family is blood and code, sure, but... That's not everything, unfortunately. The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb."
"... Oh, I've heard a VERY different version of that quote," Gideon gawked cutely, he peered to her in warm surprise, "Is that the actual quote? I always thought that it was blood is thicker than water."
"Nope-ity," Kepa cutely chirped as she wagged her tail in a hefty side-swipe, she giggled and tucked her hair behind her beautiful cat ears, "The family you cultivate is your core. Could be your real family, could be one you hand pick. Neither option is wrong, but the people you surround yourself with should be those that care to level with you, those that care to build you up and ask questions about the inner workings of your soul. Like your artwork, y'know?"
"Thanks for all of this," Gideon nodded, "I'll miss you, but... I have more confidence going into this vacation, now."
"You'll be fine," Kepa guffawed with a waggle of her hand, she smiled and gave Gideon a whole world of joyous certainty, "So long as you bring me back some candy, I'll be here when you get back."
"I'll bring you back some candy, don't worry," Gideon grunted a laugh as him and Kepa now turned to slowly mosey back to the lighthouse. He sighed and allowed his eyes to adjust to the gorgeous splay before them, Juniper Forest so beautiful poised in the near-distance behind their colorful lighthouse, "So, what's on the agenda today?"
"Well, I was on top of the tower today and saw a Ferris wheel, WAY down the beach," Kepa bobbed a nod and gave Gideon an excited smile, "There's a fair happening, I think. I'd love to go, would you?"
"Oh, sure, that'd be awesome, we can go as soon as Novus gets here," Gideon chimed with happiness as he drew his eyes down the expansive, gorgeous beach, and although he couldn't see said Ferris wheel, due to it likely being hidden by a far off hilly cliffside, he was confident Kepa was telling the truth anyways, "I was thinking maybe tonight we can get that light bulb, up in the tower, to work. Surely the ships on the ocean would appreciate the guidance home."
"Yes! Are you planning on painting tonight, at all?" Kepa prod sweetly, Gideon shrugged and peered to her in a spike of cute curiosity.
"I can, how come?" Gideon said, the urge to squee brimmed at the back of his throat.
"Cause I wanna watch, I still can't believe you actually painted that mural, by the stairwell," Kepa rattled as they slowly approached the lighthouse's deck, "Are you finished with it?"
"No, I'm not, but I can definitely pick at it later," Gideon encouraged, he was excited that she was willing to sit and watch, and though he knew this all went hand in hand with the conversation they just had, he was eager to spill every single last ounce of his artistic knowledge to anyone that would be willing to listen and learn. He happily skipped a step, a bounce he couldn't help, and with a wide grin down to his sandy bare feet, he blurt a louder laugh as Kepa caught on and cutely shoved his upper arm, "What! It's exciting."
"Giddy Gideon," Kepa mused sweetly as her hefty tail cutely swat the backs of his thighs, and with matched footsteps, both beings melted into their lovely, sunny light house with hearts snared a little deeper into the makings of a full-fledged, carefully cultivated love.
