Hey, guys, I am back with another update.

So, how has everyone's (due to the fact that it is 8:40 right now) morning been? I don't know, mine's been pretty chill. Stayed up all night playing the Destiny beta, now that it is open to everyone for the weekend (the weekend of 7/24/14, that is) and, I have to say, the game looks pretty nice, even on 360. Then, you know, just played some Hearthstone and listened to the new Crown the Empire album. And, if anyone is curious as to why exactly I'm putting this, I'll tell you. Other than the fact that I actually do like to communicate with you guys and try to talk with you guys however possible, if you guys want to start a conversation, I also feel as if I don't currently interact with you guys enough. I mean, Youtubers and Twitchers can use comments, chat, and Twitter to interact with the people who care about what they do, but I can't completely do that with you guys (other than the whole Twitter thing, as I do actually have one.) So, essentially, I got this odd fixation in my head that some of you guys may view me as.. transparent, I guess. Y'know, as if all I am to you is a name that puts up stories that are read by people, rather than me being a real person. Yeah, I don't know. Hopefully, you guys don't see me as that, but, if you do... STOP. I'm not just a name, I am a person. Anyway... hi. :)

Anyway, we have a pretty short chapter today, but it is a good one, nonetheless. Although, first, reviews!

ChronicAsylum: Well, that depends on how you look at it. Are they technically related? Sort of. I mean, I never put shit in here about Maxwell dealing with any paperwork, or anything. So, who knows? Are they blood related? Well, obviously not.

Wildlian: Thanks for the suggestion, and it really is a good song, but I feel compelled to not use it. The main reason for that would be the fact that that song seems to be slightly heroic, and something that you would expect to play during a video game when you've got the final boss on his last leg. And, well, by now it's pretty obvious that the guys of Nemesis, especially the main trio, are the antagonists, and I just sort of don't feel as if that song would work well for them. Although, I will give you props for your music choice, as well as your game choice. Shadow the Hedgehog was an awesome game, with an amazing soundtrack.

Most recently reviewed Guest: Fun fact: I now love you. You are the first person, to the best of my knowledge (although, with the stuff that stereotypical people on this site like, you honestly may not actually be the first), to get that reference. That reference actually popped up due to the fact that, at the time of my start on this site, I was starting to watch anime again after stopping for a few years, and one of my friends suggested that, and I fell in love with it.

Tsuzihri07: Yeah, don't know why it took so long to reply to you, and I apologize for that. Anyway, that is honestly one of my favorite ideas in the world, with one of the reasons being that it brings back a lot of fun memories of perfecting Guitar Hero III... fun fact: never actually did that. Anyway, hope that you are able to read this, and, if so, good luck with what's happening right now. :)

Blood is Really Hard to Get Out of Fur

I shot up in my bed, a cold sweat drenching my body. All I could hear in my head was that disgusting laugh, the same one that I had to put up with for almost all of my life, and another voice just chanting, over and over again, calling me a freak and a pet. I pressed my ears down on my head, trying to block out the voices. After more than ten minutes of just sitting on my bed, my legs bent with my head resting on my knees, the voices finally seemed to quiet down. Even after my head was clear, I just sat there, breathing heavily. I eventually got up and went into my bathroom. I flipped on the light and looked at myself in the mirror that was over the sink. I saw that sweat was still pouring down my face, somehow missing my eyes, which were wide with fear.

"N-no, calm down, Riku." I tried to reassure myself, panting heavily. "It's not real, it was just a dream."

As I said this, the face of a Houndoom seemed to appear in my mirror, just over my shoulder. Without thinking, I lashed out at the mirror, my fist colliding with it. A loud cracking sound filled the small room, as well as a gasp of pain from me, as the mirror shattered, sending shards of glass into my hand. I retracted my hand to see that glass was sticking out of it in multiple directions, and blood was already seeping from the wounds. At the sight of my hand, I did something I haven't done for months: I cried. I just sunk to the floor, bringing my legs up to my chest, burying my face in my arms, and let the tears flow. I don't know how long I was on the floor, but I eventually fell into an uneasy, dreamless sleep.

I awoke to feel someone shaking me violently. I opened my eyes to find that I was still on the floor, and that Jessica was crouched next to me, shaking me, a look of worry in her eyes.

She saw that I was awake and stopped shaking me, only to grab my hand, and say, "Arceus, Riku, what happened?"

I looked down at my hand to see that glass shards were still jutting out of my skin; my hand caked in dry blood, with even more still seeping out of the wounds. I looked around the bathroom and saw the broken mirror, a few larger shards of glass still in the frame, and the rest either littering the floor or in the sink. Or, in a few cases, in my hand. I sat there, mouth agape slightly, trying to come up with some excuse, but failing horridly. Jessica sighed at my silence, before rising.

"Wait here." She commanded. "And don't touch your hand."

With that, she left the room. I sighed, putting my head in my hands. Arceus, how the fuck am I going to explain this to the others? If I tell them about the reoccurring dream, then they'll want to know why it scared me so much, which will lead to the truth coming out. This thought brought another shock of fear shooting through me. No, damn it. No one is going to find out about that, ever. My life would be ruined if they ever knew the truth. I have to keep it a secret at all costs. I heard footsteps approaching, bringing me from my thoughts. I looked up just as Jessica reentered; a small first aid box in her hands. She got on her knees next to me, sitting the box down.

"Will you stick your hand out for me, please?" She asked me.

I complied, extending my arm. She opened the box and brought out a pair of tweezers.

She gripped my wrist lightly, bringing my hand closer to her, before saying, "Now, this will hurt a little bit, okay?"

I nodded, and she used the tweezers to grip one of the shards of glass that was stuck in my hand. I braced myself for the pain, just before she pulled on the shard. It came out fairly easily, with no more than a small gasp of pain from me. She opened up the cabinet under the sink and brought out one of the hundreds of small bathroom cups that were under there, cups that I never bothered using. She sat the cup next to her and dropped the shard into it, before gripping another one. We spent the next few minutes on the floor, with Jessica taking the glass out of my hand. When all the shards were out of my hand and in the cup, Jessica dropped the cup into the trashcan.

"Alright," she said, "now, while I go and get the broom, I want you to wash your hand."

I nodded, and she left. I stood up and stood in front of the sink. I turned on the sink and stuck my hand under the cool water. There was a minor jolt of pain that shot through my hand on contact, causing me to tense up slightly. I washed my hand off, getting rid of the blood, turning the water that dropped off of my hand pink. Jessica returned a few minutes later, a broom and dustpan in her hands.

"Here, let me see your hand." She said, sitting what she was carrying on the floor.

I turned the water off and held my hand out to her. She held my hand in hers lightly, inspecting the wounds.

"Alright, this is good." She said. "It looks like none of the cuts are too deep, so we should just have to bandage it up."

She let go of my hand, causing it to fall limply to my side, and picked up the first aid kit. She pulled out a roll of bandages, a small pair of scissors, and a tube of antibiotics. She held her hand out, palm up, and I gave her my hand. She took my hand and covered the wounds in the antibiotics, before beginning to wrap it. When she was done, my hand was completely bandaged up, with the exception of my fingers and thumb, which somehow managed to stay clear of harm.

"Alright," Jessica said, as she cut the bandage, "that should work." She put the medical supplies up, before saying, "So, do you want to tell me what that was about, exactly?"

I sighed, and said, "I would prefer not to, if it is all the same with you."

"Okay, then." She replied, sighing. "I'll drop it on one condition." I nodded, and she said, "Answer one question for me, and I won't bring it up again. Does it have anything to do with the name that Archer called you?"

I froze, my blood turning to ice. Does she know? No, no, calm down. It's not possible for her to know, there's no way. Just give her an answer.

I sighed once again, and said, "Yes, yes it does."

Jessica nodded, saying, "Alright then."

She reached for the broom and dustpan, but I stopped her, saying, "I'll handle it. I made the mess, so I'll clean it up."

She nodded again, and said, "Alright, then. When you finish, Maxwell's making breakfast."

I nodded, and she left. I sighed, grabbing the broom. I began sweeping up the glass in silence. Arceus, that was too close. Hell, I don't even know how I'll explain the broken mirror and bandages to the others. I really need to get those dreams to stop. I mean, for fuck's sake, it's been going on for a week now. Ever since the concert. I growled lightly in a mixture of anger and frustration. And it's all fucking Archer's fault. I felt my fists clench tightly around the broom handle, but I quickly calmed myself. Stop it, damn it. They aren't the same Houndoom. For Arceus's sake, one's a morph while the other one is just a standard fucking Pokemon. I sighed as I finished sweeping up the glass. I dumped the contents of the dustpan into the trashcan, before reaching for the mirror frame. As I grabbed it, I saw my reflection in one of the larger remaining shards. My eyes seemed hollow, almost lifeless, and there were bags under my eyes, showing off my lack of sleep. I quickly averted my eyes, not wanting to see the effects that the dream had on me. Nor would I like to see my abnormality at the moment. I dropped the mirror into the trashcan, causing another small shattering sound as some of the shards broke. I grabbed the broom and dustpan and left my room, before heading downstairs. I could distinctly hear Kyle, Adam, Ashtynn, Ashley, Alex, Leo, and Valerie, so I avoided them and entered the dining room. Granted, I need to bring the broom back, anyway, and it's stored in the kitchen. I entered the kitchen to see that Maxwell and Jessica were standing in there. I could feel them watching me as I went over to the small closet where we keep the cleaning supplies, and put the broom up. I turned around to see that they were still watching me intently.

"Yes?" I asked.

"It's nothing." Maxwell answered. "Jessica told me about what happened, and I'm worried about you."

"I'm perfectly fine." I reassured him.

Jessica sighed, and said, "Riku, come on. You and I both know that something's bothering you."

"Relax." I replied. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with me. And, besides, I thought that you weren't going to pry?"

She just shrugged and said, "I never said that everyone else would stay out of it."

I sighed, saying, "Whatever. Trust me, nothing's going on. I'm fine."

I could tell that Maxwell wanted to continue the conversation, but he dropped it without another word, as he turned back to the stove, where he was making bacon. I went over and got some coffee, before leaning up on one of the counters.

"So," Jessica started, "when's the next time that you have to go out of town?"

Maxwell sighed, before replied, "From the twenty-third to the fifth."

"Only two days?" Jessica asked.

"Umm, no." He said, turning to face her. "I won't be gone from the twenty-third to the twenty-fifth. I'll be gone from the twenty-third of November to the fifth of December."

"What?" Jessica said, shocked. "But that means that you'll miss the Battle of the Bands."

"I know." He said.

"But that's not fair." She complained. "I mean, you missed our performance on Halloween. I don't want you to have to miss this one."

"Yeah, I know." He said, sighing again. "Trust me, I don't want to miss it, but it's not like I have a choice."

"I really don't know how you can stand to travel that much." I commented. "I mean, I traveled a fair amount and I hated it, but I'm pretty sure that you've traveled more during the time that I've lived here than I ever have in my life."

Maxwell just shrugged, and said, "Truly, you really just get used to it."

"Not really." I heard Jessica say quietly.

"What?" Maxwell asked her, having not heard what she said.

"Nothing, nothing." Jessica said, beginning to head for the door. "I'm gonna go and change clothes, now."

I watched her as she passed me, going out the door, and I could have sworn that I saw a few tears starting to fall from her eyes.

"Alright, then." Maxwell yelled after her. "Breakfast will be done soon." As I heard her start up the stairs, Maxwell said, "She seemed slightly off, somehow. I wonder what's bothering her."

I just scoffed lightly, shaking my head.

"What?" He asked me. "Do you know something that I don't?"

"Well, it's honestly fairly obvious, even to me." I replied. "And, trust me; I'm not too good at picking up on subtle hints."

"Well, then, what is it?" He asked me.

I sighed, and said, "It's you." He looked at me, confused, so I continued, "You took both her and Kyle in when they had nowhere else to go. You've given her more than she ever could have hoped to have in her life, and allowed her to have friends and get on the path to accomplishing her dream. After doing all of this, she sees you as not only her father, but the best father that she ever could have been given, and it breaks her heart whenever you have to leave, and it absolutely crushes it when your job keeps you from going out and seeing her doing what she loves to do. She hates the fact that you can't be there, in the crowd, to watch her, along with the rest of the band, kick ass and melt faces; to see her live and feel the sense of pride that she strives to give you. Essentially, every single time that you have to leave for weeks at a time, she dies a little inside."

When I finished, Maxwell was staring at me, a blank look on his face. I just sighed, before leaving the room. I went to the living room, where I saw the others watching Black Butler on T.V. I saw that the couch had Kyle, Valerie, and Ashtynn were taking up the couch, with Adam in one of the two armchairs, and Leo in the other, with Alex on his lap, and Ashley lying in the floor.

"Hey." I greeted, joining Ashley on the floor, sitting with my legs crossed.

They all returned the greeting, except for Adam, who looked at me, before asking, "Holy shit, dude. What happened to your hand?"

I looked down at the bandages and chuckled, before saying, "A mirror."

"What?" Adam said, confused.

"I punched a mirror." I calmly said, taking a sip of my coffee.

"Why the hell did you that?" Alex asked me.

As I didn't have an actual excuse, I just shrugged and said, "I don't know."

Valerie sighed, and said, "That doesn't really seem like a good reason."

I shrugged again, and said, "Well, that's the only one that I have to give."

"Well, will you still be able to play with your hand like that?" Kyle asked me.

"I don't see any reason why not." I replied. "I mean, it's not like I truly hurt my fingers, or anything. Granted, the large usage of my hand, as well as the increased movement, required to play a guitar may hamper the healing process of my hand, but that is really the only foreseeable issue."

"Yeah, I guess." Leo agreed. "Although, I would advise against doing too much with that hand until it heals."

"Leo, you're talking to the guy who did a back flip only a week after falling down a twenty foot drop." Kyle pointed out. "The dude doesn't seem to give a shit about personal health."

"Well, I wouldn't say that." I interjected. "But, I mean, I won't let minor injuries such as that stop me from doing what I do."

"How are either of these two injuries minor?" Leo asked me.

I shrugged, and said, "Well, I didn't die, I didn't lose any limbs, and I didn't break anything, therefore, they are minor."

Leo just sighed, and said, "I'm pretty sure that that isn't a very efficient way to classify the severity of an injury."

"Alright then," I replied, "what would you classify as serious?"

"Oh, y'know, things such as falling down twenty feet and getting shards of glass stuck in your hands." He replied.

"Well, I guess that that would be where we differ, now isn't it?" I said, taking another sip of my coffee.

"Yes, I guess so." He replied, sighing again.

"You two can be slightly stubborn sometimes, y'know that, right?" Ashtynn pointed out.

I just shrugged, but Alex chimed in with, "Yeah, sometimes I wonder whether or not those two would make a better couple than us." Leo and I both glared at him, so he threw his hands up defensively, and said, "I'm just kidding. Arceus, you two can't take a joke."

"I'm pretty sure that we may have to kill you for that joke." Leo said. "Riku, what say you?"

"Well, that depends." I replied. "How brutal will it be? I mean, I know a thing or two about dismemberment."

"Nah, I wasn't thinking of doing that." He answered. "Too much blood. Maybe just a simple stab, or something."

"Alright." I said. "Just as long as we do it after breakfast. Blood is really hard to get out of fur, and I really don't feel like messing around with that right now."

Leo sighed, defeated, and said, "Fine, I guess that it can wait. You're probably right about the fur, anyway."

By now, everyone else in the room was staring at us, including Jessica, whom had entered during the conversation, with confused, shocked, and slightly scared looks.

"What?" I asked them, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, you guys were just having an in depth conversation about the best way to murder Alex," Ashley replied, "and we find that slightly odd."

"Why?" Leo asked. "Do you guys seriously think that we'd kill him? Hell no, I love the kid too much."

"Besides," I added, "chopping off limbs is an extremely messy process, and it isn't exactly easy with a kitchen knife."

Now, everyone's eyes, including Leo's, fell on me.

Alex opened his mouth to speak, but he was interrupted by Maxwell yelling, "Kids, breakfast!"

"Well, it appears that it's time to eat." I said, rising. "Shall we?"

And, with that, I left the room.

So, yeah, I told you that it would be a short chapter. Hey, at least I gave you a fair warning, so there's that. Anyway, don't worry, as the next two chapters will be fun. They have action, music, hookers, and blackjack... okay, not the last two. Sorry. Anyway, I hope that you guys enjoyed this little insight into how Archer has effected Riku's mental state, and nice little jokes about dismemberment.. for the record, I never once thought that I would write that sentence.

Anyway, I have a small favor I would like to ask of you guys. So, I recently put up my new story, the AO3 exclusive, and it appears that it is falling under, what appears to be, the unspoken rule of AO3. Which is, if it isn't porn, no one fucking cares. Like, seriously, it's been up for, like, a week, and has five hits, and has had five for the past three or four days. Now, I know that some stories don't actually fit everyone's genre, so I understand that, but it honestly seems to be that any story on AO3 that doesn't contain sex within the first two or three chapters, just doesn't very many views. So, I'd be grateful if you guys could go and at least check out the summary of it in my FFnet bio, and, if it piques your interest, it'd be awesome if you would check it out.

Anyway, before I go, let me say something. I wasn't joking about wanting to communicate with you guys more. Trust me, I have, like two or three friends in all, so I'm pretty much always free to just chat online if anyone ever wants to. Although, I am occasionally doing things, which may prevent me from replying to people. Yeah, I know that I'm probably annoying you guys with this, and I apologize, but I'm now stuck with the morbid fear that I'm just a name to you guys, and nothing else. *Sigh* Yeah, I know, it's stupid. But, if you ever do want to chat about random shit, or just ask me random questions, just Google my handle, and pretty much no matter what you pull up, it'll most likely be me. Trust me, no one is stupid enough to misspell "Hylian" like I am. Yes, that is how I got the name, and I've just kept it forever. Get over it.

So, now that I've finished all of that long-winded bullshit, this will be the actual outro. So, don't forget that you can still submit songs to me, for at least a week or two, maybe longer, depending on if I suddenly get hooked on writing another story. So, yeah, there's that. Anyway, bye guys.