SmilinKujo

Making Game: CH 19 – The Wannabe Producer

The front door hissed open, and before Dorian could even register it, Juno leaped into his arms, wrapping him in a hug with the unrestrained enthusiasm of a happy puppy.

"Ow, ow," Dorian grunted, patting her back. "Solar strength, Juno."

Juno immediately let go, a sheepish laugh escap...

Marvel MK: CH 159 – Branding Opportunity

On the desolate, asteroid-pocked plains of the Sanctuary, Loki stood before a throne of meteorite and bone. The Chitauri armies, row upon silent row, stood at the ready, a sea of biomechanical death waiting for a command.

He was speaking to The Other, the gaunt, robed herald of his new bene...

Making Game: CH 18 – An Unintentional Homage

Dorian stared at the collection of project files on his producer's desk. Each one was a song, a fully mixed and mastered track, a potential follow-up to "Your Song." But the thought of releasing another one filled him with a sense of dread. It was not the creative process that scared him; it was ...

Making Game: CH 17 – The Farmer of the Past

Dorian gently closed Lyra's bedroom door, a satisfied look on his face. After the incredible dinner, he had tested his theory again. He told them a bedtime story, a tale of siblings and a magical wardrobe that led to another world. To maximize the emotional impact, he ended it on a massive cliffh...

Chapter 158 – The Coming Storm

Jack Hou, the real one, sat on the plush couch in the penthouse of the God Tree, his posture a study in relaxed, predatory stillness. On the couch to his right, Natalie Beckman sat bolt upright, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. Behind her, the clone known as J stood, a silent, unmoving guard...

HCfC: CH 20: The Fourth Pack

Night had settled over the city. In the quiet of the living quarters, Zero sat cross-legged on the floor, deep in meditation. He focused inward, feeling the currents of his own magical energy, the humming connections to his other selves. The influx of power from the last Gacha pull had settled, a...

Marvel MK: CH 157 – A Brother’s Return

Jack stood on the sun-drenched shore of Cape Matapan, the gentle waves of the Aegean Sea lapping at his bare feet. He whistled, a single, sharp note that cut through the sound of the surf. In an instant, the air beside him shimmered, and a familiar, sky-blue cloud materialized from his very being...

Making Game: CH 16 – The First Harvest

Gale Amanar, a Solar of the Vanguard path, stepped into his luxurious apartment. The door hissed shut behind him, sealing out the noise of the city. He tossed his bag onto a minimalist couch and carefully placed his modular power armor onto its designated bracket, the charging ports clicking into...

HFfC: CH19: The Game of Rats

The next day, while Erwin was methodically closing his final cases, refusing any new clients as he prepared for his next move, a different kind of business was being conducted across town. Inside the newly constructed Hao Pavilion, the air was thick with the scent of incense and intimidation.

Making Game: CH 15 – A Creator's Rest

Marcus was practically vibrating with excitement, jumping up and down on the stool. Dorian could see Lyra out of the corner of his eye, trying to look cool and disinterested, but the way she leaned forward, her eyes glued to the screen, betrayed her true feelings.

"Go ahead, Marcus," she sa...

Marvel MK: CH 156 – A Gourd of Forgotten Sorrows

Jack awoke with a gasp, not to the cold stone of the Underworld, but to the familiar, shifting landscape of his own soul. He stood on the shore of a black, glassy sea that reflected the star-dusted cosmos above. Before him, the Monkey King stood, his golden armor gleaming, his expression a mask o...

Making Game: CH 14 – A Deal with a Giant

The next day, Dorian was deep in the code of Stardew Valley, his concentration absolute. He was alone in the quiet apartment; Lyra and Marcus were at school, and Leo was with them. The only sound was the soft tapping of his fingers on the holographic keyboard.

He did not hear the f...

Making Game: CH 13 – A Torrent of Resonance

Gil Nothos, a Gunnossian man who looked to be in the prime of his forties but was, in fact, one hundred and seventy-three years old, sat at a grand piano. The stage was bathed in a warm, golden light, and before him sat the highest echelons of the Accord elite, a sea of decorated uniforms and exp...

Update!

Hey everyone, sorry to say I’ve been under the weather lately. I’m feeling better now and should be back to writing in a few days. In the meantime, I’ve discovered this awesome app called Obsidian. While I’m stuck in bed, I’ll be using it to clean up my drafts. Thanks for being so patie...

Marvel MK: CH 155 – Awake

In the sterile, quiet VIP room of Metro-General Hospital, Doctor Christine Palmer was doing a routine check on the comatose patient, Jack Hou. She shined a penlight into his unmoving eye, noting the lack of pupillary response on her chart. She was about to check his vitals again when it happened....

Marvel MK: CH 154 – River Cocytus

In the sleek, high-tech headquarters of the Tiger Division in Seoul, Ami Han walked through the bustling halls with a brisk, purposeful stride. She stopped before the private chambers of Lei Ling, one of the youngest and most powerful members of her team. She didn’t knock.

She opened the ...

Making Game: CH 12 – A Chain of Suffering

Maree hummed to herself as she dried her hair with a silent, wireless blow dryer. Fresh from her milk bath, she padded into her twin sister's room, a playful grin on her face. "Why are you still doing salted baths? Are you secretly a Kalamoran?" she teased. "Hehehehe."

She stopped dead in h...

Making Game: CH 11 – The Cringe of Creation

The work on Stardew Valley continued. Dorian was now deep in the most complex phase: connecting the villagers, the NPCs, with their stories and mechanics. He was breathing life into Abigail, mapping out her schedule to wander the woods and visit the saloon. He was linking Shane's dialogu...

Marvel MK: CH 153 – River Lethe and Phlegethon

Two weeks had passed in the outside world while Jack's soul was adrift in the River Acheron.

Deep beneath a nameless, barren stretch of land, in a secret facility that appeared on no SHIELD manifest, two figures lay strapped to clinical, steel tables. The restraints were not leather or stee...

HFfC: CH 18: The Golden Commander

A new day had come, and with it, a new story that seized the entire duchy. It was on the front page of every newspaper, the talk of every street corner and tavern. The missing children had been found.

The official reports were sparse on details, stating only that the perpetrator was in the ...

Marvel MK: CH 152 – River Acheron

A week had passed since the moment Jack’s soul was pulled into the Underworld, and the outside world was in a state of quiet, panicked chaos. The news had broken: Jack Hou, the enigmatic guardian of the Golden Peach, was gone. Not turned to marble this time, but fallen, his dozens of clones col...

Making Game: CH 10 – A Symphony of Two Worlds

Dorian sat before the glowing registration form, the blinking cursor a silent, expectant question. He took a breath, his fingers finding the holographic keys. He typed the name.

{Percival}

He chose it from a half-remembered myth, a story of a righteous, holy knight from a round table ...

Marvel MK: CH 151 – River Styx

The River Styx was not water. It was a cold that was not of ice, a weight that was not of pressure. It was the crushing, collective sorrow of a million forgotten souls, a liquid despair that seeped into Jack’s very being. It wrapped around him, a heavy, silken shroud, pulling him down. He tried...

Marvel MK: CH 150 – A Monkey in the Medbay

A week had passed. The initial shock of Jack’s crash landing had faded, replaced by the familiar, low-grade chaos that now defined his presence at the Xavier Mansion. He walked the halls, fully recovered, wearing one of John Proudstar’s sturdy combat boots and one of Logan’s worn-out leathe...

Making Game: CH 9 – Juno’s Song

Dorian pressed the first key. A single, clear piano note hung in the air, pure and simple. He took a slow breath, his fingers hovering over the sensor array. Then, he began to play. The melody that filled the room was gentle, a little hesitant, like a quiet confession. He closed his eyes, letting...

Making Game: CH 8 – An Overboard Gesture

Juno was sprawled on the floor of Dorian's room, sweating and breathing heavily, but with a huge, exhilarated grin on her face. Dorian chuckled as he handed her a glass of water. She took it, drank the entire thing in one long go, and then held it out for a refill.

"Damn, Juno, you were thi...

Making Game: CH 7 – A Friend at the Door

The time had come for Lyra and Marcus to go to bed. As they were about to head to their separate rooms, Dorian put his theory to the test.

"Guys," he said, his voice casual. "How about a story before you sleep?"

Marcus immediately jumped up and down, his face lighting up with happines...

Marvel MK: CH 149 – The Will of Heaven

The tournament was over before it had truly begun, a violent, soul-deep tremor ran through the Heart of Heaven. It was not an earthquake. It was the very firmament of their new world buckling, a sound like the groaning of reality itself. The sky, which had been a patchwork of seven different suns...

Making Game: Chapter 6 – A Letter Inside a Letter

The headmaster's office at Aethelgard buzzed with a mechanical silence, the low hum of the air recyclers the only sound. Headmaster Jasrun Dovan tapped a single, rhythmic finger on his expansive desk. His eyes were fixed on the hologram floating before him, a detailed, rotating bust of Dorian Kep...

Making Game: CH 5 – A Wish from a Lost Life

Dorian lowered his head, his shoulders slumping. He moved to put the violin back in its case. "Sorry for the noise," he mumbled, his voice thick.

"N-no no," John stammered from the doorway, taking a hesitant step into the room. "It's good. It's good that you play. I loved to hear more." A s...