The Midnight Mantra: Inglorious Impostor 2

Intertwining III~ Provocation

A/N ( author's note/4th wall break to keep readers both side tracked & engaged before or after any given story chapter): 🌬️🙏🏽2008, dark times. The golden era that reached peak quality. 808s~ ahead of it's time. A decade later & we're back to square one.

Moreover, ahh Darking. The place where it all began. Let us wistfully reminisce of the sprawling crime introduced by the trio, along with the blight and eyesores that created a nefarious community, which in turn, affected the lives of a numerous amount of hard working people. Where Rob & co. conducted various operations, the exotic locales, etc. And who could forget the locations that I probably forgot too ( let's see here, there's Kokomo, something in Detroit.. 🤔🤦🏽‍♂️huh, guess I need to brush up on my own books' history).

Welcome back to the latest installment in yet another chapter in this long-running, ever-evolving, mind-numbing story of internal struggle, heartbreak, a delayed meticulous heist, and supposedly much more in store from the fairly yet unusually active OCD-induced working mind of a vastly underrated writer ( notice the new cover. Jus tryna keep things fresh yah kno? Basking in it's watermarked, eye-popping glory. Satisfied with the end product though. That's something I can't say about most of my chapters, after countless revisions of course..). 2 related chapters published near similar time frames in different versions of the same story, guess you could call it a streak. Lhh😭, just reading that alone probably made some of your 'brain cells' disappear ( a stolen YouTube comments joke). But yeah, Jesus bruh! I'm just now realizing that this is an unhealthy amount of devotion to these lengthy chapters that have a slim chance of even getting recognized.

Oof! Anyways, I would call it something quickly concocted from the aforementioned description of mind, influenced by real-life experiences in an effort to deliver quality content in a timely manner ( even though the first thing that comes to mind is the word 'rushed' ). Not very well put, huh? Alright, well you already know the policy. Haters~ gtfo. Hastiness can prove to be useful with the right ideas and drive to craft a bold yet complex character-driven narrative. Anyways, notice how the broad term 'mind' is used pretty often in this long para ( meaning it will play a significant role in the story below). So get yourselves situated, get comfy, relax, and/or scoot into the couch. Let us resume...

Now, we return to U & Nubu, amidst the first of their training sessions and woke talks:

The two traversed among the smooth dirt path on a sun-soaked day. Nubu requested U to take off her shoes, due to their not being any need for a pair. It felt as if strolling along sand; your barefoot gliding against the dunes and pebbles. This allowed for a calming environment, amid the narrow stream cascading on the side, glistening in the daylight as the water lapped alongside each gap. With it, the sound of rushing water and a gentle breeze invited ( or rather embraced) profound ideas and deep contemplation. Moments after absorbing the mood of their natural surroundings, the simply dressed man broke the silence with a statement that would lead into one of many enlightening exchanges of thought yet to come, "Provocation: an action/speech that deliberately irritates someone. In our situation, the word itself doesn't have to refer to irritation, but rather a recall of memory. U, what actions of your past have you come to regret? Go ahead and take a drink from the stream, don't worry it's been distilled, retaining it's freshness without all the added minerals," U looks at Nubu, thinking to herself about the assassination of the dictator of the nation of Waka Derka, then cupped her hands and scooped the cold water from the stream to replenish herself.