Manager, give me a membership card too!

Although she didn't know why Rorschach was showing a film that wasn't the mainstream black-and-white silent film, but instead one with vibrant colors and stirring, melodious music, this didn't stop Jill's attention from being gradually drawn to the vivid, interesting, and dramatic plot. She didn't even realize that she had unknowingly moved closer to the 'television set,' something she had never seen before.

Time slowly flows by as the blonde Rapunzel meets, gets to know, and falls in love with Flynn Ryder, a charming rogue who accidentally enters Rapunzel's life. While the plot and tropes may seem somewhat old-fashioned to modern viewers, they feel novel, suspenseful, and gripping to Jill, Abigail, and the others.

The expressions of the women, including the policewoman, had become tense as the comedic scenes of the earlier episodes ended and the tense, exciting escape sequence began. The younger women, in particular, covered their eyes with their hands when they heard that the reformed thief Flynn had been sentenced to death by the king. Even Jill, an adult, instinctively turned her head away from the screen.

This 'adorable' behavior made Rorschach, who had already 'enchanted' the cross, raise an eyebrow with interest. He didn't say anything to disturb the ladies' enjoyment, but stood quietly behind everyone, waiting for the story unfolding on the 4K TV he brought from the future to gradually approach its end.

Finally, as the beautiful couple on the screen entered the hall of marriage witnessed by the King and Queen, the little girls, whose faces were streaked with tears from the previous tragic scenes, all broke into joyful smiles, hugging each other and cheering. Gil, standing not far from Nyaruko and the others, quietly wiped the moisture from the corner of his eyes with the back of his hand, his lips unconsciously curving into a slight smile.

What a wonderful story! Evil was punished, and lovers were reunited. I read in the Boston Times that there's some kind of 'Oscars' coming up soon; if this Rapunzel participated, she'd definitely win first place.

Feeling a pang of emotion, Jill subconsciously turned around to see if Rorschach had returned, but as soon as she turned, she saw the shopkeeper's smiling face.

"Mr. Rorschach? You're done?"

"Okay, it's over. Here, this is your cross. I added a little extra protection to it. If you encounter those ghostly things again, this cross will protect you from their influence."

Returning the enchanted cross to Jill, Rorschach gestured with his chin towards the television screen nearby, which was already playing the cast list, and asked with a smile:

"So, do you like it?"

Jill, who was just about to put the cross back around her neck, paused slightly upon hearing this, then nodded decisively, looking quite satisfied with the previous movie.

“I often put something like this on Abigail and the others after dinner. If you’re interested, Jill, you can come here after get off work and watch it together.”

"Really?" The policewoman's face showed a little embarrassment as soon as she said it, and she quickly waved her hand to cover it up: "No, thank you, Mr. Luo Xia, this is too much trouble for you."

"No trouble at all. I'm going to show it to these kids anyway, so it doesn't make much difference whether you're here or not. It'll be more lively with more people."

Compared to Jill, who was worried about causing trouble for Rorschach, the shop manager really didn't care. Watching a movie, since there are no bullet comments to interact with or comment on now, the more people there are, the more lively it is. He wouldn't miss out on Jill's snacks and drinks.

After chatting with the somewhat reluctant policewoman for a while, Rorschach once again invited her to come to the movies again tomorrow. This time, Jill did not refuse, but offered to provide the desserts and snacks herself. Rorschach readily agreed, and the two shook hands and said goodbye in a friendly atmosphere.

Jill had official business to attend to and couldn't stay any longer. She slept silently at the clinic all day, which made Matt, who had already arrived at De La Puy Manor, think that his partner had messed up while dealing with the thugs, and he was extremely worried.

Fortunately, Rorschach had thought things through. While hypnotizing Jill, he called the Arkham Police Department to inform Acting Chief Gordon that Jill was receiving treatment there and that he shouldn't worry about his subordinate, as he could return to his post once treatment was complete.

Upon receiving the news, Gordon promptly sent someone to inform Matt, who was already hesitating about whether to leave Delapur Estate and return to Arkham, putting the middle-aged police officer, who was like an ant on a hot plate, at ease.

Carefully placing the two bottles of medicine Rorschach had given her into her pocket, she picked up the crucifix and put it back around her neck. Feeling the faint warmth and reassurance emanating from her chest, Jill smiled as she walked down from the second-floor living area of ​​the private hospital toward the main entrance.

But before she could even raise her hand to open the door, a somewhat trembling voice suddenly rang out from behind her.

"Jill, is that you?"

That voice...is it Paul? Damn, I forgot about him.

Withdrawing her right hand, which was about to push open the door, the policewoman slapped her forehead in annoyance and looked in the direction of the sound. What she saw surprised her.

"Paul, why do you look so pale? Did the previous treatment not completely cure you?"

Jill said this because Paul's behavior in front of her was too abnormal.

Although the other person no longer had those dead fish eyes that were almost bulging out of their sockets, and their slightly distorted face had returned to normal and was no longer turning into a twisted and ugly 'Innsmouth' face, their pale complexion, forehead covered in cold sweat, and trembling lips all indicated that the person in front of them was abnormal.

"No, Paul, something's not right with you. I'll go get Dr. Rorschach; he can definitely cure you!"

Seeing Paul's expression, as if he might die on the spot at any moment, Jill turned and headed upstairs. Paul, whose face had initially shown a hint of joy, was terrified by Jill's actions and broke out in a cold sweat, shouting:

"Wait, don't go!"

Jill, who had already reached the stairs, paused upon hearing this, turning back to look at Paul with a puzzled expression. Seeing Jill stop because of the shout, Paul, still standing in place, let out a long sigh, managed to compose himself, and whispered in a still slightly trembling voice:

“I’m fine, Jill. I’m fully recovered, and my body is back to normal. The reason I ended up like this was because of ‘fear’.”

"'fear'?"

"Yes, fear. I don't know what I'm afraid of, but I always feel that there is one, no, two extremely terrifying predators lurking around me, looking at me with a malicious gaze, as if they were looking at meat on a chopping board. The feeling is so real and so clear that my mind is perfectly clear, but my body is completely out of my control."

"My body was gripped by fear, fear of those two terrifying predators, because they were simply beyond my ability to resist. In fact, I couldn't even muster the thought of resisting them."

“Get out of here, Jill. As long as I get out of here, out of the ‘hunting range’ of those two beings, I can return to normal.”

As Paul shared his feelings, he discreetly pointed upstairs with a trembling finger, a bitter expression on his face. Jill, who had initially thought there were monsters like half-bloods here, looked in the direction Paul was pointing, but saw nothing but the ceiling. Her expression turned somewhat strange.

What's on the ceiling? Only Rorschach and a few underage girls, nothing else.

But Paul's expression, as if he might die of fright at any moment, couldn't be faked; pretense and acting couldn't achieve that level of realism.

After a few seconds of silence, Jill finally nodded at Paul's pleading expression and turned to walk towards the clinic door again. But after taking two steps, she couldn't hear Paul following, so she had to turn back again, only to see a face filled with fear and shame.

"Could you... help me up, Jill? My legs are weak, I can't walk."

P.S.: Disney's Rapunzel is a true classic, suitable for all ages; I still find it very interesting to watch now. P.S.2: Skadi from FGO sank; so sad.

Chapter 417 Can we do it again?

Chapter 417 Can we do it again?

Looking out the window at Paul, who was being dragged along by Jill like a boneless caterpillar, Rorschach glanced at the silver-haired girl standing next to him with some annoyance.

"You're a grown man, how can you scare a 'little kid' like that? Is that funny?"

Nyarko, who had been watching Gil and the other's retreating figures with a smile like a squirrel who had just stolen a nut, pouted in dissatisfaction upon hearing this and protested:

"She's a genuine, eternally 16-year-old beauty, what are you talking about, darling?"

As she spoke, she playfully 'whipped' the man beside her with the silver tuft of hair on her head, like a little fist pounding his chest. But the force was less of an attack and more of a flirtatious tease. Strands of her hair, carrying the soft scent of a young girl, gently brushed against the man's earlobe, chin, cheek, and neck, sending waves of alluring ticklish sensations through him.

Unfortunately, Nyaruko chose the wrong target. For Rorschach, these were just child's play and could not affect his emotions at all.

After attacking for a long time without seeing the man beside her make the slightest move, Nyarlathotep grumbled and withdrew her original form, glancing once more at Jill and Paul, who were about to disappear from sight.

“My dear, you injected the serum extracted from Dagon into that man’s body, ‘curing’ him and allowing him to skip the Deep One stage and reach a higher level. If he works hard enough and has some opportunities, he may very well become the new ‘Dominator’.”

"As an enlightened senior, of course I have to test the junior's aptitude and magnanimity. If they are too incompetent, they don't deserve to have such abilities. What do you say, my dear?"

Hearing the girl beside him ask in a voice sweeter than three pluses as she clung to his arm, Luo Xia glanced at her again, annoyed, and shook his head helplessly.

"I think you just want to cause trouble and make a fool of Paul. The reason I injected Dagon's serum into him is because his 'disease' is not a real illness, but a 'blessing,' an evolution, a beneficial change. Although he himself may not be too happy about it, that's the truth."

“If he were truly ill or suffering from a curse or some other debuff, I could simply wave my hand and resolve it. But his previous state was a positive buff, something beneficial, so I had to resort to some special methods to deal with it.”

"As for your point that he will grow into a new 'god'..."

Watching the figure disappear at the end of the street, Luo Xia gently shook his head.

"I don't have high hopes, but it's not impossible. It all depends on his own fate."

No longer paying attention to the two people who had already left, Luo Xia, coming back to his senses, tugged at his arm, which was being tightly held in the arms of a silver-haired ahoge (a type of hair sticking up in a cowlick), but couldn't budge it.

Although both her smooth arms and soft, plump touch were very pleasant, and the girl didn't seem to care about being taken advantage of, even showing a tendency to actively try to grope Luo Xia, the shopkeeper only felt helpless and exhausted.

"Alright, stop being naughty. If I ever lose control, you'll regret it."

"Really?!" However, unlike the reactions of most girls, Nyaruko was overjoyed and eager to try when she heard Rorschach's 'threat,' looking like she couldn't wait any longer.

"Fake!"

Without any hesitation, he flicked the forehead at the excited silver-haired little devil with his ahoge (cowlick), knocking him to the ground. Luo Xia patted his slightly wrinkled sleeves, sighed, and turned to walk towards the living room.

This pesky little vixen teases him in different ways every day, and coupled with over a year of abstinence, the shopkeeper is almost at his breaking point.

It's said that a woman pursuing a man is easy, and even for Luo Xia, facing a beautiful girl who is willing to take whatever she wants from him without any defenses, and who is also sweet, cute, outgoing, and lively, he has already begun to feel a vague attraction to her.

It was because he noticed the change in his mindset that Rorschach came to Arkham alone to make preparations and calm himself down.

But with Nyaruko's pursuit and the two weeks they had spent together, the emotions that had been suppressed before resurfaced, even more turbulent than before.

Oh well, let it be.

Sitting on the sofa in the living room, sinking into the soft cushions, Luo Xia looked up at the television screen not far away, which was playing a Disney cartoon.

Seeing this, the little girl Sakura, who was in a 'well-behaved.jpg' state beside him, took the initiative to move closer to Luo Xia, snuggled into Luo Xia's arms, rested her head on the man's firm chest, and squinted her eyes to reveal a reassuring look.

Seeing her friend's blissful expression, Abigail, who had been watching closely, tilted her head cutely and, clutching her beloved teddy bear, came to the man who, for some reason, felt strangely familiar and close to her.

After tentatively approaching Rorschach and finding that he didn't show any resistance, the blonde, half-grown girl imitated her friend's actions, snuggling into Rorschach's arms and gently resting her head on his strong, reassuring chest. Soon, a lazy, comfortable smile appeared on her face, just like that of the loli Sakura.

It feels so warm and comforting...

Abigail, who initially wanted to try it out of curiosity and fun, felt a sense of comfort and peace for the first time. Ever since her parents passed away for some reason, the little girl had been feeling tense and insecure.

Even though her uncle, a priest, treated her like his own daughter and constantly encouraged her, and her cousin Betty was very close to her, Abigail still occasionally felt empty inside, as if something extremely important was missing.

Until the day she met Rorschach, when Abigail saw the man who had miraculously cured her terminally ill uncle like a biblical miracle, she knew that what she had been searching for had finally come to her.

From then on, the little girl came to see Rorschach almost every day. Even just watching him busy at work, or simply standing quietly in a corner, Abigail felt a surge of satisfaction and joy. It was as if a treasure lost for millennia had finally been found again.

As the powerful heartbeat echoed in her ears, Abigail's smile was sweet and serene, and she unconsciously curled up, leaning even closer to Rorschach.

Feeling the comfort and warmth that seemed to completely envelop her, the little girl relaxed and nuzzled Luo Xia's mouth. Soon, soft, rhythmic, and adorable breathing sounds emanated from her, her expression serene.

The very next second Abigail drifted off to sleep, in the very core of this 'world,' another pair of azure eyes slowly opened, gazing into a distant direction.

'Finally...finally...I've found you, Master. This time, I won't let you leave 'us' again. This eternal and sweet dream is the immortal garden I prepared for you.'

"We are Adeptus at the crossroads of dreams. With the blessing of the Father God, we will live here forever in happiness and joy, just as we did before, just as we did before all of this came into being."

Stay tuned, Master. We'll grow up quickly and won't keep you waiting long.

Realizing that the blonde girl had fallen asleep, Rorschach relaxed his body and set up a silencing barrier to prevent the sounds from the television from disturbing her sleep. He then continued watching the show on TV to relax.

Before long, Sakura, who was leaning against the other chest, also fell asleep. Rorschach expanded the range of the silencing field, covering the area from his neck to his waist. He also took out two thin blankets from his storage space and covered Abigail and Matou Sakura to prevent them from catching a cold.

The fact that the two friends had fallen asleep one after another naturally caught the attention of Barbara and Betty, who were still watching the movie. After exchanging glances, the two sensible girls decided not to continue watching the movie and instead asked Rorschach to let them go home.

Acting Director Gordon and Sergio have both been very busy with work lately and are often away from home. To prevent their daughter from feeling lonely, Rorschach, an adult they trust, usually looks after her and takes her home to rest at bedtime.

Upon hearing this, the shop manager estimated the time and realized it was indeed time for the children to go to sleep, so he readily agreed. However, he was unable to move at the moment, so the escort task for today was handed over to Nyaruko. The silver-haired girl, who had just recovered from Rorschach's merciless flick on the forehead, was also very happy to take on the task.

As for whether it would be dangerous for the three girls to walk alone at night? Not to mention that ever since Rorschach sponsored a large sum of money to the Arkham Police Department, the area around the clinic has become a key area of ​​focus for the police officers to patrol. Almost every once in a while, officers would pass by the vicinity to check for suspicious persons.

Speaking of Nyarlathotep's fighting ability alone, if she really gets serious, there are very few people in this world who can stand up to her head-on, so her safety is beyond doubt.

"We're off, honey! Remember to wait for me to come back!"

As a silver-haired girl bid farewell with great energy, three soft footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

With two adorable little ones sleeping soundly in his arms, Luo Xia, whose hands were 'trapped' and unable to do anything, simply turned off the TV and the living room lights, and closed his eyes to rest.

About twenty minutes later, a door opening sound, clearly concealed, came from downstairs. From the subsequent footsteps, Rorschach deduced that the person was Nyaruko, who had just dropped Barbara and Betty off at home, and not some audacious petty thief.

Hearing the soft footsteps that kept walking towards the third-floor accommodation area without stopping, Rorschach, who thought Nyaruko was going to go to sleep, closed his eyes again and resumed his resting state.

But just a few minutes later, Luo Xia, who had only closed his eyes for a short while, opened them again with a strange expression. Because in his keen hearing, a series of pattering water sounds came from upstairs. Soon after, a deliberately low-pitched footstep slowly descended from the third floor, accompanied by the faint sound of silky fabric rubbing together.

No way, you're here today too.

Not long after the store manager had this thought, a pair of smooth and soft arms reached out from the darkness, gently embraced his head from behind the sofa, and then tucked it into a soft embrace that exuded a faint sweet fragrance.

Is this girl wearing silk pajamas today?

Feeling the smooth touch on the back of his head and the astonishing heat emanating from through that thin layer of clothing, the man's face was filled with complex emotions.

He remembered the feel of that silk nightgown, because he had seen it more than once, and even touched it. That thin, silver-gray garment, the same color as the girl's hair, was quite...bold in both its design and style. And Nyaruko, wearing that 'battle robe,' after a brief silence, seemed not to be wasting Rorschach's rare opportunity to resist, and slowly lowered her head.

A faint scent of shower gel mingled with the girl's increasingly rapid breathing, gently brushing against the man's face. Her slightly damp silver hair fell beside Luo Xia's face, isolating him from the surrounding space, leaving only her delicate face so close to his.

For Luo Xia, whose five senses were already extraordinary, there was little difference between night and day, and the delicate face of the girl in front of him was naturally taken in by him.

His gaze swept over Nyaruko's trembling eyelashes, her slightly flustered yet determined eyes, her slowly flushing cheeks, and finally settled on her pair of pale pink, full lips.

After a few seconds of silence, the man spoke in a low voice, as if suppressing some emotion:

"Don't play with fire, Nyaruko, you can't afford the consequences."

The silver-haired girl, who had been tense and excited about her impending 'success,' became even more determined upon hearing this. A slight smile, tinged with smugness, curved her lips upwards as she responded in a low voice:

“I have waited for far too many years, a long period that you, my dear, cannot even imagine. Now that we have finally found you again, even if I cannot have you all to myself, I must be the first!”

"Even if I were to be engulfed in flames for this, I would gladly do it."

The silver-haired girl, having made this declaration, looked down at the man she already had in her grasp, her eyes showing no regret or hesitation. She glanced discreetly at Abigail, who was sleeping peacefully to Rorschach's left, and then smiled before lowering her head.

Soft and sweet, like the sweetest honey, it's unforgettable.

A soft clicking sound echoed in the quiet living room. Nyaruko, like a thirsty traveler in the desert, craved everything Rorschach had with an almost greedy attitude, and was never satisfied.

Attack! Attack! Attack again!

As time slowly passed, Nyaruko gradually became more skilled from her initial awkwardness, and the exchanges between the two also changed from intense to gentle and delicate, yet the atmosphere was even more fiery and ambiguous than before.

Half an hour later, Nyaruko, who was burning up and almost melting, finally raised her head, panting heavily, and stared at the man in front of her, her eyes filled with a deep emotion that Rorschach was very familiar with.

"Are you satisfied now?" Luo Xia licked a bright silver thread from the corner of his mouth and looked at the silver-haired girl who was close at hand.