Ashen

> "haha let me Google it"

> they're looking over my shoulder

> I'm thinking of Yuri. Just the word Yuri

> what I type into the search bar is not the Irish land and labor association.

> with them watching I type the word "yuri" into the search bar and hit enter

> awkward silence

You're standing in the cold neon glow of your computer screen, as your companion educates you with some solid knowledge about the Irish Land and Labor Association, or the "ILLA" as they called it a few seconds ago, in that confident, slightly hushed tone reserved for people who truly know the history of the workers' struggle.

ENCYCLOPEDIA [Medium: Failure] - So it's... a revolutionary organization? The people’s union. 19th century agrarian stuff, rural organizing... Ireland.

You don't really know much about it — just a few snatches from some half-read article that you now feel slipping away into the abyss. But the person beside you is watching, expectant.

RHETORIC [Easy: Success] - You can always ask them. It is not a failure to not know everything, a good communist knows there is always more to learn.

AUTHORITY [Medium: Failure] - NO. You can't let them know you're not as educated as them.

The glow of the screen feels like a judgmental, glowing monolith. Your fingers twitch over the search bar, ready to retrieve just a few concrete details to back yourself up. You need to type: I-L-L-A. Irish Land and Labor Association. Or maybe... wait, was it Irish Labor and Land?

Maybe instead you should just pretend you know. You’re already questioning yourself, and it’s not good. You need to focus.

"Can you tell me more about this Irish ILLA thing?"

"Yes, I definitely understand everything about this. You don't need to tell me more because I am so communist and very smart."

Simply nod along.

[Composure - Trivial 6] Discreetly look up the ILLA in your browser

HIGH 97% +1 Mazovian Socio Economics. +1 Ranted about landlords. -1 What is an Ireland? This is a Red Check. It cannot be retried.

⚀⚀

CHECK FAILURE

Your fingers slip, hesitating as a more recent thought emerges, unbidden. "Irish land labor... something-something" fades into a subconscious slurry, and another word — completely unrelated, yet somehow magnetic — takes its place. A term you’ve become… perhaps a little too familiar with. You’ve done your research in another realm, seen the depths of passion not in the rigorous books of theory, but in black-and-white panels that you read right-to-left.

VOLITION [Easy: Success] - Hold on, that doesn't sound right.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - OH YEAH BABY, HERE WE GO.

Y-U-R-I, you type in the search bar.

REACTION SPEED [Godly: Failure] - Wait...!

You hit enter.

Instantly, a cascade of brightly-colored images — women in embrace, bold outlines of intimacy, panels of unspoken affection —blossom on your screen.

You stare down, horrified, watching a sea of warm-toned manga thumbnails flood your vision. The words "GIRL'S LOVE" stand out, crisp and unavoidable. There’s no hiding this.

DAMAGED MORALE -1

The person beside you leans in, curious at first. But their expression shifts as they realize what’s on your screen. Slowly, the look they give you changes from one of mild intrigue to something else — a combination of shock and concern.

"Oops, I got sidetracked here."

"This isn't what it looks like."

[Suggestion - Godly 17] - Change the conversation topic to yuri.

[Rhetoric - Impossible 20] - Explain how this relates to the ILLA.

[Half Light - Easy 8] - Immediately kill yourself.

...Is what you'd like to say. But you don’t speak. You can’t. The weight of the moment hangs between you like a stubborn cloud.

They shift uncomfortably, glancing back at the screen, then at you, then at the door. The words Irish Land and Labor Association fade from your mind, replaced with a growing, static emptiness as a silence sets in. You feel the heat of it, burning through your skin.

Without saying a word, they turn, slowly, and walk out of the room.

The door closes behind them with a quiet click.

Huh