#Cleopatra and the iron cross

[jeannereames]

I'm new to reading about Alexander the Great, and I read your books first, then Mary Renault's. I like your Hephaistion a lot better, and Olympias (Myrtale), but the two novels were a lot alike in the story itself. I saw at least one reviewer said that yours was like a retelling of hers: "dangerously similar." So I wondered how much her first novel on Alexander influenced yours?

You’re not the first to ask, and the answer is: very little.

When I get that line about my novel being “too much like” Mary Renault’s, or even “fanfic” on Mary Renault, it tells me the reviewer is completely unfamiliar with the ancient sources themselves. For those who are familiar, I never hear this (perhaps because where we differ is obvious).

Unlike the novelist who makes up a completely original plot, when writing historical fiction, at least of this type, there IS a historical thread to follow. I’m not copying Renault. I’m following Plutarch, Diodorus, and, to a lesser degree, Justin. So is she.

Where we “cross” is on the historical elements in the original sources.

If you remove those bits, our two retellings don’t have much in common. Likewise, even in some of the elements from those sources, we differ in interpretations. My novel also begins a good deal later in ATG’s life. We do both end with the same event—I suspect because, when history gives you a “made for Hollywood” incident like the murder of Philip, you don’t turn it down. LOL. Also, for me, it’s the “natural joint” between Alexander-the-prince and Alexander-the-king. Just as the end of Alexander’s stay at Mieza with Aristotle forms the hinge between the two novels—or originally, the hinge between two halves of one novel. (Which is why I was able to divide it in half, when Riptide insisted that I do so in order to publish it, due to its original length.)

But the plain fact is I’d written my own before I’d ever heard of Mary Renault. I backed into Alexander as a result of some grad classes at Emory. He kept popping up in lecture, and I realized I had NO idea who he was. As an English major, I’d read Shakespeare’s “Antony and Cleopatra,” so I knew the “big” Roman-era names. But I’d managed to get out of both high school and my BA at the University of Florida without taking any (real) history classes. Now I was running into mentions of people (and places) with which I was completely unfamiliar.

So, I waltzed over to the Emory library and picked out two bios on Alexander: Nick Hammond’s Alexander the Great: King, Commander, and Statesman, and Peter Green’s Alexander of Macedon (the original version, with pictures…I picked it because it had pictures). As I’ve said elsewhere, I couldn’t have selected two more different views of the conqueror if I’d tried. And that’s what intrigued me…so I kept reading. Then I decided to write a novel about the “making” of him (coming-of-age), and the importance of Hephaistion in his life (because Green was so dismissive of the poor guy). Hephaistion was originally much clearer in my mind. In fact, he’s the (real) protagonist of Dancing with the Lion…certainly for the novel’s first half (Becoming). So I’m glad to hear you liked how I portrayed him.

It was only later that somebody said, “Oh, hey, have you heard of Mary Renault?” English major or no, I hadn’t. I did pick up her novels on Alexander but read only a little way before putting them down precisely because I didn’t want to be influenced by her work. In fact, I read nobody’s novels on him until I finished my original (way too short) rendition. Then I started on the second draft (which turned out to be way too long).

But by that point, my picture of Alexander, and even more so, Hephaistion, was quite set. As was the story I wanted to tell.

So no, Mary Renault’s novels had little impact on the genesis of Dancing with the Lion. But you are not the first person to wonder.

Ironically, Mary Stewart’s Crystal Cave and her subsequent Arthurian Saga had a much greater impact on how I chose to tell Alexander’s story. I did read those as a teen girl, and they fomented a fascination for King Arthur in me that lasted into college. The fact I wound up getting a PhD in Greek history is ironic, as I actively avoided it in high school and (undergrad) college, all my love given to Celtic and Scandinavian myth and history. I still do enjoy Celtic myth, btw. And it was with some amusement that I realized the tale of Alexander and Hephaistion was the foundation for the legend of Arthur and Lancelot. That probably IS part of why Alexander and Hephaistion gripped me so.

So yes, a “Mary” did influence me, but Stewart, not Renault. 😊

[of-thought-will-life-and-death]

cmon now 7, 15, 21

I did 7 for Julia, but to give an alternative answer that I was torn between anyways - Mary On a Cross by Ghost. Once again, it's the kind of song that slaps in the car more than anywhere else.

15. Two real options here. Quizas Quizas Quizas is an older song, but Gaby Moreno's cover is my favorite. Still kinda niche, Iscariot covered by The Vassar Devils is such a beautiful re-imagining of the song.

21. Also one I answered for Julia. If I have to pick songs besides Laika and Brutus, Evening on the Ground (Lilith's Song) by Iron & Wine and Cleopatra by The Lumineers fuck me up in different directions.

[smokeybrandreviews]

Cat's in the Cradle

A while back, i stumbled across this manga that was weirdly nostalgic. It reminded me of the stuff i read when i was young, when the only manga adaptations available in the US came through Viz and they were mirror printed at that. I had literally the entire Viz release of Evangelion and, i think, most of their DBZ takes, too. Its been years since I've rad any of them and they’re probably lost somewhere in a Texas attic or some sh*t but those were dark times for us “otaku” as we were once called. Anyway, as i read Cleopatra and the Iron Cross, i was dumbfounded by how ridiculous this entire premise was. I thought it was interesting but, more than that, the art really struck a cord with me. I mentioned the nostalgia but it was more than that. This sh*t looked like the stuff from my childhood. There were only two chapters available, even after a whole ass year since i found it, but those few reads got me wondering who actually created this work. Turns out, it was Manabe Jouji.

Jouji is wildly prolific in the world of manga and anime. Dude has been in the game since the Eighties and that’s how i know him. His art mirrors the stuff that was popular back then, the stuff i grew up. Dirty Pair, Lum, Dragon Half, Akira, even early Shirow, all kind of resemble the prevailing type of the day and Jouji is no different. Obviously, his art has matured considerably over the years but it still feels right at home during the Golden Age of Anime and i can’t get enough of it. I spent a good amount of time, just kind of spiraling down a Jouji hole, coming across some really fantastic stuff but, the one thing which stood out the most and left the strongest impression is the work he’s doing now, partnered with writer, Skyfarm. Now, Skyfarm is nowhere near as prolific as Jouji but dude has several serialized works going at once. They’re all varying degrees of decent but the one that i found to be solid, and the reason for this essay, was the one he’s doing with Jouji called Adventure of the Outlawed Tamer with Beautiful Explorers.

Rise of the Outlaw Tamer and His Wild S-Rank Cat Girl, an alternative title this book is also known by, follows a Tamer named Lint, in a fantastical world full of monsters, demons, and the beastkin. Obviously, this is anther fantasy manga because, apparently, that’s my wheelhouse now, but i rather enjoy this one. Lint is an interesting, if a little derivative, lead and the circumstances that lead to his rather unique partnership with hid catgirl companion, Bilena, were some of the funnisest (an adult) situations I've come across in some time. This story, as it’s written and presented, is a true throwback to those Eighties days of excess and i can’t help but smile reading it. I’m not entirely sure how old Skyfarm is, but this cat has a real reverence for the old school content from my birth decade so getting someone who got their start during that time to do the art in Jouji, was a stroke of genius. Seriously, i feel like I'm reading AD Police or Black Magic and i can’t get enough of it.

Admittedly, Outlawed Tamer is tailor-made to my tastes so it might not be for everyone. This thing is incredibly graphic in every way. It’s violent, sexual, and very much detailed in both those aspects. Like, seriously, this sh*t gets real naked, real fast and is unapologetically perverted about it. If you’re a fan of Tsugumomo, especially the later chapters, or Slave Harem, you kind of have an inkling of how raunchy this thing can get. Fortunately, i am a fan of both those books so of course i am good with the content in Outlawed Tamer. Another hurdle to entry is the fact that there are only two English translated chapters available. That’s a plus because, before that, this thing was only readable in f*cking Indonesian. That said, there are only six chapters, total, available so, if you’re like me and had a ton of time on your hands, you can probably Google translate your way through to catch up. I did that with Mynoghra until the English scanlation house decided to seriously pursue the thing. So far, that doesn’t seem to be a problem for Outlawed Tamer. If you can tolerate a bit of smut sprinkled in an otherwise compelling world, interesting characters, and a throwback feel, i highly recommended checking this one out. The artwork, alone, is worth taking in the two available chapters, in my humble opinion. It’s only got two chapters in English, six in Indonesian, but the release schedule is pretty solid so i think we’ll get the rest of  Adventure of the Outlawed Tamer with Beautiful Explorers fairly quickly.

[officialleehadan]

Truth Truth Lie

“Right, so we have a couple days to make a plan, and it’s an unspoken rule that if someone calls in a Sanctuary Order, that person isn’t gonna be going after whoever they protected,” Andrei told Nightbrace- Miles- as Belle pulled out everything they needed to make breakfast. “Not for a while, anyway. So Cleopatra can make noises about giving me trouble if she wants, but I’ve been in the community for longer than her, and she isn’t the only one with friends in high places.”

There were some benefits to being one of the more powerful Powers around, and having entered the Powered scene so young. Andre was Evensteel. One of the best-known Powers in the world. He had been on deck for every major disaster, attack, and accident for the last fifteen years. He knew all the major players in the community, and they knew him.

They also knew exactly what he was capable of, and none of them wanted to risk him switching sides.

So yeah. Cleopatra could make noises about getting him in trouble, and could push her luck, but they both knew that he could handle whatever she was serving.

He could manipulate every bit of metal in a ten-mile range. No one wanted to find out what he could do if someone really crossed him.

A few of the real old-timers in the community remembered what he did to a group of terrorists who kidnapped Belle. That was back before they were married and his temper burned a lot hotter than it did these days.

There was metal in blood. No one liked to think about that too hard when he was in the room.

“I’m sorry I’m getting you in trouble,” Miles said uncomfortably. He took the knife Belle pressed into his hand and started chopping. He could manipulate metal too, in a way, but oxidation wasn’t the same thing as transmutation. “I didn’t mean to. I just didn’t know where else to go. I can leave. I’m feeling pretty okay now.”

He still looked pale, but he did seem to be okay on his feet. Still, Andrei wasn’t comfortable letting him go just yet. Not when Cleopatra was so interested in him. Interested enough to try and steal him away even though he was under Sanctuary. Something was going on, and Andrei, like it or not, was probably one of the very few people in the community who could actually do something about it.

“No, we need to figure out what’s going on,” he said, bolstered by Belle’s militant expression. She was more than a little angry, and Andrei suspected she would be making a few more calls herself. There was a strong bond between the non-Powered loved ones of active Powers. No one liked it when a Power started pushing the boundaries, and Dreamsurge wasn’t anyone’s favorite Power. “Cleopatra is supposedly on my side. She’s shady, but she’s not usually bold enough to blatantly defy a Sanctuary Order. Either someone sent her, or she’s up to something big enough to throw her authority around. I don’t like either option.”

Despite the serious conversation, he moved to the stove, pulled out their big metal bowl, and started making waffle batter. Belle saw what he was doing and pulled down their waffle iron so it could heat up. It was an indulgence, but they used the stupid thing so often that Andrei didn’t mind keeping it around, even when it was in the way.

Besides, Miles looked a little on the thin side, and his mama raised him to feed people who looked like they needed a good meal. He was a kid, and if he was as young as Andrei thought he was, he might even still be growing. Anyway, it took a lot of calories to keep a high-test Power going. Actually, now was as good a time as any to get some answers. Cooking was always a good way to calm someone down, and Miles seemed to be doing a good job on the melon and peaches Belle handed him.

“How old are you?” he asked Miles as he mixed up a batch of waffle batter. “You came online last year, right?”

“The year before, but I didn’t start making waves until last year,” Miles said, and watched him out of the corner of his eye. The kid handled a knife like he knew what he was doing. Probably came from a family that cooked, or he had worked food service. “I’m twenty-five.”

That was a lie, and not a good one. Andrei sighed. “If you’re gonna lie to me, can you put some effort into it? How old are you really?”

Miles winced. “Twenty-two last month.”

Crap. He really was a kid. Twenty-two. He should be in school, not sleeping off roofies in the home of his enemy and trying not to get kidnapped by shady government Powers. Andrei sighed and looked over at Belle. His wife’s mouth was set in a mulish line. Her mind was made up already. Fortunately, so was Andrei’s.

“Right,” he said, and set the batter aside to reach for his phone instead. “Time to make a plan. Miles, I’m gonna need a couple more truths from you, and I’m gonna need more trust than I’ve earned. In my defense, I’m gonna use it to keep you safe. Think you can work with me?”

“Considering that you faced down Dreamsurge for me ten minutes ago? I think you’ve earned whatever trust you want,” Miles told him, and passed the fruit over to Belle, who was busy making fruit salad to go on top of the waffles. “And… you’re the only decent person I know. If I’m gonna trust anyone, you’re probably my best choice. So what are we gonna do?”

“I’m gonna call in a few friends,” Andrei said as he dialed a number he didn’t need to look up, and put his phone to his ear. “Cleopatra isn’t the only one with pull in the community. It’s about time someone reminded her why nobody crosses me more than once.”

+++

On Both Sides:

Evensteel has been a hero for long time. He thought he had seen it all, until a young supervillain showed up on his doorstep, asking for his help.

Sanctuary Order

Home Safe Home (Subscriber Only!)

Sanctuary Enforced (Subscriber Only!)

+++

More Stories!

+++

[leonhaxor]

You're off base here. Or at least, I'm specifically taking issue with you confusing your use of the word "woke" with "progressive." Hell, I would go so far as saying that despite the clear difference in severity? RWBY and Velma 2023 are of the same cloth. Velma was just so much more obvious, that even Internet Lefties tried to call it a PSYOP.

Nice to see there's SOME line that can be crossed, before people can fucking admit there's a problem. Well, that and the Cleopatra show, that was horrifyingly racist by not only erasing Egyptian culture (ironically, with black people being the colonizers) but trying to play off THE COUNTRY OF EGYPT SUING THEM by claiming their reason is FUCKING WHITE SUPREMACY.

Or, hey, the remake of the Little Mermaid deciding not only to slash the OG songs down, but make the new ones RAP SONGS since that's what ya gotta do in a film with a Black lead, right?

I'm not gonna need to go into how Batwoman S2's ACAB episode follows that trend to further nail in my point, but if you're aware of the vile giga-cringe that should be enough said.

Stunningly, The Critical Drinker made a video about that distinction... That perfectly encapsulates how I'd been internalizing the line for, at the LEAST, the past 3 years??

okay but what I need both critic dudebros (you know the ones) AND rw//by bootlickers/fanatics to get into their heads already is that rw//by is NOT woke. it’s simply not even in the slightest. if this fucking show was actually “woke” bees would’ve been confirmed volume 6-7 jacques the white rich man would be the hatesink instead of adam we’d have actual mlm rep in the show yang would actually be buff weiss would quit being a white savior blake would have agency as a former victim of abuse and ruby would be the main main character instead of being sidelined by insert side character here. i wish it was that kind of show actually

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Smalltown Bringdown 1

Warnings: blood, violence, more to be added.

This is dark!biker!Bucky and explicit. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: You live in a smalltown run by a biker club. When your boss gets into debt, you find yourself drawn into the crossfire.

Note: Yesterday I tried writing Sugar, Sugar. That didn’t work out. I had a migraine on Monday that I’m still tiptoeing around. I wrote this a week ago but wanna continue it. Well, if there’s any interest in my doing so. So to those who take the time to read, thank you. Love you guys!

Please, leave some feedback, like and reblog if you can <3

Birch was a small town, named for the line of pale tree at its heart. The streets were built around it. It had stood for centuries like a guardian over residents. Like a harbinger of their eventual fates. White as a ghost, looming like the reaper.

And death lived in Birch. It rode the streets on iron steeds. The apocalyptic horseman roaring down the roads in leather. Oblivion was the bar on the main road.; The Asp was a remnant of the town’s birth. An inn for those who claimed to discover this “new world”. Cleopatra reclined along the sign’s moniker, a snake around her arm, poised to sink its long fangs in her throat. 

Further down was the Chipped Saucer. The British were the first Europeans to settle here and when they supped with the Natives, they found their dishware cracked from their long journey. The tale outlived those early townsfolk painted across the window of sleepy old diner. The history of the forgotten town was long remembered because there, time didn’t seem to move very fast.

The town was more purgatory than hell. Few ever escaped it. You were among the trapped. A waitress in an aged yellow uniform and frilly white apron at the old diner. Sundays were busiest. The older folk were hungry after the weekly service and the younger residents were trying to caffeinate their hangovers.

You did your round of refills and returned the carafe to the machine. You took your time replacing the filter and adding the grounds. The rusted jingle of the bell above the door barely registered in your head. But the decisive stomp of boots did. Not just one set, not two, but more than you could count. You looked up as you closed the lid on the machine.

The diners sat frozen as if in a tableau. Not a single breath was drawn as you watched the leather-coated men walk between the tables. You didn’t need to see the patches on their backs to know who they were. Everyone knew who they were because they owned everything and everyone. The police, the town council, the mayor, and any who called Birch home.

Every small town has its dark secrets but the club had never really been a secret. The Howling Commandos had reigned since the boys returned from the war in 1945. Since, their mantle had been taken up by sons, nephews, cousins. Those glory days loomed as if it were only yesterday that the newspapers declared victory in Europe! Victor in Japan! Korea! Vietnam! Iraq! 

You skirted behind the counter as Lillian, the oldest of the waitresses, stood by the kitchen window. Artie, the cook, neared the other side and gave a grunt at the bikers kicking around the diner. 

“From what I heard,” He said loud enough for them to hear. “They serve hash down at The Asp, don’t they?”

“Artie,” Lillian hissed under her breath as she touched her immense bosom.

The diners, the servers, the bus boys, all exhaled in communal dismay. Mr. Elrich watched as Danny, the boy he’d once taught, took his mug of coffee and emptied it in a single gulp.

“Where’s Jimmy?” A golden-haired man stepped forward. 

You knew him. Knew of him. He had been a few years ahead of you in school. He was held back and sat beside you in math and copied off your tests. Steve Rogers was too much trouble for a browner like you.

“Jimmy’s out,” Artie waved his spatula. “Can’t you see these people are tryna enjoy their breakfast?”

“Jimmy’s out,” Steve repeated slowly as he neared the counter. “Well, that’s a first. I always thought he slept off his Saturday nights in his office. Least I always found him half-asleep at his desk. Definitely wasn’t working.”

“You come back later when he’s in,” Artie shook his head. “Goddamn, boy, my eggs are burning.”

“Artie,” Lillian and several other waitresses wailed at him.

“How long you worked here, Art?” Steve was close. You could smell the leather and smoke as he passed you. His hand was on the door as he glared at Art through the window.

“Be thirty years, soon enough,” Artie answered defiantly. “Since you were a kid tossing your pancakes at the wall, you brat.”

Steve chuckled and pushed through the door. Several women screamed and men shushed them at the flurry that followed. The crash of pans as Steve grabbed the old man by his collar and pushed him against the window. You stepped through the door before it swung shut.

“Don’t.” You pleaded. “Don’t hurt him. Jimmy’s not here. None of us have seen him since yesterday.”

“Oh yeah?” Steve shrugged you away. “Loyalty is admirable. The man pays your check, so I understand your insistence on protecting him. I only wish he was as diligent in paying his dues.”

“St-stop,” You squealed as he his hand wrapped around Artie’s thick throat. “Goddamnit, you know Artie. You know he means no harm.”

“I know he’s always had a mean mouth,” Steve snarled. “Where’s that spatula now, hmm? You gonna give me a swat, Art?”

You looked around. The waitresses gaped through the window as the men loomed around the tables. Amused, they crossed their arms and watched the helpless old cook struggle. On the long steel table behind Steve was a large knife. Your heart pounded as you inched around him.

“Steve, come on, you can wait around for Jimmy,” You offered. “I’m sure he’ll be in. Hell, you’ll have more luck heading down to his. I’m sure he’s sleeping it off there.”

“I came here to get the money and I’m not leaving without it.” Steve snarled. 

You bent slowly and took the knife, careful not to drag the blade on the floor. You stood and came around Steve. He glanced over as you pointed it at his neck. He chuckled as his eyes flashed.

“You don’t wanna do that, girl,” He warned.

“I don’t so long as you let him go,” You declared. “You go sit down, we’ll get you coffee, Art will cook you some bacon, and we’ll wait for Jimmy.”

“Don’t think I will.” Steve squeezed tighter as Artie turned red.

“Oh yeah?” You touched his neck with the blade’s edge. “You want Jimmy, no one’s keeping you from him but we can’t help you if you throttle poor Artie.”

A chuckle came from behind you. Deep and venomous. You looked slowly over your shoulder as the back door whisked shut. The knife slipped from your hand as you were faced with the barrel of a gun. The metal clattered to the tile as you dropped your arms and stared at the pistol’s mouth.

“You grew some balls since grade school,” Bucky remarked. 

Him and Steve had always been inseparable. You should’ve known he wasn’t far. And as the main shareholder in the Asp and therefore the club, he was owed more than any. It would be a mark on the crest not to collect the debt himself.

“Wish I could say the same of you,” You retorted. “So, you gonna shoot me?”

He laughed again and Steve did too. “Let the man go,” Bucky said. “There’s a safe in the office. If there’s not enough in there, we’ll empty the till.”

He lowered the gun. Slowly as if taunting you. You turned to check on Artie as he leaned heavily on the wall. Steve headed for the door to the back hall where Jimmy’s office was. 

“You okay?” You helped Artie stand straight. “You need some water. You should sit down. I’ll get Billy to finish service.”

“You are going to go out there,” Bucky said as he holstered his gun. “With the rest of the girls and stay away from sharp objects.” He grabbed your arm and dragged you to the door. “Artie, you get back to your tickets. These people look hungry.”

He shoved you through to the dining room and you stumbled into the counter. Artie coughed and wiped his sweaty hands on his apron. He waved at Billy, his sous chef, and ambled back to the grill.

It was a few minutes of tense silence filled only with the sound of pots, pans, and plates. As Artie called out an order and Lillian loaded her tray, Steve emerged from the back. Donny stood at the front door and kept any from leaving. Not than anyone had the strength or courage to even stand up.

“I don’t think we’re getting that thing open.” Steve said. 

“Hey!” Donny shouted and the door chimed as he pulled it open. 

Everyone watched as he raced out and chased Jimmy past the window. The small, greasy-haired man put up little fight against the burly biker and was dragged inside. 

“There you are, Jim,” Bucky swung the door open and brushed past you. “We were starting to get impatient.”

“Bucky,” Jimmy’s voice cracked. “What are you--”

“Jim, let’s not play this game,” Bucky snapped. “I think you know I haven’t brought everyone here for breakfast so why don’t you help us crack the code and we’ll be on our way.”

“Crack the code?” Jimmy whimpered.

“We found the safe,” Bucky crossed his arms. “So, you open it up and we’re on our way. I only came for what’s mine. For what you owe me.”

“I-I-I--” Jimmy stuttered.

“Grab him,” Bucky ordered and Steve was quick to grab the thin man by his scruff and drag him across the diner.

Bucky led the way into the kitchen and the weak struggle could be heard as they disappeared through the back door. Artie called another order and Kimmie balanced it on her tray. When the three men returned, Jimmy had a bloody lip and Steve carried a black bag of what could only be the safe’s contents.

“Well, you see, we still got a problem here, Jimmy.” Bucky hauled him over to the window by his arm. “That’s not even close to what you owe and you’ve got late fees on top of it. Dodging me all week like this.”

Jimmy looked ready to cry as Bucky took his hand and slammed hit flat on the window’s ledge. He held his wrist down as he reached to his waist. “Check the register.” Bucky ordered.

Steve went to the till and hit every button until it opened. He emptied the drawer and shook his head. “Not even a hundred.” He scoffed.

“Pity,” Bucky pulled a knife from his belt. “Well then, Jim, there’s only one thing for you to do; pick a finger.”

“Wha--” Jimmy yelped. “What do you--”

“You pick a finger or I will find something worse to cut off.” Bucky lowered the blade and Jimmy flinched away.

“Please,” Jimmy begged. “I’ll get the money. End of the week, I promise.”

“You said that last week,” Bucky countered. “And I can’t gamble my integrity as lightly as you do, Jim. So hurry up or I’ll make you pick two.”

“Uh…” Jimmy quaked and went pale. ‘Th-the pinkie.”

Bucky was quick. The knife cut easily through flesh and bone and blood pooled beneath Jimmy’s hand in second. You covered your mouth as your stomach flipped and several people wretched, some followed by sloppy splats onto the floor. 

Bucky held up the finger and admired it before he tucked it into his pocket and patted Jimmy on the back. “One week for the rest of it, Jim.” He strode through the door and stopped just beside the counter. He turned to you and smirked as he took the cloth from your apron pocket. “Get some pressure on that before he passes out, will ya?”

He handed you the cloth and winked. He nodded to his men and they filed out the door without another word. You blinked and shook yourself from your shock. You pushed through the kitchen door and grabbed Jimmy’s hand as he held his wrist. You pushed the rag to his severed pinkie and he hissed.

“Someone call an ambulance,” Your voice seemed to break the pall that had fallen over the diner. “Please!”

💀

By Tuesday, it was as if nothing had ever happened at the Chipped Saucer. The usual customers stopped by for their breakfast or lunch and Artie was back to his grumpy ways. The only thing that remained was the blood stain on the window ledge. And the bandage on Jimmy’s hand.

When you were done your shift, you hung your apron on its hook in the back and clipped your name tag on it. You covered up your hideous yellow dress with your black cardigan and grabbed your purse before you headed out. Your mother texted you to grab some cheese on your way home and a sixer of Blue for good measure. 

You stopped by the grocer first and added a box of oreos to your bill. The liquor store was just next door and the after work crowd strolled its aisles. You traipsed to the back, the paper bag balanced against your hip as you browsed the cans and bottles. You grabbed some Blue and turned to head to the check out. You were the only person left in the aisle, well aside from one. Likely the reason for the sudden desolation.

Bucky Barnes stood before you in his leather jacket. You hadn’t noticed him there at the end of the shelf, watching you, arms crossed. You sighed and walked towards him, deliberately sidestepping him. You stopped short as he blocked you with his arm.

“Not even a hello?” He mused.

You scoffed and shook your head and stepped to the other side. He blocked you just as quickly. You tilted your head wryly and he smiled. 

“What do you want?”

“To talk.” He said evenly.

“Mmhmm,” You rolled your eyes. “Forgive me if I’m not up for it.”

You tried to shake him again and he caught you around your waist. “Honey, honey, honey.” 

You wriggled away from him and almost dropped your armful. 

“You had a gun in my face two days ago. I have nothing to say to you.”

“You had a knife to my man’s throat.” He said. “Think we’re even.”

“Just say whatever it is you want so that I can go home.” You grumbled.

“How you like working over there at the Saucer?”

“What?” You shook your head.

“Seems slow. Tips any good?”

“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.” You challenged.

“Well, we got an opening at The Asp and you’ve got experience serving.” He shrugged. “Figured I’d put that out there. Not many ways to move up in this town.”

“I don’t wanna work at a dive.” You said through your teeth. “You done?”

“Sure.” He backed up and turned so he was almost against the shelf. He waved you past him. “Go home. Relax.” You began to step by him and he spoke again. “Say hi to your ma.”

You stopped but didn’t look back at him. You swallowed and carried your sixer to the counter. You set it down and dug for your wallet with one hand. 

“It’s been covered.” Larry said as he scratched his thick mustache and glanced at Bucky. The biker pretended to peruse the white wines.

“No, it hasn’t.” You slammed a bill on the cans. “You give him his money back. Or keep it. I couldn’t care less.”

You waited for your change and grabbed the beer. You kept your head high as you swept out onto the street and past the motorcycle parked across two spots. You’d have to barter a can off your mom when you got in.

💀

On Friday, Jimmy called you to his office. He never called anyone to his office. Well except Kimmie but that’s because everyone knew what was going on between them. So you punched out and headed to the small back room with the dented metal desk from the 60s and the cinder block wall poorly disguised with flowery wallpaper. You knocked then entered when he replied.

You sat in the small chair with the orange cushion. The same one you’d sat your interview in. Jimmy spun his pen in his hand. He was jumpy. More than usual. The small safe hidden beside his filing cabinet was scratched but still in tact. He dropped the pen and twined his fingers together.

“So, uh, yeah,” He blinked and sniffed. “Well, this isn’t… easy. Not quite sure how to say it really.”

You were quiet. Confused. You scrunched your lips and listened. You had a bad feeling. Unusual things didn’t happen for no reason. Not in a small town.

“Heh, well, I’m sure you know I’ve come into some financial hardship and, well, it looks like...uh,” He sat back and smoothed his greasy, thinnng hair. “I’m gonna have to let you… go.”

“Let me go?” You repeated. “You’re not serious, are you?”

“I need the, uh, cash,” He turned back and forth in his chair. He was nervous.

“Cash. Sure. You couldn’t sell that heap of junk parked outside?” You sneered. “I have no doubt this has something to do with those goons but I don’t think you’re being honest about the why.”

“Look, I’m real sorry. You’ll get severance.” He sputtered.

“You can’t afford to keep me on but you can afford the pay out?” You scoffed and stood. “Let me ask you, have you received any other visits from your friends at The Asp?”

He shook his head frantically.

“Yeah, you haven’t been around Larry’s to grab a mickey at all? Or passing by? Maybe Tuesday night?”

“It’s a small town. I got nowhere to hide.” He cowered.

“Suppose there’s nothing else to say. Nothing I can say.” You threw up those hands. “You tell Bucky you were a good boy, okay?”

“I…”

“I get it. You owe them.” You started to turn away. “When should I expect my cheque.”

“Usual,” He answered glumly. “I really am sorry.”

“Yeah, yeah,” You stopped by the door. “You remember how sorry you are the next time you pick up a cue, eh.”

💀

Another trip to the liquor store, this one unimpeded. A bottle of wine from some unheard of vineyard on some distant island. You carried it home in the bag, its shape visible beneath the wrinkled paper. You went in the back way, as you always did. Your mother’s dog, Ash, wiggled his bum as you stopped to pet him. You let him inside as you entered the kitchen.

Your mother was at the counter, working on dinner. You set the bottle on the table heavily and sat. You let your purse fall to the floor and sighed.

“Hey, hon,” She said. “How was your day?”

You grumbled and unsheathed the bottle. You crumpled the bag and tossed it in the middle of the table. You unscrewed the lid and drank from the long neck. Your mom stopped her chopping and turned with a hand on her hip.

“Rough one?” She asked.

“I got fired.” You said numbly.

“Fired? For what?”

You shrugged and took another drink. She huffed and set aside her knife. You listened as she opened and closed a cupboard and crossed to you. She set down a glass. 

“Pace yourself.” She reproached.

You frowned and filled the glass to the rim. She tutted and went back to the counter. 

“It’s because of them.” You said at last.

She looked at you but kept quiet. She knew who you meant.

“Some kind of game.” You muttered.

“Oh, Lillian told me about your heroics.” Your mother sighed. “I knew you weren’t telling me something.”

“Christ, ma, they were gonna give Artie a heart attack,” You exclaimed. “What was I supposed to do? He’s a defenseless old man.”

“And? The Commandos are thugs. They have no qualms against old men and young women.” She dumped her cutting board in the pot and covered it. “Losing your job is nothing. You could’ve lost a lot more messing around. You know how things work.”

“Not as well as you, yeah?” You drank deeply. “Dad learned it the hard way, didn’t he?”

“That he did,” She assured you and took a glass of her own from the cupboard. She sat with you at the table. “You’ll find something else. Something better than the diner. That little tourism place, they need a new receptionist.”

“Great, I’ll get my resume printed tomorrow.” You poured her a more modest glass. “It’s a show. Don’t worry, ma. They just want to wave their-- well, you know.”

“You just stay clear of them. Let them find bigger fish to fry,” She advised. 

[castrateurfate]

Alright, guys.

Here's a list of the DVDs in my room.

Rate My Taste

Here:

13 Assassins

2001: A Space Odyssey

300

47 Ronin

8 Mile

A Fistful of Dollars

AVP2: Requiem

Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter

Account Rendered

Adaptation

Afro Samurai: The Complete Murder Sessions

Airplane!

Akira

Alien vs. Predator

Alley Cats

Amadeus

Amelie

Anastasia

Arachnophobia

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery

Back To The Future

Barry Lyndon

Batman

Batman Ninja

Batman TAS: Secrets of The Caped Crusaders

Batman TAS: Tales Of The Dark Knight

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight

Batman: Mask of The Phantasm

Battle Royale

Beetlejuice

Being John Malkovich

Ben-Hur

Big Eyes

Big Fish

Big Time Rush: Halfway There

Bill

Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure

Birdman: (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Black Dynamite

Black Mama White Mama

Black Swan

Blackkklansman

Blade Runner: The Director's Cut

Blazing Saddles

Bonnie and Clyde

Boogeyman

Bowling For Columbine

Breakfast at Tiffany's

Breaking Bad

Breaking Glass

Brexit: The Uncivil War

Brokeback Mountain

Bubba Ho-Tep

Bugsy Malone

Bula Quo

Capitalism: A Love Story

Capote

Casablanca

Chicago

Children of Men

Churchill: The Hollywood Years

Citizen Kane

Clash Of The Titans

Clash of The Titans

Cleopatra Jones

Cloud Atlas

Clueless

Coffy

Commando

Conan The Barbarian

Control

Coraline

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon

Curse of The Golden Flower

David Brent: Life On The Road

Dazed And Confused

Deadpool

Deadpool 2

Death Note

Death Proof

Demolition Man

Descendants

Dirty Harry

Django Unchained

Doctor Zhivago

Dodgeball

Dog Soldiers

Double Indemnity

Dowton Abbey: Series One

Dr Strangelove Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb

Dr Suess' How The Grinch Stole Christmas

Dr. No

Drunken Angel

Drunken Master

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial

Ed Wood

Edward Scissorhands

Elfie Hopkins

Escape Plan

Evil Dead

Evolution

Extras: The Complete First Series

Fahrenheit 9/11

Falling Down

Fame

Family Guy Presents: Blue Harvest

Family Guy: Season Nine

Fear And Loathing in Las Vegas

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Finding Netherland

Flashdance

Footloose

Forrest Gump

Forrest Warriors

Foxy Brown

From Dusk Till Dawn

From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money

From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter

From Here to Eternity

Frost/Nixon

Frozen

Funny Face

Gatsby

Ghost Dog: The Way if The Samurai

Ghost In The Shell

Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex Vol. 1

Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex Vol. 2

Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex Vol. 5

Ghostwatch

Gnomeo & Juliet

Godzilla

Gone With The Wind

Grave of The Fireflies

Gremlins

Groundhog Day

Hail, Caesar

Happy Gilmore

Harry Hill's TV Burp Gold

Harry Hill's TV Burp Gold 2

Harry Potter And The Order of The Phoenix

Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone

Hero

Hideo Nakata's Dark Water

High and Low

Highlander

History: Poltergeists

History: Spontaneous Human Combustion

History: Vampires

Hobo With a Shotgun

Horrible Histories: Series One

Hot Fuzz

Hot Rod

House of Flying Daggers

I Know What You Did Last Summer

I, Tonya

Ice Age 2: The Meltdown

In Bruges

Inglorious Basterds

Insomnia

Iron Man

Isle of Dogs

JFK

Jackie Brown

Jaws

Johnny English

Joker

Julie & Julia

Jumanji

Jurassic Park

Kick-Ass

Kick-Ass 2

Kill Bill Volume 1

Kill Bill Volume 2

King Kong vs. Godzilla

Kingsman: The Secret Service

LEGO Batman: The Movie (DC Super Heroes Unite)

LEGO Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles

Labyrinth

Lady Vengeance

Last Action Hero

Lawrence of Arabia

Legends of The Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole

Leon: The Professional

Les Miserables: In Concert (The 25th Anniversary)

Let The Right One In

Life of Pi

Limitless

Lost In Translation

Loving Vincent

Macbeth

Mad Max

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted

Marvel's Original Spiderman: Season 3 Vol. 1

Mean Girls

Megamind

Memoirs of a Geisha

Metropolis

Michael Jackson: Moon Walker

Miller's Crossing

Miranda Hart: My, What I Call, Live Show

Monster House

Monster in Paris

Monty Python and The Holy Grail

Monty Python's Life of Brian

Moulin Rouge

Mrs. Brown's Boys: Season One

Mulan

Mulan 2

My Week With Marilyn

Mythbusters: Season 1

Napoleon Dynamite

Naruto Shippuden: Box Set 1

Naruto Shippuden: Box Set 2

Nausicaä of The Valley of The Wind

Night of The Living Dead

Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation Vol. 1

Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation Vol. 3

No Country for Old Men

North by Northwest

O Brother Where Art Thou?

Oldboy

Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood

One Hour Photo

Open Season 2

Osama

Pan's Labyrinth

Paper Towns

Parasite

Paris When It Sizzles

Patton

Persepolis

Pleasantvile

Pokémon The Movie: Hoopa And The Clash of Ages

Pokémon: 4 Ever

Precious

Predator

Psycho

Pulp Fiction

Pumpkin Scissors

Rain Man

Rare Exports

Red Riding Hood

Reefer Madness

Requiem For A Dream

Reservoir Dogs

[sserpente]

A/N: Requests from @bi-readytobakepie-cry-and-die, @walkinoxymoron,  @mysticalflowerroadprune, @thenocturnalsyren  and two anons. I have an order here, chips with extra fluff? Anyone? You asked for fluff, you’re getting fluff—and the chips, too. 🍟

Words: 2975 Warnings: pure fluff, sleep paralysis

You spun around when your attacker lunged, acting surprised. He had you cornered, with no way to run—or so he thought. It was a devilish smirk that curled your lips upwards when he aimed to stab the thin air surrounding your illusion as it disappeared right before his eyes. He screamed, anger and frustration getting the better of him. It was his last mistake before you pierced his head with an arrow. You used a small crossbow attached to your right wrist to shoot your enemies, usually refrained from fighting up close. You were simply not the type. Besides, you hated the feeling of blood that was not your own on your skin.

You had been hunting these people all the way to New York now. Cleopatra would be truly proud of you. But those artefacts were not only of personal value for you and your heritage but also extremely dangerous which in the wrong hands could cause a lot of damage—and the most selfish part of you, so you knew, wanted to keep them all to yourself.

There was only one of them left now and quite apparently, you had received some unknown help. You were not the only one hunting the man who was quite likely aiming to have Assassin’s Creed come to life as he climbed over every rock and piece of debris he could find to get away. Although you were grateful for their aid, you couldn’t help but wonder what it was they wanted from him.

Stopping dead in your tracks when he came to a sudden halt, you moved behind a metal barrel and observed how a woman with ginger hair and a black suit fired three shots. Not a single one missed its target. Dead. The spook was finally over. Now all you still needed was that contract hidden in one of his pockets.

“Hey, there’s another one!” The mechanical voice was coming from above you when you emerged from your hiding spot and attempted to approach the corpse. Looking up to find a man wearing a red and gold suit, you barely had the time to spin back around when another man on their team—short hair, with a bow and arrow as his weapon of choice—unceremoniously aimed at you.

“No, stop!” Your eyes widened, reflexes kicking in. You felt the familiar tingling in your body whenever you teleported, leaving an illusion behind and letting the archer’s arrow hurtling through the empty spot you had stood in less than a second ago. Rude… “I believe we are on the same side.” They jumped when you reappeared behind them.

-

You struggled to remember their names, purpose and story. The woman with the red hair was called Natasha Romanoff, Black Widow for short. Former assassin, she now worked with this secret organisation called SHIELD. There was Tony Stark—billionaire and Iron Man and Steve Rogers aka Captain America who spent seventy years frozen in the sea. The man who had almost killed you had you not been supernaturally gifted was called Clint Barton and sometimes Hawkeye. You were familiar with Thor of course. How could you not be? You had grown up reading about gods and goddesses… being one yourself.

“The question is… who are you?” Tony Stark had removed his suit by now and revealed an average-sized man.

“My name is (Y/N)—not a fancy superhero name, I know.”

“And you practice magic,” Thor tossed in with crossed arms.

“Magic? No. I cast illusions. My father was human, like most of you. My mother on the other end… are you familiar with the tale of Persephone and Hades?”

Tony Stark raised an eyebrow. “You’re telling me you’re a Greek goddess?”

“Half-goddess. I prefer the term hybrid.” You usually wore contacts to hide your true eye colour. It was much more saturated than others.

Alarmed, you turned when someone else entered the room. They had taken your crossbow from you just to be sure but to be fair, you could bring it back into your possession in the twinkling of an eye.

“Where have you been, Reindeer Games? We could have needed you out there.”

“Urgent matters.” A smooth, mysterious and dark voice stated simply—mockingly almost. While you sincerely doubted that his name really was Reindeer Games, for some peculiar reason you were dying to learn who he was. Raven hair, blue eyes and those sharp cheekbones… his clothing looked Asgardian, too. He was definitely not human. Neither were you, depending on how you looked at it.

Electricity rippled through you when your eyes met. The strange Asgardian made no move, whatsoever though, to introduce himself.

“You will be…?” You asked with a polite smile.

Natasha frowned suspiciously. “He is…”

“Loki,” he interrupted her hurriedly, dashing you a smile as he did. “Thor’s brother, I am afraid to say.” You laughed when the God of Thunder shot him a playfully hurt glance.

“Well, it is a pleasure to meet you, Loki.”

“She lived on the moon, didn’t she?” Clint murmured.

Tony pursed his lips. “Where did you come from?”

“Egypt. I spent the last six years in Egypt.”

“Right… and what is a Greek goddess doing in Egypt?”

“Half-goddess—and I told I don’t like being called that. I was working with archaeologists and securing sacred artefacts. You know… objects like the box of Pandora.” You winked at him.

The Avengers, so they called themselves, exchanged puzzled looks—almost as if they were in on a secret you were yet to learn about.

“I see. You best stay away from… well. (Y/N), Loki is…” Clint started.

“…determined to show you around.” The God of Mischief interrupted him sharply, directing all of his attention to you. “What is it you can do then?”

“I cast illusions.”

You smirked when his eyebrows rose in an impressed manner and he offered you his arm to make you decide in that moment that you liked him.

-

By now, around three months had passed since you more or less joined the Avengers. They had helped you return the artefacts to Egypt and Loki… Loki and you had found yourselves spending a lot of time together and getting to know one another. He was wonderful. Intelligent, witty, mischievous and thoughtful and even quite introverted when it came to talking about his inner thoughts and feelings. There was something he was not telling you though—something that Thor too was making the Avengers keep silent about.

Whatever it was… perhaps one day, he would be ready to tell you. You were not going to pressure him into anything. You had your own skeletons in your closet—which was why you were beginning to fall in love with him—and the reason your heart almost leaped out of your chest when Steve and Thor returned without him from one of their latest missions which had entailed the words venom, dwarves and drinking water.

You had been against them wandering off on their own and without any backup, especially if something otherworldly was involved. Thor was quite megalomaniac, so you had figured. His ‘that’s what heroes do’ attitude made you want to slap him every now and then. Loki never considered himself as a hero and for some peculiar reason the Avengers never bothered to treat him as such either.

“Where is Loki?!”

They were bruised, injured and covered in blood. You did not even want to imagine what they must have dealt with. The book you had been reading flew over the sofa as you hurried to confront them.

Thor shook his head. He was still out of breath.

“We don’t know,” Steve answered you instead. “He disappeared shortly before the explosion. He might still have been in the building.”

“The explosion?!” You shrieked. “Well, why didn’t you look for him?”

“The dwarves were still there.” Dwarves. If only they were harmless. They certainly looked the part—right until they tried to scratch your eyes out with their tiny and venomous claws.

“Okay, you two, into my lab. Bruce just got back from England concerning the venom, (Y/N), you calm down. Loki goes to ground all the time.”

“Why are you all acting like he does not matter? What is wrong with you, Stark?”

“What’s wrong? He is a fucking crim—“

“Stark!” Thor roared. Indignantly, you shook your head as they hurried out of the room. “Don’t worry too much about him, (Y/N)!” You heard him yell to you. “You don’t know Loki like I do!”

This was starting to get ridiculous. But you had no time to ponder over this—you were way too worried for him, right until something crashed into the living room and broke the glass table in front of the sofa. No, not something. Someone.

“Loki!” Thank the stars. He must have teleported himself out of there. He was covered in dirt and dust, a laceration on his forehead. His blue eyes met yours for only a brief second before the adrenaline in his body died down and he fell unconscious.

The venom. Loki was an Asgardian god. If the dwarves’ venom affected him so strongly… he was sweating, too. With all your strength, you heaved him on the sofa and slid a cushion under his head. None of the other Avengers would be back anytime soon anyway.

You left for only a brief moment, returning with a wet cloth to cool his skin and clean his wound. There was nothing else you could do for him except for watching over him to make sure he healed.

“Loki… get well soon, my king.” He had told you about his desire to claim the throne, to be the first choice for once. He certainly was your king. “Get well soon so I can kiss you.”

Smiling, you gripped his hand tighter, leaning against the sofa. You had always slept like this back in Egypt. You had worked with a young archaeologist only a few years younger than yourself. Your sleep paralysis—something you had not even told Loki about just yet made it hard to restfully slumber at night. She on the other hand had had nyctophobia—fear of the dark. It had been hard to leave her behind, knowing she had become something like a sister. Since then, sleep had rarely come to you… until you had met Loki and now knew you could always spend the entire night talking to him instead.

Holding his hand now and feeling his warmth and his presence filled you with joy. Before you even knew it, you had fallen asleep next to him, kneeling on the ground. Unbeknownst to you, however, the God of Mischief had still been awake the entire time and heard every single word you had said. Kiss me? He thought—the last one before he slid back into unconsciousness.

When he woke again, you were still there, holding his hand. He smiled. It was nice, knowing that somebody cared for him. It made the pain the venom caused as it cursed through his veins a lot more bearable. Tomorrow, he figured, he would be over the worst. And then his smile suddenly disappeared. She only cares for you because she doesn’t know what you’ve done, a scornful voice in his mind whispered.

Loki clenched his fists. He rolled his eyes when he discovered Thor sneakily peeking into the room.

“What happened?” He croaked. It was an unnecessary question, really. He knew what had happened. He was just too weak to nag ‘What do you want’.

“She fell asleep over three hours ago, Loki. I tried to wake her but she refuses to leave your side.”

Loki looked him directly in the eye, his heart skipping a beat. She refuses to leave your side. “Why have you been so keen on keeping a secret from her what I did in New York?” He asked, taking his chance now that they were alone. For once, there was honest curiosity in his voice.

Thor hesitated. Then, he shrugged. “Because you were.” It was all he replied. He understood then. Just this one time, his brainless brother understood why it was so important to him to keep from you what had made him, in the Avengers’ eyes, a villain. He just wondered for how much longer he could keep up the act.

With a gentle smile, Thor turned to leave the room. “I knew you would make it out.” He added before he disappeared. Loki rolled his eyes yet again, albeit amused.

Perhaps it was wrong. He would never find peace living in constant fear that you would find out on your own and hate him like all the other Avengers did. He took a deep breath when you opened your eyes—and for the first time in a long while, he was at loss for words. What should he first say to you? Should he thank you? Ask if you had had pleasant dreams?

“Good morning, my dear.” He eventually opted; to his utter shock, however, your eyes widened. You did not move, not a single inch and yet, your eyes proved you were awake. Did you already know? Had he scared you somehow, or done something in his half-unconscious state?

-

Anytime now they would appear—those pitch black monsters with the long claws and the terrifying red glowing eyes. You had seen them in a film as a child and ever since then, they had become the personification of your fear. Rejection, repulsion, hatred, loneliness… they all meant to grab you. Falling asleep, you had been holding Loki’s hand, so why had your sleep paralysis returned?

The sorrow, you answered yourself. You were worrying for Loki when you fell asleep. Was he still here with you, on the sofa? You could not see him. Instead, over the backrest, crawled the first monster. It stared at you darkly, making your eyes widen in fear and then, out of the blue, another one reached for you from behind, beginning to shake you. Shake you? That was new. They usually never managed to actually touch you, you always brought yourself to wake up in time.

“(Y/N)! (Y/N), are you alright?” Loki. Blinking frantically, you fought hard to move your limbs, to tense and relax your muscles repeatedly to fully wake up. When you finally did, you were met with a very concerned Loki. “What is happening to you? You started screaming at me.”

“I did? I’m sorry…” One deep breath, then two, then three. “I was… nightmare. Never mind. Are you feeling better?”

“A nightmare? That did not look like a simple nightmare.” Loki knew what nightmares looked like. He had them all the time, after all.

“Maybe not. But I don’t want to burden you with that. You seem to be having your own problems.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” He spat, sitting up and putting his feet on the ground fast.

“Loki, there is obviously something you are trying to keep a secret from me.”

“So you mistrust me?” He responded with a quiet voice.

“I don’t mistrust you,” you insisted, cupping his cheek. “I just feel like there is something you are not ready to tell me about yet and until then… it would be unfair to rant about my problems instead.”

Loki looked up. Regret was sparkling in his blue eyes—regret along with remorse. You do not even deserve her, the voice whispered.

“I am a criminal.” He suddenly said, the word murderer not quite leaving his lips.

“What? What are you saying?”

“A little over five years ago, I invaded this planet in an attempt to rule it. I was blinded by a promise which could never be held and betrayed not only Thor but also myself.”

“You did… what?” Your lips parted. I invaded this planet.

“It matters not. Thanos is dead now.”

“Thanos? Thanos made you do this?”

“No,” he snapped. “The sceptre, it… I killed many innocent people, (Y/N). It was only a small price to pay for the recognition I sought.” He looked you dead in the eye. “I regret making these sacrifices but at the same time… I do not.” He was torn. You could feel it burning in his stunning eyes.

“Why did you never tell me that?”

Loki scoffed scornfully. “I assumed you would despise me like everyone else if you knew. I took lives, (Y/N). I took lives for my own gain. I am not a hero, I never will be.” And he did not want to be, so you figured. You did not despise him. Quite on the contrary… you were only falling for him more and more. The pain that Thanos had inflicted on him still sat deep. He blamed himself, assuming it was no one else but him who deserved to be called evil and a villain.

Actions might comfort him more than your words could now. So you leaned in, placing your palms on his thighs for balance and tenderly pressed your lips against his. If anything, the God of Mischief was taken aback, still, the moment you joined for a hesitant kiss, his eyes fell shut. With a sigh, he cupped your face and pulled you closer, his tongue asking for entrance almost timidly. For now, explaining to him what sleep paralysis was and how it tormented you at night could wait.

“I don’t hate you,” you breathed out once you parted again, desperate for oxygen. Your lips were swollen—his were too, a little. “I think I am falling for you, Loki Odinson.”

His expression was hopeful, vulnerable even—so unlike his usual cool and confident demeanour. His smile, honest and raw, was contagious.

“I heard you,” he admitted. “I heard you promising to kiss me once I woke up.”

Biting back a joyful laugh, you kissed him once more.

-

A/N: If you enjoyed this story I would appreciate it so much if you supported me on Kofi! ko-fi.com/sserpente ♥

[cbraxs]

Warped [Time Warp Trio Fanfiction] - Chapter 12

A chill slithered through the warm night air. All color drained from Cleopatra’s face. The Pharaoh’s stony expression turned dour. He commanded Ahmose in a stern whisper, “Have soldiers out searching for her and guarding all entrances to the palace. We are going to handle this swiftly and silently. Alert no one.”

Ahmose bowed, and the two hurried away. Cleo stood still, fisting the fabric of her chiton, eyes tense in terror as she shook.

She exhaled and fixed stoic eyes on Izzy. “Priestess. Come with me.” And without another word, she left, not even looking behind to see if Izzy was following her or not.

What did she want with Izzy, Joe wondered. Maybe protection? But she didn’t know Izzy’s capabilities. Besides, Cleo had ancient Egyptian Dolph Lundgren as a personal bodyguard. Maybe she wanted company while getting some fresh air, but why not bring one of the girls? She’d known them longer.

Izzy stood, her gaze on Cleopatra’s retreating form. “I should go after her.”

“Is that really the safest idea?” Sam asked.

“It’s not like I can refuse an order. She outranks me.”

Sam pinched his nose in disbelief. “She’s… You’re not a real… you’ve been around Fred too long!”

Freddi pitched in, “I think she means is it’s better to go and not upset Cleopatra.”

“Go ahead,” Joe assured Izzy. “We’ll catch up with you two soon.”

Izzy nodded and jogged after Cleopatra. Once both girls disappeared into the crowd, Fred stood and brushed crumbs off his robes. “Well, this has been great, but it’s time for us to leave.”

“I’d love to, really,” Jodie said. “There’s just one thing. The Book is still broken!”

“You guys were the ones who insisted we stay despite The Book being out of order!” Sam said. “Now we’re stuck in the past with a crazed killer on the loose! Where’s that grape juice?”

Samantha snorted, but there was a twinge of nervousness. “Berenice wasn’t exactly Elizabeth Báthory.”

Joe stood. “We should trail them to be safe.”

The others agreed, and with that, they headed out to find Izzy and the princess.

~*~

Berenice was no fool.

She’d been quick to eliminate the obstacles in the way of her coveted position as ruler. She’d dealt with those who posed a threat to her throne Berenice had won this war and nothing was to get in the way of her luxurious station in life.

And yet… something had. That “something” being a Roman invasion, lead by her pestiferous father. In rapid succession, Berenice lost everything: her power, her throne, her affluence, her dignity. All but her life, which was due to be taken from her as well if not for the mysterious strange man escorting her through the night.

She trudged behind the man past the countryside. The glow of his cane lit a green path for them to follow. Her feet ached more than they ever had, her bones throbbed in the cold, and her throat burned from thirst. Despite this, Berenice hadn’t complained, not once, even though she had every right to. She’d learned quickly to not irritate the stranger.

He was… off. Off and choleric. The smallest thing could fly him into a fit of rage, going into diatribes about things she didn’t understand. It was clear that this man was mad, and Berenice wasn’t about to upset him. She didn’t know if she could trust him, but she understood he was powerful.

So she followed. Through clouds of dust, confusion, and mosquitos, she followed.

After what felt like hours, they settled in an empty hovel in the middle of nowhere. Not only was it devoid of residents, but of furnishing. Sand and beetles acted as their company.

“Sit,” the man commanded.

“On the dirt?” Berenice asked.

This innocent question did not please the man. He glared, and the glow on his cane flared, and he shot green lightning at her. She flinched and shut her eyes, expecting to be destroyed instantly, but no harm befell her.

“Is that better, you spoilt Ptolemaic wench?”

She opened her eyes and looked where the spot the man motioned towards. At the place where his magic struck, there was now a simple table with two chairs.

Berenice stared. She knew he had magic. Powerful magic. The kind she'd only ever heard about in stories and drunken retellings. That’s how he was able to bypass the soldiers guarding her and set her free. Still, it was incredible to behold.

The man stomped his foot like an impatient child. “Go ahead and sit! We don’t have all night.”

She did as she was told. He sat across from her, and stuck his cane into the ground, the unusual adornment acting as their candlelight.

The green glow illuminated every crease and frown line across his face. He had dark, unruly hair atop his head, above his mouth, and on his chin. A crystal disc hovered in front of one eye. His skin— and attitude— reminded her of the sands of Deshret: golden red and hostile.

Berenice fidgeted with the golden Wadjet amulet around her neck, the one thing those savages didn’t take from her. Perhaps they thought there was no need to take it when it would fall from her neck soon enough. Or maybe her father thought it would be funny to let her keep her jewelry while she was due for execution, a horrible reminder of what she’d lost in his victory.

After an eternity, the man spoke. “I bet you’re wondering why I freed you.”

“The question had crossed my mind,” Berenice admitted.

“You have something I want, and I possess the abilities to give you what you want.”

“You presume to know what I want?”

“Of course, you imbecile. You want the throne. Revenge. Complete impunity. Blah, blah, blah! I will destroy the Pharaoh and all others who stand in your way. And in return, I want your amulet, the Eye of Horus.”

“My amulet?” she asked. That’s all? “You could’ve taken it without struggle. Why go through the trouble of freeing me?”

“The Eye of Horus is a symbol of protection. For my purposes, it can’t be simply stolen, it must be given willfully.”

“But why my amulet? Surely you could get it elsewhere or even make your own—”

“My motives are none of your beeswax!” he said with a sniff. “Anyway, it won’t impact your mission.”

“My mission?”

“Of course! Do you expect to get your throne back with no work you lazy Prinzessin? No, I need for you to do this one thing for me.”

She nodded hesitantly. He was hiding something from her, that much was obvious. But it didn’t matter. All that mattered was the throne, and disposing of her bastard of a father. The thought of revenge was pure honey cake to her.

“In the palace, there is a group of kids with your sister, seven in total: three boys. four girls. I need you to capture a girl for me and bring her here.”

“Why can’t you—”

“Because I can’t! I didn’t free you from your pathetic fate to ask me idiotic questions. I freed you to kidnap a teenage girl for me!”

“All right! All right! My apologies. Which girl do you want me to bring to you?”

“The one with the silly pigtails.”

“Pigs’ tails? You need her to make you a healing potion?”

A beleaguered sigh from the man. “It’s her hair! Her name is Isadora. She has brown skin, brown hair, green eyes! Get the picture? Should I have prepared an elaborate trifold poster? Brought a projector to show you a PowerPoint presentation? Just bring me the girl.”

Another snap of his fingers and a cup full of clear liquid appeared.

“Hurry up and drink!” the man demanded. “You’re useless to me dehydrated. We need to iron out the details.”

Berenice sipped her water as he explained the plan. Once he finished, he snapped his fingers once more. In a flash of green, two wooden trinkets appeared in his hands: One shaped like a crocodile and the other shaped like a smaller version of the ornament on his cane.

“This,” he handed her the crocodile, “will help you out of any trouble you run into. And this,” he gave her the other item. “Will transport you back to me once you have the girl.”

Berenice looked over the items. They felt as real and smooth as they looked.

“You... truly have this power?” she asked, mostly to herself.

His creeping smile was as dry as the desert and his eyes just as unforgiving. “You haven’t the faintest idea.”

~*~

Izzy hadn’t seen her day going like this at all. She planned on seeing a movie and hanging out with friends. Maybe she’d even get a little risque and drain ten dollars at the crane game to win a cute plush she didn’t need.

Now she was pretending to be a priestess comforting a princess. Not just any run-of-the-mill princess, but Cleopatra. The Cleopatra. The beautiful, smart, charming last Pharaoh of Egypt.

Izzy’s parents would read her stories about Cleopatra, and she was as captivating as described. She had an aura of zeal around her that drew you to her and made her fascinating. She was genuinely excited to meet new people and show them the country she loved. Her energy was contagious and Izzy couldn’t help but feel what she felt.

And then there were her looks. There was a lot of speculation about whether or not Cleopatra was the drop-dead gorgeous beauty of legend, and Izzy always found that super boring. Cleopatra accomplished so much in her lifetime, it was annoying when people downgraded her to a mindless, evil sex-ductress.

Still, Izzy appreciated Cleopatra’s offbeat beauty. Her tall proud nose, which looked a bit like Joe’s, reminded her of a Greek statue. Her smile was always confident, her eyes sparkled, never wavering.

All this to say it was no wonder Izzy felt as nervous as she did as she silently followed the princess through echoing palace and looming pillars into a garden of flowers and trees.

The night buzzed with fireflies, the din of the party as soft as white noise. A light breeze rustled through the palm fronds and carried air that smelled faintly of flowers and smoke.

Cleopatra sat at a pond, her eyes cast down at the catfish darting about. Izzy followed suit, unsure of how to break the silence. She didn’t know if Cleopatra wanted to talk, but Izzy would be here if she decided to do so.

After a moment, Cleo said in a shaky voice, “I am… afraid, priestess. Irrationally, I admit, but I fear for my life. I fear for my father. If there’s a chance to regain her position, I know Berenice will jump at it. She is ruthless.”

“It’s okay to be afraid. Don’t be too hard on yourself for feeling your feelings.”

Cleopatra looked at her in… surprise? Confusion? Izzy didn’t know how to place her reaction, but she continued. “You have your father, his soldiers, and us. We won’t let anything bad happen to you. So don’t worry.”

A sigh from Cleo. “Thank you for the reassurance, priestess. I pray that my father’s men find her soon, and we can move forward with the execution.”

Izzy winced. “I know she’s awful and all, but she’s still your sister. Don’t you feel bad about… y’know?”

“My sister a threat,” Cleopatra said. “To allow a threat to linger is to allow your downfall.”

“But execution...” Izzy shook her head. “It just doesn’t feel right—”

“You clearly have no idea what Berenice is capable of!”

Izzy jumped at her sudden outburst, mouth agape, unable to respond. Not that Cleopatra gave her much of a chance to anyway.

“You have no idea what she’s done to her family, my family. To Egypt! Berenice is foolish and lazy and... selfish! She was a horrendous queen and cared nothing for the responsibility of ruling a nation.”

Tears brimmed in her eyes and threatened to spill down her reddening cheeks as she ranted. Her fist balled as if she was ready to clock the next person who questioned her.

“Egypt is weakened. We need allies. That is why I’ve been especially kind to your King Fred. After my father hands the crown over to me, I will have the weight of Egypt on my shoulders. I will have to undo all the centuries of damage that my ancestors caused neglecting my country. If Berenice must be executed to save my Egypt, then so be it!”

Cleopatra panted as she finished her speech. A shiver ran through her.

Izzy averted her eyes back to the pond. She hadn’t meant to upset her, but she couldn’t help but speak her mind.

She couldn’t blame Cleopatra for reacting this way. Berenice killed her own mother and had her husband murdered. If she were to overthrow the Pharaoh again, she’d no doubt have Cleopatra and her father killed. That’s a lot to put on any fourteen-year-old.

Izzy wasn’t ignorant of who Cleopatra would become. She did many amazing things during her rule, but there was also a lot of ugly stuff. Cleopatra would do to her siblings what Berenice did before her. It was easy to overlook that stuff when she was just a historical figure, a character in a book, a role in a film. But now, having gotten to know Cleopatra today, it was harder to reconcile the actions with the person.

Joe and Anna’s spat was so much easier to deal with compared to this. The Ptolemy dynasty was full of corruption and betrayal. They valued power over family. Cleopatra grew up seeing all this familial betrayal, so it’s normal to her. It was what she had to do. It was harsh and difficult, but necessary for her. Izzy didn’t agree, but this was above what she could handle.

Cleopatra sighed and wiped away tears. “My apologies, priestess. I should not have lost my temper at you like that—”

“Spiders and flies!”

Cleopatra looked at her liked she grew a third eye on her chin.

Oh. She should probably explain what the heck she was talking about so she didn’t look like a loon. “Spiders and flies. A spider’s life appears crazy to a fly. They stay in one spot instead of hunting for food, devouring every fly that falls into their web. But that’s just the spider’s way. It seems monstrous and disgusting, but that’s just the spider surviving.”

Cleo gave her a strange look, like the third eye had sprouted wings.

Izzy rubbed the back of her head. “What I mean is, we’re from different worlds. I can’t convince you to see things the way I do.”

The princess grimaced. “And you say this by likening me a spider, priestess? Perhaps you have confused me with Arachne instead of Aphrodite?”

“I-I— That’s now what I meant!” In hindsight, that wasn’t the most flattering comparison. Maybe she should have thought of cuter animals, like bunnies and foxes. No, wait… that’s way more gruesome...

But to Izzy’s shock, Cleopatra giggled. “You are most unusual, priestess. I appreciate you letting voice my discontent. I feel a bit better now.”

Her smile made Izzy’s cheeks warm. “T-to be honest I’m not sure I did much, but I’m glad you feel better.”

Cleo eyed Izzy with a curious look. “Are you perhaps the fly in this scenario? Buzzing around aimlessly until trapped in your demise by your own thoughtlessness?”

Izzy frowned and thought about it. “I… really really hope not.”

Cleopatra laughed again and Izzy couldn’t help but grin.

A rustling behind them made Izzy whirl around. Her friends stumbled upon the garden, frozen like statues that got caught moving. Izzy waved them over to join them at the pond. “How’d you guys find us so fast?”

“We weren’t stalking you!” Freddi squeaked in a way that made Izzy think they might have been stalking them.

Joe looked from Izzy to the laughing Cleopatra in confusion. “What did you do? Arrest Berenice yourself already?”

“Ah! My guest!” Cleo stood and clasped her hands. “My apologies for keeping you waiting. Let’s return to the party shall we?”

~*~

After the party wound down, the eight of them decided to retire back in the rooms. Cleopatra insisted on spending the night with them. The Pharaoh wasn’t too thrilled with this, but eventually, he gave in with the caveat that Ahmose and another soldier stand guard outside the rooms. As if Joe and the others planned on kidnapping her or something.

A small hallway separated the bedrooms by gender. Joe expected Izzy to be nervous to bunk with strangers, but she didn’t seem too bothered, which was a relief. In fact, she and Cleopatra were pretty attached to each other. Cleo hooked arms with Izzy and practically dragged her around everywhere, not that Izzy seemed to mind.

The boys’ room was more extravagant than their usual time warp related accommodations. A great window overlooked the dark glittering waters of the great bay, allowing the moon as well as candlelight to illuminate their sleeping quarters. A tray of plums, grapes, palm nuts, and figs, and a pitcher of water sat in the center of the room. Brightly painted geometric shapes and pictures of Greek heroes and gods decorated the walls. And good luck getting out of bed once you got in. The fluffy, chaise lounge chair like beds were heaven, especially compared to the jail cells and barns they were used to. Their beds were placed equal parts away against the walls with Joe’s bed the closest to the door.

Fred flopped on the bed. “These digs are awesome!”

“Yeah,” Sam said, “except for the murderer running around.”

“Would you relax, Royal Geek? Unless you’re gonna marry Cleopatra, you have no reason to worry.”

“No, but you might, Fred,” Joe teased.” Cleopatra’s real flirty with you.”

Despite Joe’s tone, Fred puffed up his chest. “What can I say? The Queen of the Nile has excellent taste.”

Sam laughed at that. Fred glared at him and asked what was so funny, which made Sam laugh harder.

“You might not have to worry, Fred,” Sam said. “Cleopatra looks more into Izzy now than you.”

Fred tossed a pillow at him, and all three of them laughed.

A knock on the door interrupted their laughter. Joe turned to see Jodie stood at the entrance, Book in hand. “May I come in?”

Fred rolled his eyes. “Why bother asking? You’re gonna come in anyway.”

Jodie waved away his comment. She marched in (pretty much proving Fred’s point) and sat at the foot of Joe’s bed.

Joe motioned towards The Book. “Any luck fixing it?”

Jodie shook her head as she flipped through the pages. “I’ve never had to fix a problem like this before. It’s happened plenty of times, but never while I owned it.”

She looked helplessly through the glitched, buggy pages. Joe couldn’t help but feel for her. To say Jodie was prideful would be an understatement. She prided herself on her appearance, her accomplishments, but most importantly she prided herself on her handling of The Book.

She’d gotten The Book at ten, the same age he did, but had been warping since she was little. At the age of five, she was appointed to Time Page by her uncle Sid, the uncle who passed The Book on to her. Her warp record wasn’t flawless but she’d never once lost The Book on a warp (excluding any Fred-based excursions). She was a stickler when it came to interfering with history, even more so than Sam. Joe knew how important time traveling was to her.

“Would it help if I tell you what happened?” Joe asked.

Her brows scrunched in thought but didn’t look at him. “Possibly.”

He explained what happened with Izzy in ancient Egypt. Joe told her it was an accident, which was true, but didn’t mention that they were trying to find her dad. He’d tell her eventually, once they were home, but for now, fixing The Book was priority number one. He didn’t want to distract Jodie with that can of worms.

When Joe got to the part when Mad Jack shot at The Book, Jodie’s jaw hit the floor. “He shot The Book?! I know he’s crazy but even he’s not crazy enough to do that.”

“I don’t think he did it on purpose. From how Izzy described it, she shielded herself instinctually.”

“Of course she would,” Jodie muttered. “Thanks for telling me, but I don’t think it’ll help us. Not unless you can shoot magic beams at it.”

He couldn’t, but not for lack of trying. He’d practiced shooting lasers from his fingers many times in his room just to see if he could. Of course, he wasn’t about to bring that up in front of Jodie. Or anyone for that matter.

“So what now?” Joe asked.

“It’s not an exact science, but whenever The Book gets damaged, similar damage usually does the trick. Remember when warrior king Fred oh so expertly stabbed The Book with a spear. Twice.”

“Saved your butt,” Fred piped in.

Jodie rolled her eyes but struggled to hide a small smile. “Anyway, in lieu of magical energy bolts, we’ll have to find another way.” She closed The Book and held it reverently in front of her. “I-I hope this works.”

She closed her eyes and inhaled. Her fingers glowed where they touched The Book. She muttered words under her breath over and over until The Book rumbled in her hands like a mini thunderstorm was going on between the pages. The glow died and Jodie flipped through the pages to find that it was… still jumbled. “Shoot!” Jodie slammed The Book shut. “Well, it was worth a shot.”

“What was that?” Joe asked.

“It’s hard to explain... but it’s sort of a soft reboot.”

Joe waited to see if she was kidding, but Jodie didn’t exactly inherit his sense of humor. “Riiiiight. I get it, but maybe you should explain, so Fred and Sam get it.”

Another roll of her eyes. “The Book is like an ancient supercomputer made by people who didn’t quite understand how to make a computer. It’s a patchwork of pieces and features added over time, which is why it’s powerful but volatile. Right now, it's like an iced computer with a single living aperture.”

“Come again?”

“I think she means,” Sam said, “that it’s like a frozen computer with a working window.”

“Oooooh.” It was times like this that reminded Joe that Jodie was from a future with wildly different technologies than his own time.

But what she said made sense. The Book did sort of function like a computer. It had search features and keyboards on some pages. He wondered if it's always worked like this or if adapted to their modern way of doing things. “So do we need to turn it off and on, or is it there some type of control, alt, delete ritual?”

“It's not as easy as pushing a switch.”

“Not how computers work—”

“However they work, this requires real magic. More than the two of us have.” Jodie’s lip curled, her golden-brown eyes narrowed in thought. “I hate to say it, but I think we need Isadora's help.”

Joe wanted to ask why she hated to say it, and what her deal was with Izzy anyway. But something she said didn’t sit right.

“How… how did you know Izzy could use magic?”

Jodie bit her lip. “I-I just assumed she was the one who taught you that annoying levitation trick. I mean, how else would you have learned that?”

“Oh. Right.” He almost forgot about showing off his new tricked. It made sense she’d assume Izzy taught him.

Jodie groaned. “I guess we have to go get her.”

There it was again, her annoyed attitude towards Izzy. “How come you don't like her?”

Jodie looked at him like he just spoke backwards. “Don’t like who?”

Was she for real? It was obvious who he was talking about. He fixed her with a look and she faltered under the glare. “It's not that I don't like her. It's just... I think you should stop hanging out with Isadora. She’s not—”

Suddenly, Jodie shoved The Book back in her satchel. Her face paled and she stared at the floor as if she was afraid if she looked away it would vanish. Joe was about the ask what was wrong when heard a shuffle behind him.

Izzy stood in the doorway. “Uh, h-hey guys. Cleopatra was going to teach us how to play Senet. I wanted to ask if you’d like to join us, but now I realize that might be really boring so forget I was here.”

“Are you kidding?” Sam jumped out of his bed. “The rules of Senet are lost. No way I’m missing that!”

“Count me in.” Fred stood and stretched. “Beats lying around here with no wifi.”

“Did you really expect to have wifi here?”

“No, but it would’ve been nice.”

“We’ll join you guys in a bit,” Joe said. “Jodie and I are finishing up here.”

Fred and Sam nodded and headed off to the girls’ room. Izzy glanced back at them. Concern flashed across her face before disappearing into the hall.

Jodie groaned and faced palmed. “She heard me, didn’t she? Darn it! This is the worst.”

Joe was beyond confused. Jodie wasn’t one to hide how she felt about anything or anyone. If she hated Izzy, why would she care if she knew?

“I don’t know what your deal is with her,” Joe said, “but you should give her a chance. Yeah, she can be a little weird at first but she’s pretty cool and fun. I think you two would get along if you apologize. She’s actually surprisingly forgiving—”

“I don’t hate her!” Jodie snapped. “It’s just…” A heavy sigh. “She shouldn’t be here. Not now. It doesn’t make any sense.”

Okay, that didn’t make any sense. Before he could ask her to elaborate, a shriek followed by a crash echoed through the hall from the girls’ room. Joe and Jodie jumped and rushed to the room, not knowing what was to come when they got there.

[anastasianikolaevnaromanova]

The Execution of the Imperial Family, 17 July 1918

“On the night of the murder, 16 - 17 July, at about 1.30 a.m., Yurovsky awoke the Tsar’s physician and ordered him to rouse the rest of the prisoners. At 2 a.m. all eleven of them were led down the stairs to the basement. Nicholas carried the Tsarevich, followed by the Empress and her daughters, the Tsar’s physician and the rest of the retinue. Anastasia carried the King Charles spaniel Joy. On their request, two chairs were brought in for the Empress and Alexis, who was still recovering from his recent attack of bleeding. None of them seemed aware of what was about to happen: they had been told that there had been shooting in the town and it was safer for them in the basement. After a few minutes, Yurovsky entered the room with the execution squad — six Hungarians, usually described as ‘Latvians’, and five Russians. Each had been assigned to shoot a particular victim, but when they entered the room it turned out that they were not facing the right person and the room was too small, with murderers and victims practically standing on each other’s toes, for the necessary changes to be made: it was this that partly caused the confusion that followed. Yurovsky read out the order to shoot the Romanovs. Nicholas asked him to repeat it: his last words were ‘What? What?’ Then the firing began. Yurovsky shot Nicholas point blank with a Colt. The Empress also died instantly. Bullets ricocheted around the room, which filled up with smoke. When the firing finished, after several minutes, Alexis lay alive in a pool of blood: Yurovsky finished him off with two shots in the head. Anastasia, who also showed signs of life, was stabbed several times with a bayonet.” – Orlando Figes, A People’s Tragedy: A History of the Russian Revolution

“The bodies were wrapped in sheets and placed in a truck outside the cellar. Before dawn, the vehicle with its sickening cargo reached the ‘Four Brothers’ and the process of dismembering and destroying the bodies began. Each body was carefully cut into pieces with axes and saws, then placed in a bonfire kept burning fiercely with frequent soakings of gasoline. As the axe blades cut into the clothing, many of the jewels sewed inside were crushed, and the fragments spilled out into the high grass or were ground into the mud. As expected, many of the larger bones resisted fire and had to be dissolved with sulphuric acid. The process was neither easy nor quick; for three days, Yurovsky’s ghouls laboured at their macabre work. Finally, the ashes and residue were thrown into the pool of water at the bottom of the mine shaft. So satisfied were the murderers that they had obliterated all traces that Voikov, the member of the Ural Soviet who purchased the gasoline and acid, proudly declared ‘The world will never know what we did with them.’ Later Voikov became Soviet ambassador to Poland.” – Robert K. Massie, Nicholas and Alexandra

“The Commission of Inquiry found hundreds of clues and articles definitely identified as belonging to the imperial family: the six sets of corset steels, exactly the number for six women; precious stones in great numbers; the belt buckles of both Tsar and Tsarevich; the buckles of the women’s shoes; hooks and eyes and other metallic parts of feminine wear; the broken lenses of the Empress’ eyeglasses; a set of artificial teeth identified as those of Dr. Botkin; fragments of chopped and sawed human bones; and one human finger, long, slender, well-shaped, probably cut from the Empress’ hand to get at a ring. This pathetic collection of relics, the meagre debris of a fallen dynasty, this admixture of human bones and ashes, corset steels and diamond dust, was transported in a single trunk to Harbin and from thence to ‘a sure place.’ That is all the record shows; where or how far they wandered after crossing into Mongolia I know not. So passed Nicholas II and the Romanovs, to be followed by a third Nicholas, called Lenin, and the House of the Soviets.” – Edmund A. Walsh, The Fall of the Russian Empire: The Story of the Last of the Romanovs and the Coming of the Bolsheviki

“The Romanovs’ treatment post-assassination makes the denouement of Fargo seem a genteel soiree. Their bodies were dismembered, then burned with hundreds of gallons of gasoline and sulphuric acid. What remained was thrown down an abandoned mine shaft, not to be found for another century. However, the church treated the Romanovs far more kindly. It granted Alexandra and her family sainthood – an ironic coda for a woman so reluctant to convert.” – Kris Waldherr, Doomed Queens: Royal Women Who Met Bad Ends From Cleopatra to Princess Di

[kinkykawaiian]

Name: Lilith Hat

Alias: Death Dealer, ,Mistress of Betrayal, The Red Queen, Queen of the damned, Maiden of Desolation, Scarlet woman, Night Hag, Screeching owl,Mistress of deception, Little delicate owl(Pet name given by Black Hat), Goat girl(Again, another 'pet' name given to her by Black Hat), Delicate disaster( Yet another pet name given to her by Black Hat)

Occupation: Weapon's dealer, Leader of the Red Macabre Corporation, Black Hat's Emissary, Also ringleader of an underground circus for villains where she torments her victims.

Age: VERY VERY VERY OLD(First woman to roam Earth old.)

Race: Succubus

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Bisexual but leans towards men more

<b>Biography:</b>

DAWN OF CREATION:

When God first created Earth; he made Adam and Lilith from the same clay. Lilith did not want to lay beneath Adam and demanded to be his equal; to which Adam denied her and tried to have his way with her anyways. She fled from the Garden and found herself naked and lost in the jungle during a stormy night. While wondering through the wilderness, cold and shivering from the rain; she tripped and landed in the mud; only to be met face to face with a dark ominous being who dragged her by the hair to a secluded cave that oversaw the red sea. The tophatted stranger was fascinated by her; examining every inch of her as if he had never seen a human before. Of course he was met with a sharp slap to the face when his hands got to more personal areas of her body. He did not speak in human dialect, but with time she taught him and he protected her from the wilderness when she ventured out to hunt. The land at the time was filled with all different kinds of wildlife; even prehistoric creatures roamed the earth. The being eventually named himself Black Hat and he was very powerful indeed. He could light a fire pit with just a snap of his fingers.

Eventually, the three Angels God had sent to search for her had caught up and gave her the choice to come back to Eden or stay with evil incarnate and have the first 100 children born from her womb die when they take in their first breath of life. She refused their offer and stayed with Black Hat. Lilith adopted two orphaned Siberian tiger cubs when their mother was mauled by a T-rex. She named them Anzu and Khaan. Eventually, on one of her hunts she followed a doe into the Garden; where she witnessed Adam with another woman, Eve. This caused Lilith to feel something she had never felt before. Jealousy. She gave up on the hunt and when she got back to the cave she told Black Hat everything. He could sense she was distressed and relished the fact she was feeling a deadly sin. He grinned and saw the opportunity to finally cause the demise of humanity. He himself couldn't enter the Garden; only God's creations could. He granted Lilith immortality, where she went through a grueling and painful transformation; but of course it came with a price. He had her take the form of a serpent to sneak into the Garden and lure Eve into eating the fruit from the tree of Knowledge.   She eventually takes refuge in hell with her beloved tigers(who were turned into gruesome hell beasts.) and was separated from Black Hat. 4th century B.C. Egypt: Lilith eventually resurfaced again. She was disguised as a belly dancer for Queen Cleopatra and offered advice on how she could conquer and rule. The temptress always caused death or manipulated others into doing the evil deed for her. She eventually crosses paths with Black Hat again who she spotted front row in one of her performances. She was especially flirty with him, taunting him with her silky scarf and led him away to have her fun with him. Shortly after their romping, Egypt was plagued with a severe drought,locust and famine. The following morning Black Hat offers for her to join him, she of course refused and remained a free spirit. Angered by her rejection he leaves; leaving behind a massive sand storm in his wake. Nine months later she gave birth to a little girl who died seconds after being born. Lilith mourned the loss of her child and even gave her a name; Jezebel. As time went on she had intercourse with several other men, human or other demons; each offspring from those relations did not survive outside the womb. Europe 1347 - 1558: Lilith was disguised as a beautiful human woman who seduced men and drained them dry of their life force. Eventually on one of her hunts, she crosses paths with Black Hat. He was still sore about being rebuffed but made an attempt in conversing with her. They talked about their conquest and what they have been up to for the last couple of centuries. He invites her for a night full of booze and murder that eventually leads into some evil coitus. Soon after, Europe was introduced to the Black Plague. Lilith took on the disguise of a Plague nurse while Black Hat took on the disguise of a Plague doctor and together they helped further spread the deadly disease. After successfully spreading the plague, Lilith parted ways with Black Hat due to her being summoned by Mary the first. The queen sought power and prosperity. Lilith was her right hand and gave her advice that would lead to the queen's ruthless war path and the killings of innocent women just for the sole purpose of bathing in it. At her death bed, Lilith collected her soul and entrapped her into a mirror where she has the mediocre job of scaring children dumb enough to invoke her. The demoness then wandered into the wilderness of Europe, wanting to explore it's wildlife. During her stay in the wild, Lilith ventured into a cave where she encountered an enormous golden serpent with glowing red eyes. She eventually tamed the savage beast and named her "Big Jill". After obtaining her new pet she retreated back into hell. The year 1860-1950: She was summoned on earth by a mortal looking to get his rocks off with the infamous succubus and it backfired on him when she drained his life energy for sustenance; leaving nothing but a hollowed out corpse. Now, free to roam Earth, she disguised herself as a normal woman; killing several men in her wake. She was nomadic; never staying in one place and always traveling state to state; town to town and eventually she happened upon a small town in Mexico. She saw a discrete ad around the town for a masquerade. She attended the ball expecting to find her new victim. She wore a crimson red and black Victorian dress; it's silk straps draping off her shoulder; along with black gloves and a crow mask, her hair tied back in a bun adorned with roses and black feathers. During the festivities; she saw a familiar dark figure. His face was concealed by a mask. He had noticed her and watched her from the corner of his eye until she disappeared in the crowed only to reappear behind him and ask him for a dance. As they waltzed they chatted about the festivities and eventually Lilith dropped the bomb of how he looked like someone she knew many years ago. He grins at her as he already knew who she was. After their brief introduction to one another, Black Hat began to siphon the life force out of the other party goers to sustain them both. They danced through the ballroom long after the rest of the attendies were dead at their feet. After their dinner and dance; they road off on his horse and he laid her down by a lakeside. After their fun, He laid next to her and brought up his offer again. As much as Lilith cared for him, she loved her freedom to much to be chained down to one being. He cursed her name and rode off into the night on horseback. She sighed and went about her night. A week later she attempted to seduce the famous monster hunter Van Helsing; only to be maimed severely and have her wings ripped from her body. He was about to slice her throat with a blessed blade but was interrupted by the leering shadow of a monstrous  Black Hat who engulfed the room in darkness. Lilith had loss consciousness from the blood loss at this point and she came to when she felt a sterling silver red hot branding iron between her shoulder blades. It was Black Hat who was marking her with the Hat Pentagram. He looked pleased at the fact she was hindered, distress and dependent. He informed her that he saved her life and tended to her wounds therefore she is in debt to him and that she will forever serve under the Black Hat Organization as payment. This of course this lead to an argument between the two but she receded back to laying on her side in pain. He gently stroked her hair before exiting the room calling her a"Beautiful imbecile". Black Hat enjoyed her wild and wicked nature; trying to contain it would be foolish but he thrived on the conflict that came from him attempting. Her spirit was unbreakable no matter what he through her way, she rose above it stronger each time. Any man she tried to seduce or have relations with faced imminent death due to Black Hat's envious reaction. Eventually, Lilith wanted to own her own company, to which Black Hat was intrigued to hear. He gave her a branch of his Organization to rule and set her up in the catacombs of Paris. There, she let her hellish creatures roam the labyrinth of death. She named the branch The Red Macabre and specialized in torture entertainment, murder for hire, evil marriage consoling and taming monsters. Once a year she would host an underground circus where villains from all over the cosmos can come and bare witness to her and her crew tormenting a hero until his last breath before being fed to Lilith's demonic saber tooth tigers. 1950-Present day: Despite her boss's constant attempt in trying to lock her down, Lilith still attempted to date other supernatural beings casually. One day, Lilith was in her office sharing a drink with her boyfriend at the time Nergal(https://grimadventures.fandom.com/wiki/Nergal ). Black Hat  heard about them through the grapevine and interrupted their date by grabbing Nergal by the throat and tossing him into the deepest pit of hell. He then turned his anger at Lilith and demanded for her to only belong to him. She informs him that what they had is casual and if she ever was to be tied down to anyone they had to be equals. Black Hat laughs at this and pulls out a ring to force onto her. She reacted by biting her finger off and spiting it at him; to which he ate it and made her finger regenerate with the ring on it. She said she was not going to acknowledge their matrimonial status unless it was a two-way contract with no catch. He reluctantly agreed. After they signed the binding contract(They both wrote it up together.) they were to only save each other for themselves and no one else. Despite being married, they did not live together, nor does Black Hat speak about her to others unless they ask. Eventually she gives birth to her first healthy child, a baby boy named Damien and two more followed after; one girl named Alice and the other named Melody.

LIKES:

-Drinking in general

-The suffering of men who thought they were superior to women

-Musicals

-Old detective shows

-Singing and dancing

-She likes spicy things(perfume,foods,gum,sex)

-Guns; her favorite being her golden Berretta 92; a semi automatic pistol

-animals

-being the center of attention

-cherries

-Most music

-the rare sweet moments between her and Black Hat that happen in private

-Red spider lilies

-living in the lap of luxury

-the color red

-Carnage

-Bathing in virgin blood

-the taste of human flesh

-When Black Hat sings to her or plays an instrument for her.

-Belly dancing(mostly to Heavy metal),waltzing or tango.

DISLIKES:

-Frogs

-Other people's children

-Being referred to as the Night hag

-Being asked what her age is

-Being called a sinner

-Being annoyed

-anything cold

-Glitter

-Being disrespected

-Most men

-Outdated views

-pranks

-when Black Hat melts puppies

-Being told what to wear

FUN FACTS:

-Her legs are furry but she waxes them.

-It took her centuries to get the hang of her powers, even furthering their capabilities with the help of another Lovecraftian deity named Edmund Uvhash.

-After spending so many years in France, Lilith picked up an accent.

-Lilith can speak several different languages; including English,Spanish,French and pig Latin.

- She has an affinity for animals

-Lilith is an excellent cook(She mostly cooks human flesh with herbs and spices)

-Lilith covers her chipped horn with a band at all times

-Black Hat has indulged in her sinful nature a few times and it usually leaves her bitten up,bruised and bleeding. And it is their dirty little secret to keep.

-If Black Hat were to ever disappear Lilith would take his spot and rule ruthlessly and mercilessly and do away with the mortals he hired and summon a legion to take their place.

-Lilith views Black Hat as an equal; despite him viewing her beneath him but he keeps that to himself.

-Black Hat and Lilith have private meetings every so often where he complains about his employees or talks about his new devices he wants to sell or they drink and reminisce about their past  

-Lilith does care deeply for Black Hat, she just hates the concept of monogamy.

- Lilith never visits the Manor; Black Hat however has come out to visit her and the children.

-Eventually when the kids are older the end up visiting their father one summer and that is when Black Hat dropped the bomb on his crew that he was a married man. Demencia didn't take the news too well.

-Lilith has an irrational fear of frogs.

-Lilith was the one who pissed off Black Hat enough for him to destroy Pompeii

-Big Jill is Lil Jack's mate and they are both Basilisks.

-Lilith's catacombs are crawling with gigantic demonic Black Widow spiders, hell hounds, her demonic saber tooths and a pit filled with Big Jill and Lil Jack's offspring.

-Big Jill is the most feared creature that lurks in the catacombs who's looks can kill alone.

-Every time Black Hat and her bump uglies a catastrophe happens. It's a bad omen.  

-Black Hat doesn't really love her but he feels intense lust and is envious if any other man touched her. He is very possessive over her and feels an enormous sense of pride once he was able to lock her down.

---------------------------------------------

Personality: She is ambiguous and charismatic by nature. However, she is will let it be known if she doesn't like someone and would make it a goal of hers to make them suffer an ill fate. She can act posh but deep down she is a wild and feral spirit. She is very lewd and makes a lot of suggestive jokes.  She has a really sick and twisted sense of humor. She is very manipulative. She is highly flirtatious if she finds you remotely attractive.

Fighting Style: she is very flexible, quick and agile so she will use that to her advantage. She fights like an animal,using her horns to ram into her enemy, her clawed nails, fanged teeth and tail. Also may use her hooves to step on her enemies. Or she'll just simply unload led into you.

Powers: intense charisma and seductive power to match her good looks she uses to her advantage to manipulate unsuspecting victims,can disguise herself to look human, Manipulates dreams, Can see in the dark, Pyrotechnic, is able to make items manifest themselves in a snap of a finger, she can also walk up right walls and ceilings. She can teleport(even through dimensions), sucking her victim's life dry to leave behind a hollowed corpse, Immortality. She also can charm her victims(Only works with mortals) to get what she wants. Despite having these supernatural powers she is not as strong as Black Hat. She doesn't even come close to what he is capable of. She can turn into a snake.

Weaknesses: Sterling silver, holy weapons(blessed blades, holy water), frogs.

Quotes:

"Don't mistaken my respect for fear or you will loose it”-Lilith to BH

"If you can sell a lie you can sell anything."-Lilith to BH and Flug after helping them with a sale's pitch.

"Your mind is an insane one,darling."Black Hat to Lilith

"Thank you. I'd like to think it complements your wicked thoughts."Lilith replying to BH

"The further I pull away the worse his actions get, It's like he wants me to pay attention to him in this fucked up game of cat and mouse."Lilith to Nikiri (Her social media manager.)

Voice claim: Chloé Hollings ((

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vO8TRGaqM9I&t=401s

))

Singing voice claim: Vanessa Paradis ((

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Z-NbQvhzKM

))

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lilith's themes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AAOx_6jfek

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNhy3K94z8Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1VqKLgq4bA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa4mD-DRU1k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqdYHnulCms

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9t7SclAXoQw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4cKIxhcTT8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJwwIDCeqoU

Lilith and Black Hat's Playlist:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x83P5LjpWpA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5yMcIxdnPk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I6Y9bv7Js4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrQgUfkYhic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kQ-0bBkMIY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGbe-lEDCc4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwCdShFGjwI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PptZQQ1O70A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJwt9qJb6Sw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccY25Cb3im0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Olp10zk3h-Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arPlIDu5rmo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDboeQfAsww

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcSL5Vdeu6s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39V3sOe3-2s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkBEnIoRqWw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0m5SXO8qK78

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYuhnVSOzwE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8wP_4vp4Vs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teuGzBoN8hE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBi_1efiPwg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B66l1S0E70I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9PF09URHdQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VE4bW3SJ6YE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMK0prafzw0

Villainous,Black Hat belong to Alan Ituriel 

Art and this interpretation of Lilith belong to me.

[madegeeky]

Geeky’s Eurovision 2020 Playlist

What it says on the can! These are the songs that I have on my phone and have survived (many) multiple listens during the phase where I was paring things down.

They’re in alphabetical order by country because I’m too lazy to rank them. There are three exceptions to this. One, the first song on the list, Russia’s Uno, is absolutely hands down my favorite. Nothing even comes close to how fucking much I love this song. Two, the last two songs on the list are not what I would call good but there simply because of pure nostalgia; I am a product of my times and so I love them. 

Edit: Now under a cut read more to save your dash!

Full playlist here! Now, links to individual songs with a few notes about each one:

Uno (Russia) - I cannot properly express how much I love Russia’s entry. It is pure joyful chaos and I’ve literally turned this video on several times to cheer myself up. I can’t not smile when watching. (I’m smiling now.)

Chains on You (Armenia) -The costumes in this are top notch and I hope the costume designer gets all the props they rightly deserve. The lighting in this video is either most interesting thing to watch or worst thing to watch and there is no in-between. 

Don’t Break Me (Australia) - Australia continues to give absolutely no fucks about what anyone thinks and I love them for it.

Alive (Austria) - This was really close to making it on my nostalgia list and the only reason it didn’t was because I’ve never been into Micheal Jackson. 

Cleopatra (Azerbaijan) - What isn’t there to love about this video? Everything about this is amazing. The song, the costumes, the video, there’s nothing about this video that I don’t love.

Release Me (Belgium) - This is basically a weird cross between a crooner song and a James Bond song and it really works.

YES (Denmark) - Okay, so first off I would never have expected a country song at Eurovision. Second, even if I had I would never have thought I’d love it as much as I love this one. I am incapable of hearing this song and not singing along.

Violent Thing (Germany) - Inexplicably there are two songs in Eurovision that are very influenced by Micheal Jackson because sometimes the world is a weird fucking place. No one is more surprised than I by the fact that I liked both of them. 

SUPERG!RL (Greece) - The song and video to this are so unapologetically corny and I love them for it. I mean, just look at that title. Just look at that completely unapologetic exclamation point. It’s beautiful.

Think About Things (Iceland) - This is a weirdass song sung by a weirdass group and it’s amazing. Their fucking dance will never not bring a smile to my face.

Still Breathing (Latvia) - A really insanely weird video to go along with a great song. The imagery in video is amazing and it immediately caught me attention. One of the most interesting videos, in my opinion.

On Fire (Lithuania) - Another one I love singling along with, this time because the way the singer sings his words is just so much fun to sing along with.

All of My Love (Malta) - I would never have though to get a gospel-style song, especially not one sung by an actual black woman, in Eurovision but I would have been wrong. An absolutely beautiful song.

Alcohol You (Romania) - The music in this is so haunting to me and it caught my attention the second it started. I love her voice and the way she sings the song. And none of that is even going into the lyrics which I adore.

Freaky! (San Marino) - As far as I can tell, San Marino’s sole goal with Eurovision contests is just to make you happy and they have exceeded that goal two years in a row. A ton of bonus points for how fucking queer this video is.

Move (Sweden) - Remember how I said I didn’t expect to get a gospel-style song? I definitely would never have expected to get two, both by black women. I fucking adore this song and it’s yet another one I always sing along with. And the women singing it look so fucking excited to be on stage, I love them.

Story of My Life (Ireland) - My first nostalgia pick! If you had told me that this was a song sung by one of those teeny bopper singers that were suddenly everywhere in the mid-2000s, I would have absolutely believed you. This is a song makes me inner preteen self smile.

Hasta La Vista (Serbia) - My second nostalgia pick! If you’d told me that this was a Christina Aguilera song from the early 2000s, I would have just nodded and been like, “Oh, never heard this one.” Ironically enough, the video is a fucking mess but also reminds me of early 2000s pop star music videos. Overhaul, this entire thing is a trip. 

[theimpossiblescheme]

My Gus Headcanons:

He has quite a few queens on his arm during his lifetime, but the two that were dearest to him were Andromeda and Lila. (@uppastthejelliclemoon​)  They were both his co-stars at various times, the Griddlebone to his Growltiger, and while Andromeda became the mother of his son Asparagus Jr., Lila helped him mentor the young orphans Jenyanydots and Quintessa. (@effin-ineffable​) Andromeda later died of the same palsy that Gus contracted later in his life, and Lila passed away from old age.

After Andromeda died, his leading lady was Grizabella, who played a very different Griddlebone than he was used to.  He was still recovering from his mate’s death, and she was trying to prove herself as a bonafide star, which led to several clashes between the two.  To this day, he wonders if he could have been a better friend to her and gently convinced her to not sacrifice her family.

One of the later additions to his little “acting troupe” was Iphegenia, Munkustrap’s mother.  Gus promised her that she would be safe from the mean streets with him and his company, and when she ended up leaving in disgrace, he told her she would always have a place with them.  In his less lucid moments in his old age, he sometimes mistakes Munkustrap for Iphegenia and will talk to him like he’s her.

He’s been a fixture of four different theaters in the past.  Now he lives in the Criterion Theatre and splits his time between the lead actor’s dressing room, the lighting booth, and the lobby bar.  Sam, the head usher, is his best human friend there.

His most famous role, Firefrorefiddle, came from a play called The Pharoah’s Prisoner, in which a temple cat makes a deal with a demonic Grim Reaper-esque cat from a cold and distant land.  Firefrorefiddle was described as being one with the shadows whenever he chose and having flaming fur, crossed eyes, and iron paws.

He and his remaining theater friends frequent a pub called the Lost Dog, where Old Deuteronomy will sometimes stop by and make sure they all have a hearty meal.  Cleopatra, one of the feline barmaids there, was an old flame of Gus’s, and they’re still on good terms to this day.

During his glory days as an actor, he played the roles of Orestes, Pylades, Cyrano de Bergerac, Othello, Claudius, Macbeth, and King Lear.  Othello was probably his favorite, but he can still quote Cyrano’s lines pretty faithfully.

He used to be a wonderful dancer and was once made the ballet master of his old troupe.

In his old age, his memory is far from what it used to be, and there are days when he can’t recognize many of the other cats in the Tribe.  The only ones he can regularly remember are his children, Old Deuteronomy, and Jellylorum.  He has his good days and bad days, but his bad days are tough on everyone.

He tried to hide his palsy at first, not wanting Jelly and his kids to think he was getting worse and couldn’t take care of himself.  His secret finally came out when his shaking paws made it hard for him to climb up to the lighting booth like he used to, and he ended up breaking his leg when he fell.

Weirdly enough, he’s rather good friends with Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer and will quietly enable some of their pranks (provided nobody gets hurt, of course).

He’s not a big fan of the holidays, especially Christmas—too much fuss and stress for a single day, in his book.  The Jellicle Ball is the only exception to this.

He keeps a small hoard of props as comfort objects in his nest at the theater.  He also has a tiny scrapbook that the director compiled for him.

Not only is he a very good grandpa to the kittens who loves playing make-believe with them and taking them on field trips to different theaters he’s “worked” at, but he’s also rather good with human children.  He’s a lap cat by nature who will just sit around, accept pats, and purr, so parents are never anxious about leaving him alone with their kids.  

He considers Mistoffelees and Tumblebrutus his newest protégés—he taught Misto nearly everything he knows about showmanship and believes that Tumble will make a great actor one day.

He sleeps on his back with his paws tightly curled up against the rest of him to keep himself warm.

He and Esther, Old Deuteronomy’s ex-ninth wife, have lingered in a state of “will they or won’t they” for a few years.  She’s a very lovely queen in Gus’s mind, and he loves spending time with her, but he also figures it would be bad form to court an ex-mate of the Jellicle Leader.

Skimbleshanks and Alonzo have heard his stories so many times from trips to the Lost Dog that they can quote him verbatim.

He thinks he can speak Italian, but while he knows the words, his diction and pronunciation leave a bit to be desired.

[hellwaterholyfire]

9 layers of hell

1st Circle - Limbo

Dante’s First Circle of Hell is resided by virtuous non-Christians and unbaptized pagans who are punished with eternity in an inferior form of Heaven. They live in a castle with seven gates which symbolize the seven virtues. Here, Dante sees many prominent people from classical antiquity such as Homer, Socrates, Aristotle, Cicero, Hippocrates, and Julius Caesar.

Pool of Blood, 血池地獄 Those who do not respect others will find themselves soaked in blood.

2nd Circle - Lust

In the Second Circle of Hell, Dante and his companion Virgil find people who were overcome by lust. They are punished by being blown violently back and forth by strong winds, preventing them from finding peace and rest. Strong winds symbolize the restlessness of a person who is led by the desire for fleshly pleasures. Again, Dante sees many notable people from history and mythology including Cleopatra, Tristan, Helen of Troy and others who were adulterous during their lifetime.

Chamber of Scissors, 剪刀地獄 if you steal someone’s husband/wife and break their marriage your fingers are eternally cut off. 

3rd Circle - Gluttony

When reaching the Third Circle of Hell, Dante and Virgil find souls of gluttons who are overlooked by a worm-monster Cerberus. Sinners in this circle of Hell are punished by being forced to lie in a vile slush that is produced by never-ending icy rain. The vile slush symbolizes personal degradation of one who overindulges in food, drink, and other worldly pleasures, while the inability to see others lying nearby represents the gluttons’ selfishness and coldness. Here, Dante speaks to a character called Ciacco who also tells him that the Guelphs (a fraction supporting the Pope) will defeat and expel the Ghibellines (a fraction supporting the Emperor to which Dante adhered) from Florence which happened in 1302 before the poem was written (after 1308).

Chamber of Mortars and Pestles, 舂臼地獄 Those who voluntarily waste food  will be forced to be feeded by demons with hell-fire.

4th Circle - Greed

In the Fourth Circle of Hell, Dante and Virgil see the souls of people who are punished for greed. They are divided into two groups – those who hoarded possessions and those who lavishly spent it – jousting. They use great weights as a weapon, pushing it with their chests which symbolizes their selfish drive for fortune during their lifetime. The two groups that are guarded by a character called Pluto (probably the ancient Greek ruler of the underworld) are so occupied with their actions that the two poets don’t try to speak to them. Here, Dante says to see many clergymen including cardinals and popes.

Chamber of Dismemberment, 磔刑地獄 Tomb raiders will find their body being torn into pieces.

Mountain of Flames, 火山地獄 Thieves, robbers and corrupt will be thrown into the flames in a hellish volcano.

Yard of Stone Mill, 石磨地獄 Those who subdue the weak, abuse their power and oppress the people will be crushed and pulverized in a stone mill.

Chamber of Saw, 刀鋸地獄 Those who exploit the loopholes in the law and engage in unfair practices in business will be sawn into half by demons.

5th Circle - Anger

The Fifth Circle of Hell is where the wrathful and sullen are punished for their sins. Transported on a boat by Phlegyas, Dante and Virgil see the furious fighting each other on the surface of the river Styx and the sullen gurgling beneath the surface of the water. Again, the punishment reflects the type of the sin committed during their lifetime. While passing through, the poets are approached by Filippo Argenti, a prominent Florentine politician who confiscated Dante’s property after his expulsion from Florence.

6th Circle - Heresy

When reaching the Sixth Circle of Hell, Dante and Virgil see heretics who are condemned to eternity in flaming tombs. Here, Dante talks with a couple of Florentines – Farinata degli Uberti and Cavalcante de’ Cavalcanti – but he also sees other notable historical figures including the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, and Pope Anastasius II. The latter, however, is according to some modern scholars condemned by Dante as a heretic by mistake. Instead, as some scholars argue, the poet probably meant the Byzantine Emperor Anastasius I. 

Chamber of Tongue Ripping, 拔舌地獄 for those that gossip find their tongues ripped out. 

Chamber of Iron Cycads, 鐵樹地獄 for those that cause discord between family members of others will be speared through the center by long iron stalks or cycads.

7th Circle - Violence

The Seventh Circle of Hell is divided into three rings. The Outer Ring houses murderers and others who were violent to other people and property. Here, Dante sees Alexander the Great (disputed), Dionysius I of Syracuse, Guy de Montfort and many other notable historical and mythological figures such as the Centaurus, sank into a river of boiling blood and fire. In the Middle Ring, the poet sees suicides who have been turned into trees and bushes which are fed upon by harpies. But he also sees here profligates, chased and torn to pieces by dogs. In the Inner Ring are blasphemers and sodomites, residing in a desert of burning sand and burning rain falling from the sky.

Town of Suicide, 枉死地獄 People who commit suicide will find themselves wandering in the city . The wind of sorrow and the rain of pain lash day and night this desolate place. They are those who have voluntarily altered the karmic course of the Incarnation.

Forest of Copper Column, 銅柱地獄 Arsonists for retaliation will be bound to columns of glowing copper.

Mountain of Knifes, 刀山地獄

Those who kill sentient beings with knife without a reason or for pleasure will find themselves climbing a hill of knifes. Sinners are made to shed blood by climbing a mountain with sharp blades sticking out.

Cauldron of Boiling Oil, 油鍋地獄 Rapists, thieves, abusers, false accusers will be boiled in fried oil.

Chamber of Ox, 牛坑地獄 Those who abuse animals will find themselves being bullied by animals.

Chamber of Rock, 石壓地獄 Those who abandon or kill babies will hold a heavy rock (and eventually crashed) and will be surrounded by putrid water.

8th Circle - Fraud

The Eight Circle of Hell is resided by the fraudulent. Dante and Virgil reach it on the back of Geryon, a flying monster with different natures, just like the fraudulent. This circle of Hell is divided into 10 Bolgias or stony ditches with bridges between them. In Bolgia 1, Dante sees panderers and seducer. In Bolgia 2 he finds flatterers. After crossing the bridge to Bolgia 3, he and Virgil see those who are guilty of simony. After crossing another bridge between the ditches to Bolgia 4, they find sorcerers and false prophets. In Bolgia 5 are housed corrupt politicians, in Bolgia 6 are hypocrites and in the remaining 4 ditches, Dante finds hypocrites (Bolgia 7), thieves (Bolgia 7), evil counselors and advisers (Bolgia 8), divisive individuals (Bolgia 9) and various falsifiers such as alchemists, perjurers, and counterfeits (Bolgia 10).

Chamber of Steamer, 蒸籠地獄 Hypocrites and troublemakers will find their punishment in a steamer.

Hill of Ice, 冰山地獄

Schemers, deceivers of elders (including parents) and adulterers will be left naked in freezing cold.

9th Circle - Treachery

The last Ninth Circle of Hell is divided into 4 Rounds according to the seriousness of the sin. Though all residents are frozen in an icy lake. Those who committed more severe sin are deeper within the ice. Each of the 4 Rounds is named after an individual who personifies the sin. Thus Round 1 is named Caina after Cain who killed his brother Abel, Round 2 is named Antenora after Anthenor of Troy who was Priam’s counselor during the Trojan War, Round 3 is named Ptolomaea after Ptolemy (son of Abubus), while Round 4 is named Judecca after Judas Iscariot, the apostle who betrayed Jesus with a kiss.

DEMON CREATION:

Chamber of Mirrors of Retribution, 孽镜地狱 To those who managed to escape the punishment for their crimes during earthly life will be shown their true shape.

[ask-shakespearehigh]

in true highschooler fashion i must know.... who are the weebs and the gamers of the cast

Aster’s Kids

(( [name]*= has responded/been mentioned/is set, but has not appeared in design))

Macbeth

Macbeth— no, he did homestuck but he doesn’t really do games and has seen one (1) anime, bc of Banquo (it was FMA:B)

Lady— she’s “too pretty to know what that (anime) is”

Banquo— he’s like. Casually anime. FMA and FMA:B, Yu Yu Hakusho, he had an Inuyasha phase briefly, and he’s big into Pokemon. He doesn’t do much console or PC gaming, but he has a DS and he plays Pokemon games, Stardew Valley (if that’s on DS???), and Animal Crossing (he likes. Chill task based games)

Macduff— will play smash and Mario Kart at parties and is decent

Duncan— nah

Malcolm— dumb shoujo anime/manga is his secret guilty pleasure

Donalbain— he plays indie games. He got Very into Undertale. He likes Bastion, One Hand Clapping, and Cave Story.

Twelfth Night

Viola— their family owns a Wii and she fucking kills it at Wii Sports. Also Mario Kart. She’d be better at Smash if she didn’t insist on always playing as Kirby.

Sebastian— same as Viola.

Antonio— he’s played overwatch. That’s about it though

Duke— he’s seen a few anime, mostly via Netflix surfing. He actually really likes Ouran.

Olivia— nah

Malvolio— nah

Taming of the Shrew

Kate— nah

Bianca— nah

Petruchio— he feels like he plays some sorta FPS

Julius Caesar

Julius— nah

Calpurnia— animal crossing sometimes

Cassius— yes he’s anime but it’s a secret and he will Never admit it

Brutus— he’s anime and Will admit it but no one has ever asked

Octavius — he plays fortnite but he hates that he does so

The Tempest

Miranda— fire emblem baybee

Caliban*

Prospero*

Much Ado About Nothing

Beatrice— probably but idk what

Benedick— same

Borachio

Others

Antony— Smash and Mario Kart at parties and stuff. Got very hyped about Dream Daddy, it was ironic at first but then.

Cleopatra— same as Lady.

Star’s Kids

Hamlet

Hamlet (Tristson) - no. Watches horatio and ophelia instead of playing bc he has “better things to do”

Ophelia (Elskerson) - beats her brothers ass in smash. Mains peach and isabelle. Has played stardew valley. Also mario kart

Horatio (Venson) - plays smash w ophelia and sometimes w yorick. Mains fox and ness. Surprisingly good at mario kart.

Laertes (Elskerson) - has gotten his ass beat in smash. Mains ganondorf and bowser but he sucks at it lol. Aggressively hype abt wii games for no reason

Yorick - hes baby but he has played smash.

Fortinbras - hes too busy studying

Rosencrantz* - yeah both but i dont rlly care abt them sorry :(

Guildenstern* - “”

Gertrude* - no

Claudius* - no

Hamlet’s Dad* - no

Romeo and Juliet

Romeo (Montague) - YES the montacrew has game nights (smash, mario kart, just dance) Benny made him watch ouran and his favorite is tamaki

Juliet (Capulet) - has played mario kart w tybalt but isnt rlly a gamer girl. She likes shoujo anime a Lot and loves cardcaptor sakura

Mercutio (Prince) - KING OF JUST DANCE!!!!!!! KING. Owned a sasuke body pillow on a dare from romeo in middle school. Benny got rid of it. Has seen princess jellyfish

Benvolio (Montague) - shounen stan for the most part. Fairy tail, naruto, dragonball etc. watches slice of life to make fun of it for being cliche. Cried really hard at the nina tucker episode of fma:b

Tybalt (Capulet) - i feel like….he plays overwatch….and mains hanzo

Paris (Bellarico) - has seen episodes of bnha and sailor moon but isnt an avid anime fan. Thinks the 90’s anime aesthetic is sweet

Escalus (Prince) - owned a gamecube growing up and loves pokemon. Slides references to them in his homework like a NERD.

Rosaline*

Othello

Othello (Cuore) - mario kart and smash (doesnt main anyone he likes trying out every character but thinks big mac is fun even tho hes not rlly good at the game) he likes pokemon but doesnt play the games. Watched the anime growing up.

Desdemona (Di’Bianca) - “”””fake”””” gamer girl energy but she’s already tracer AND widowmaker. Good luck stopping her. Sipped a grande low-fat whip caramel macchiato while watching the E3 stream.

Iago (Ilmale) - HE LIKES SONIC UNIRONICALLY BC HE GREW UP W IT. He’s seen some classic shounen anime like bleach and tried bnha. Liked bakugou.

(Michael) Cassio - played persona. Catches himself singing Last Surprise under his breath. Thinks akira kurusu is really hot. Hes right. Has yet to try anime but hes interested

Roderigo (Ingenuo) - i wanna say hes played like dating sims? But not gross creepy ones i mean like from indie artists. Undertale fucked him up real bad.

Emilia (Ilmale) - she likes women she hopped on revolutionary girl utena and keeps searching for wlw anime. Bloom into you got her messed up rn

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Puck (Robin Goodfellow) - runs a gaming channel on youtube and watches a Lot of anime. Definitely has a lot of merch

Oberon (Kingsman) - anime and game nights at his house! Owns dream daddy for the gay rights.

Titania (Queensland) - realized she was gay after watching sailor moon and the “””cousins”””. Pretty good at video games. Has the persona dancing star night game for seemingly no reason (its for ann)

Peaseblossom - LOVED princess tutu and never shuts up about it. Plays the hall om mig amv all the time

Moth - sings anime ops randomly for no reason. Mains the cute characters on smash

Cobweb - married tharja in fates for the goth rights. Mains bayonetta.

Mustardseed - MINECRAFT.

Hermia - puella magica madoka girl. LOVES the magical girl aesthetic. Started sewing bows onto her dresses

Lysander - the designated gamer of the 4. Immediately attaches to pretty boys in animes. Claimed he was a “bishounen” himself when he was like 14 and the rest havent let him live it down.

Helena - likes mystery/horror anime like baccano and tokyo ghoul

Demetrius - action shounen stan. Owns an akatsuki cloak

Nick Bottom* - watches hentai

Puck’s Dad 1 (Puck based) - pokemon champion fire red

Puck’s Dad 2 (Oberon based) - pokemon champion leaf green

Love’s Labor’s Lost

Ferdinand - started playing volleyball bc he likes haikyuu. didnt think hed get this far

Birone - thinks fma:b is the peak of anime and hes right.

Longaville - likes the boxing anime (cant remember what its called) and smash (mains ryu)

Dumaine - hes the video of the drunk guy making all of the noises in the crash bandicoot game

Princess - she Is revolutionary girl utena

Rosalina - won’t ever admit it but does watch some anime from time to time.

Katherine - hibiki girls euphonium stan even tho she doesnt play an instrument

Maria - got tricked into playing fortnite once. Plays minecraft on peaceful and is rlly excited about bees being in the game

Others

William Shakespeare - “anne whats a waifu”

Anne Shakespeare - has a pkmn card collection. Loves sylveon

[cannoli-reader]

A Thought or two on the race of the Wheel of Time casting.

So “The Wheel of Time” has cast a group of people to play the characters born to Two Rivers families, Nynaeve, Perrin, Egwene & Mat.  And there have been concerns.  And there have been people making knee-jerk assumptions that these concerns are entirely founded in racism. And hey, maybe there are some. But I don’t think all of them necessarily are. 

First of all, some personal context. I am not really a SJW or much concerned about race issues in general. I am white, of entirely European ancestry, but I haven’t the slightest bit of “white guilt”. “Get Out” did not make me the least bit uncomfortable because I had absolutely no comprehension of the white characters. I understand that “representation matters” in media, but it matters to white people as well, which is why ‘Hollywood’ which is not a monlithic entity, mostly casts white people.  I don’t care if there are not enough black people or too many white people in any given movie.  We can have Scotsmen playing Lithuanian-Russians or try to pass off their burr as a brogue. We can have Terry Molloy, Stanley Kowalski and Vito Corleone, members of immigrant communities from very different parts of Europe, played by the same man. 

That said, while I think adaptations have a degree of responsibility to be faithful to the original work or to the historical time period, I don’t care that Michael Jordan and Reg E Cathay and Jessica Alba were cast as members of a family that is white in the picture books in which the Fantastic Four originated or that black paratroopers were in “Overlord”. I would not approve of T’Challa being played by a white person, because that IS important to his character.  And insisting on casting a woman of color as Cleopatra in the name of historical accuracy instantly destroys my respect for you. 

What we know about the appearance of the Two Rivers people is that they seem to be about average height for their part of the world.  Nynaeve & Egwene are short by modern standards (for a white or black North American), while Perrin is tall and Mat above average. They have somewhat darker complexions than the very Nordic-looking Aiel and possibly Andorans, but on the other hand, no character ever uses Two Rivers folk as a touchstone for dark skins, the way they do the Sea Folk or Tairens.  Even Domani are often mentioned as having coppery colored skins, with Two Rivers people using the terminology the same as lighter-skinned people, suggesting that they too, are lighter-skinned than the Domani.  When Elaida points out that Rand’s natural skin tone is unusually light for a Two Rivers native, she pushes up his sleeve to show the untanned skin, which to me suggests that Two Rivers people are not much, if at all, darker than a very pale person tans. So people do have a point that the actors for Perrin and Nynaeve, at least, if not also Egwene, are darker than they are portrayed in the books.

To which I say, “So what?” The important thing is that Rand is clearly different from the others.  That is probably even easier to convey visually if they use actors from different races, so Rand clearly stands out.  It might have been more interesting to make Rand the person of color, but then you’ll turn all the stuff into racial issues, and we don’t need that in discussions of the show.  Seriously, that was one of the more tedious parts of reveling in all the on-line criticism of Season 8 of Game of Thrones, which I prefer to think of as HBO’s six-part documentary, alternatively titled “Cannoli Was Right All Along.”  They didn’t kill off the Dothraki because they are racists, they killed off the Dothraki, to the extent that they did, because they long ago jettisoned everything else in service to spectacle.  Which brings me to the point that TV writers can’t be trusted and there are lots of other concerns in what they are going to do, beyond letting some black folks get full of themselves because Nynaeve would make Captain Marvel, Wonder Woman and Rey hide under the bed when she’s annoyed at them. 

One of the problems in “Game of Thrones” was that a lot of adaptational choices were not thought through, long term, nor were the implications. Like how Daenerys crowd-surfing on her freed slaves would look, compared to her riding her horse through a cheering crowd.  Or how abandoning a lot of the world building meant some things made very little sense.  If you read the books, between the lines, you know that the Dance of the Dragons (a war in-universe, not the book title) pretty much put paid to the idea of a woman inheriting the Iron Throne. But on the show, all we heard about that is that Stannis thinks the name is stupid.  In the books, he has definite opinions, including that the losing female contender was a traitor for attempting to claim the crown over her younger half-brother. But this sort of world-building would justify the characters’ stated preference for Jon’s gender over Daenerys in Season 8.  Going by the show alone, that makes no sense, because most of the nobles left at this point are women, and very few of the male lords would have reason to favor Jon over Dany, or else they were opponents of Dany for other reasons, like their die-hard support of Sansa, who was pro-Jon. The show’s worldbuilding undercut their own point of conflict, but they tried to fall back on book worldbuilding they had never serviced and made deliberate choices to omit characters or storypoints that would have supported that detail.

At this point I can’t see how the particulars of the Two Rivers’ ethnicity would affect the story, but I also thought cutting fAegon from “Game of Thrones” was a good idea when Season 5 rolled around.  To the extent that it is an issue in the story, the Two Rivers district of western Andor was once the heartland of a legendary nation called Manetheren.  When the nation was betrayed by their allies, the army fought alone to hold the ford of one of those eponymous rivers for far longer than anyone had thought possible, with civilians taking up arms to join them in hopes of preserving some fraction of the population.  In the end they all died fighting, but the enemy force was wiped out as a result of their defense, and so the few survivors who had got out came back, rebuilt their homes and said “We’re only leaving this country feet first.” But they lacked the human capital or resources to rebuild the nation and have been reduced to a rural farming community centered around a trio of villages.  There is a fourth village, called Taren Ferry, at the river crossing that is the only known way in or out of the Two Rivers, but they don’t have much to do with the rest of the area, and are looked at askance by the proper Two Rivers folk.  

It is also established in the text that the Taren Ferry people are the only ones to interbreed with outsiders or to have much intercourse with them at all.  The people living deeper in the Two Rivers are an isolated culture and breeding population.  Itinerant enterainers, merchants buying their crops and peddlers selling goods they cannot make themselves are their only contact with the outside world, and at one point a character actually scoffs at the idea of marrying one of them.  Rand is physically unique because his father, nearly equally uniquely, left the Two Rivers as a young man and came home with a wife from somewhere else and their baby.  

Because the Two Rivers people have only been reproducing among themselves for two thousand years, certain characteristics are reinforced in their genetics.  This is revealed when one of them, in a moment of stress, facing the same enemy that destroyed Manetheren, starts shouting in the language Manetheren spoke, using phrases specific to Manetheren.  This is later diagnosed as a kind of racial memory emerging, and strongly suggests that the character is a descendant of strong geneological connections to the last king of Manetheren. A second character feels a sort of recognition, suggesting a lesser degree of this Old Blood as it is called in the books. The other two native Two Rivers people don’t feel it. 

Now here’s the two fold problem with the casting.  The problem is not Marcus Rutherford and Zoe Robins, it is Barney Harris. They should ALL be the same race.  They’re isolated and have had very very few reproductive encounters with outsiders. Mat Cauthon should not be played by a clearly white actor if the rest of the Two Rivers is something else. 

But the really funny bit comes with the implications of the casting with regard to the Old Blood. 

Because these are the two people who are not the purest royal-blooded Two Rivers folk:

and 

while this is the one with maybe a hint of the blood of the legendary hero-king:

and THIS is the pure-blooded descendant of ancient royalty:

Ooops.  Gonna be fun when the people whose major problem with Missandei’s death is that a black woman didn’t have get to be in the last two episodes, watch the scene where Rosamund Pike tells THAT GUY, up there, how special his bloodline is.

But maybe they just rolled with the casting choices because they are going to skip the Old Blood issue. Okay. But like I said above, you never know what’s going to bite you in the butt seven or eight seasons down the road.   But the cynical part of me is greatly amused at the implications of the apparent mixed race heritage of the Two River people, and what it suggests about who the nobles and who the commoners were in the glory days of Manetheren.  On the other hand, you get the suggestion that the barriers between lords and commoners came down as they fought side by side to save their land and then worked side by side to make their community survive and we got people intermarrying without regard to the old social divisions.